Mt. Elbert
Mt Elbert, rising to 14,433 feet above sea level is the highest peak in the state. It is a really simple climb, which kind of takes away from the splendor of it all. It was part of a long weekend I took to go climbing with some friends (who all chickened out). I actually started this climb at 2:00 in the afternoon, as the weather was beautiful and the temperatures were hot. I did the peak from the Mt. Elbert trailhead, not the standard Twin Lakes approach. The trail is steep for about 1.5 miles then decends a little into a small valley. Then the trail begins the steep climb onto the ridge and finally breaks tree line. I had one friend along with me to this point, then he couldn't handle it anymore and he began to go down. I continued along the easily followed trail and over SEVERAL false summits until you could see the real summit around a bend. 
I summited around 5:30 and had a break with one other person who had followed close behind the entire way. I left the peak around 6:00 and began the descent. It was quick work getting down and I did it in record time for me. I would highly recommend this climb to anyone who is looking for an easy yet satisfying climb.
Along with me on this climb: Jim, at least to treeline!
Total Round Trip Time: 5.75 Hours