Download Agreement, Release, and Acknowledgement of Risk:
You (the person requesting this file download) fully understand mountain climbing ("Activity") involves risks and dangers of serious bodily injury, including permanent disability, paralysis, and death ("Risks") and you fully accept and assume all such risks and all responsibility for losses, costs, and damages you incur as a result of your participation in this Activity.
You acknowledge that information in the file you have chosen to download may not be accurate and may contain errors. You agree to assume all risks when using this information and agree to release and discharge 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and the author(s) of such information (collectively, the "Released Parties").
You hereby discharge the Released Parties from all damages, actions, claims and liabilities of any nature, specifically including, but not limited to, damages, actions, claims and liabilities arising from or related to the negligence of the Released Parties. You further agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and each of the other Released Parties from and against any loss, damage, liability and expense, including costs and attorney fees, incurred by 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. or any of the other Released Parties as a result of you using information provided on the 14ers.com or 14ers Inc. websites.
You have read this agreement, fully understand its terms and intend it to be a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law and agree that if any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid the balance, notwithstanding, shall continue in full force and effect.
By clicking "OK" you agree to these terms. If you DO NOT agree, click "Cancel"...
As always, the full TR is posted below, but is also available here.
After the previous day's hike and descent of Huron Peak, I found myself at home trying to figure out what to do for the evening. Nothing sounded appealing - not watching a movie, going out, listening to music - except for going to bed. Being one to believe there's usually a good reason behind it when all you want to do is sleep, I hit the sack early. I was planning on a relaxing day starting with sleeping in, but things didn't really go according to plan.
My eyes popped open; I was wide awake . It was still dark and I looked over to the clock. 4:27. Before I'd gone to bed, I told myself - knowing that there was no way that it'd actually happen - if I woke up on my own really early, I'd go ski Grays. Knowing that I had plenty of time, I slowly went through my morning routine. Get dressed, deal with Scout, coffee, breakfast. I didn't unpack my ski gear from the car the night before, figuring I'd be going up at least one more time for the long weekend, so all I needed to grab on my way out the door was a couple Snickers and some water.
I was hiking by 7am, back here yet again.
I didn't take many photos on the way up as I was just trying to make decent time (which I did - car to summit in under 1:45). The East face of Torreys is still in but requires an early exit to Dead Dog, which will probably be skiable in to August. I was on top well before 9am, surprised at the quick softening of the snow.
I spotted a ribbon of snow that went almost the entire way to the parking lot, which made me happy - I don't do this because I like walking downhill.
I took my time on top enjoying the perfect weather, the view, having a snack, and leisurely transitioning over to my ski gear. At about 9am, I dropped on to perfect corn.
I got about 1,200 of great skiing in before stopping to hop over a ridge to more snow.
A quick 100 re-climb later and I was back on snow.
Things flattened out quite a bit from here, but it was still much better to be on snow than on dirt, made better by the fact that I expected to be walking at this point. There were a few chokes in the snow, but nothing bad.
I took one last shot before Grays went out of view behind Kelso.
The snow along the creek is melting fast, and there was a bit of a discontinuity I had to cross, but it wasn't long enough to make taking the skis off worth it.
Less than an hour after leaving the summit (and three hours after starting up), I was back at the trailhead to retrieve the PBR I cached in the stream on the way in, one more box on the list checked.
Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.
Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.
