We set out from our hotel in Georgetown (which may be the coolest little town on Earth) very pre-dawn on Saturday in hopes of being at the trailhead and underway at sunrise. We came pretty close, too. . .only I failed to consider that we‘d be creeping up FR189. Still, we were the first vehicle at the trailhead. (NOTE: I found FR189 to be very passable in my friend Jill‘s 4Runner, with some minor holes and ice patches. I‘m not sure I‘d take a passenger car up this road, but that‘s a debate for another forum!)
The day dawned fairly warm with a brilliant sun over the valley (what‘s up with this weather?) As we made the trek up the Gray‘s trail, we constantly wondered why we brought so much gear for this easy semi-summer hike. I had the usual stuff you see a midwesterner bring to Colorado: an extra fleece layer, my Marmot shell, trekking poles, snowshoes strapped to my pack even when there was no snow, etc.
Going up, we were passed by a solo hiker who was moving very fast and very light, a young couple, and finally an older guy in an Iowa Hawkeyes parka. We were keeping a liesurely pace because we were doing both peaks and knew we‘d need some reserve for Torreys. Letting the Iowa guy pass was a bonus, because he turned out to be a damn good photographer at the summit!
After rounding Kelso, both peaks came into view. Well, ok, the bottom 2/3 came into view. We immediately noticed that both summits were socked in under thick clouds that seemed to get lower and lower as we climbed. As is typical in these weather patterns, the temperature dropped and the wind rose to the point of biting.
The solo hiker soon met us on his descent and warned us to bundle up, it was nasty up top. The wind and snow were coming from the west, so we were shielded directly under Grays. We also knew that the saddle approach to Torreys wouldn‘t be so sheltered.
A little adversity always makes for a better climb, so it was time for Jill‘s CamelBack to freeze up and her glove combination to completely fail. She‘s a trooper, and refused to turn back, even with her hands tucked under her armpits to prevent frostbite.
We made the summit of Grays in the thick clouds and heavy winds. This was only my second 14er after Quandary last month, and I was looking forward to more spectacular views. Unfortunately, our views consisted of 10ft visibility and lots of gray. It was cool to see just how fast the clouds were moving when they zipped by at arm‘s reach, though.
The weather was not cooperating, and the fresh dusting of snow was making things slippery. I checked with Jill one last time, thinking a quick descent down the Grays Trail would be prudent. She just shook her head under her Turtle Fur and pointed down the saddle toward Torreys, as if to say "Go. Now."
The other young couple and Mr. Iowa retreated to the Grays trail. We met a group with a few dogs on the saddle who had come up across the snowfield headed for Torreys, and decided to make for Grays and downward instead. Apparently, we would have Torreys all to ourselves!
Once the saddle turned upward, all the pleasantries stopped and we settled into a trudge. That fresh dusting of snow, coupled with zero visibility, made every step a slip-and-slide. All the recent sun and wind had done a Zamboni job on the trail itself. At one point, we even lost sight of this well-marked trail and I had to look at my compass to make sure we were still heading north!
The last couple hundred feet was spent slogging from cairn to cairn, making sure we were on the right trail, and adjusting gear and clothing to minimize the misery. The wind was now blasting those little ice crystals across the ridge, so we got a free spa treatment, too.
We would have been on the summit sooner, but I stopped at a very large cairn for no reason but to bitch for about ten minutes. I ranted about the snow, the cold, the wind, the rocks, the marmots, and anything else I could think of. When Jill finally got me moving, we took about 20 more steps and found ourselves on the summit. Had I known we were this close, I could have skipped the bitch session!
We descended across the snowfield shortcut, and we were both a bit startled at how steep it looks from above. We considered stopping to put on our snowshoes, but we were too cold for that. It would have been easier if we had a good sense of where we were going (we didn‘t) or if we could see the numerous large cairns that mark this route (we couldn‘t). After a combined total of at least four slip-and-falls, we made it back to the Grays trail and the leisurely walk out of the valley.
We were in a decent amount of pain from the cold and the tough walking conditions, but as we looked back over our shoulders toward Grays and Torreys, we were treated to the sky turning a color of blue that I have never seen in nature. Unfortunately, it was also a color that couldn‘t be photographed.
So, I now have a total of three 14ers under my belt, with the best climbing partner in the world. I‘ll be back out for a couple more in a few weeks, probably the Bierstadt-Evans combo!
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
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