July 9th, 2005

Mt. Massive is located just outside of Leadville and is the 2nd highest Colorado 14er falling just 12 feet short of Mt. Elbert. The North Halfmoon Creek Trailhead access the backside of Mt. Massive which is one of the most enjoyable areas I've encountered on a 14er. There is a steep scree slope towards the end which is probably what discourages most people from taking this route, but the scenery definitely makes up for it. This side of the mountain receives much less traffic than the standard route, so you most likely won't encounter anybody until the summit.