Eldorado Peak--"The Knife Edge"

10 miles of hiking • 7250' elevation gain • 1 night

This was a tough climb. We climbed via the East Ridge. The approach is brutal, you climb 4000' in the first 2 miles with 1000' being a boulder scramble..... and with a 30lb+ pack and the hot weather we were pretty gassed when we made it to camp at the Roush Creek Basin just below the Eldorado Glacier. Day 2.... climbing to the top of Eldorado's 8868' peak, was a fair bit easier then the previous days grueling approach. Ascending/descending the "Knife Edge" to reach the summit was a true alpine experience in itself. From the summit you have views into Marble Creek, Dorado Needle, Forbidden Peak, Mount Buckner, Logan, Johannesburg and the other peaks of the Ptarmigan Traverse. The climb down from the peak to the TH though was again brutal and even hotter then the day before and by the time we made it to the car we were all pretty much on fumes and ready for a drop of something cheerful.