Mount Elbert The neighboring Mount Massive, to the north, is the second-highest peak in the Rocky Mountains and the third-highest in the contiguous United States, and La Plata Peak, to the south, is the fifth-highest in the Rockies. The community of Twin Lakes lies at the base of Mount Elbert, Denver is about to the east, Vail is to the north, and Aspen is to the west. Leadville, about to the northeast, is the nearest large town. Elbert's parent peak is Mount Whitney in California. Including Alaska and Hawaii, Mount Elbert is the fourteenth-highest mountain in the United States. Weather conditions often
Mount Elbert head with the Mount Massive supporters building large piles of stones on the summit to boost its height, only to have the Mount Elbert proponents demolish them. The effort was ultimately unsuccessful and Mount Elbert has remained the highest peak in Colorado. The first motorized ascent of Elbert occurred in 1949, when a Jeep was driven to the summit, apparently to judge suitability for skiing development. The summit of Mount Elbert is an alpine environment, featuring plants such as "Phacelia sericea" (sky-pilot), "Hymenoxys grandiflora" (old-man-of-the-mountain), and "Geum rossii" (alpine avens). Also noted are "Carex atrata" var. "pullata", "Salix desertorum", "Platanthera