Grays Peak Trip Report 07/21/2008

Peak(s):	Grays Peak - 14,275 feet Torreys Peak - 14,272 feet
Date Posted:	07/21/2008
Modified:	07/22/2008
Date Climbed:	07/19/2008
Author:	globreal

Moonlight Hike of Grays and Torreys-Standard Route
Moonlight Hike to Grays & Torreys, 19 July, 2008 This is my first trip report so please bear with me! This trip was started by spontaneous weekends who unfortunately ended up just missing us. We were all asking about him and sorry he couldn't make it. As it turned out, about 16 of us were at the bridge for the 1:30am (1:45am actually) start time. The temperature was a cool 45 degrees. The moon was amazing, highlighting the creek below and the peaks beyond. No need to even use your headlamps! Many of us were on the summit of Grays by 5am, well before the sun was to show itself. As it turned out, the wind was blowing enough to make the summit a bit brisk with temps somewhere in the 30's. We all were feeling the cold and I would have paid $20 for a cup of coffee if the guy with the stove had had it! Many enjoyed taking photographs of the sun starting to show itself. From Grays, this was the view of Torreys with the dawn glow. With the cold and the wind, most of us decided to head for Torreys instead of waiting for the sunrise. Leaving Grays as we headed for Torreys, we all laughed as we came upon this NEXT TEE sign! LOL In the saddle between Grays & Torreys we were graced with a beautiful sunrise. To do a mountain climb and be up there at sunrise was on my "Bucket List," so my hiking buddy did me a favor of capturing the memory. The first light hitting the peaks to the west of Torreys. And back to the south, the first light on the peaks underneath the full moon was a sight to see. Sunrise over the top of a Torreys couloir. Just below the summit of Torreys looking back at Grays where we just came from. Fellow hikers on the summit of Torreys looking back at Grays. The pyramid shadow of the peak we were standing on was incredible! Hiking back across the meadows, looking back at Grays and Torreys with wildflowers in all their spendlor. , , My hiking buddy and I made it back and congratulated each other for a wonderful moonlight hike together. Once again a hearty thanks to spontaneous weekends for organizing this moonlight hike and I am so sorry you missed it. I hope to meet up with you someday on 14er! globreal Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Moonlight Hike of Grays and Torreys-Standard Route

Moonlight Hike to Grays & Torreys, 19 July, 2008

This is my first trip report so please bear with me!

This trip was started by spontaneous weekends who unfortunately ended up just missing us. We were all asking about him and sorry he couldn't make it.

As it turned out, about 16 of us were at the bridge for the 1:30am (1:45am actually) start time. The temperature was a cool 45 degrees.

The moon was amazing, highlighting the creek below and the peaks beyond. No need to even use your headlamps!

Many of us were on the summit of Grays by 5am, well before the sun was to show itself. As it turned out, the wind was blowing enough to make the summit a bit brisk with temps somewhere in the 30's. We all were feeling the cold and I would have paid $20 for a cup of coffee if the guy with the stove had had it!

Many enjoyed taking photographs of the sun starting to show itself.

From Grays, this was the view of Torreys with the dawn glow.

With the cold and the wind, most of us decided to head for Torreys instead of waiting for the sunrise. Leaving Grays as we headed for Torreys, we all laughed as we came upon this NEXT TEE sign! LOL

In the saddle between Grays & Torreys we were graced with a beautiful sunrise.

To do a mountain climb and be up there at sunrise was on my "Bucket List," so my hiking buddy did me a favor of capturing the memory.

The first light hitting the peaks to the west of Torreys.

And back to the south, the first light on the peaks underneath the full moon was a sight to see.

Sunrise over the top of a Torreys couloir.

Just below the summit of Torreys looking back at Grays where we just came from.

Fellow hikers on the summit of Torreys looking back at Grays.

The pyramid shadow of the peak we were standing on was incredible!

Hiking back across the meadows, looking back at Grays and Torreys with wildflowers in all their spendlor.

My hiking buddy and I made it back and congratulated each other for a wonderful moonlight hike together. Once again a hearty thanks to spontaneous weekends for organizing this moonlight hike and I am so sorry you missed it. I hope to meet up with you someday on 14er!

globreal

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Uffda	Great hike! 7/22/2008 3:12pm It was great to meet everyone in the group! I think I‘m in the silhouette pic too (is there a larger version available?). Also, the pics you took of me with my camera on Torreys turned out great! I‘ll try to get my TR up tonight!
realhillboarding	coffee 7/22/2008 3:13pm there‘s something about gray‘s/torreys and people offering me $20 for something i brought to the top...on the 4th of july someone offered me $20 for 2 beers at the summit of torrey‘s, saturday morning i was offered $20 for coffee on grays unfortunately i was out of hot chocolate mix and only had gatorade left, otherwise i would have been happy to share...next time i‘ll bring extra!
spontaneous weekends	great pics! 7/22/2008 7:03pm Wow, did I ever miss a great hike! I‘m just happy that it all panned out for everyone perfectly. I actually expected more than 16 people, did everyone summit? I think I read that at least one turned back but didn‘t mind. I agree, the silhouette picture is frick‘n cool as hell! If I were in that, I swear nothing could stop me from blowing it up and hanging it in my home. That‘s the best shot I‘ve ever seen on this site, it‘s like an album cover. Thanks for the TR, maybe I‘ll try another get together in August...and I know fate would have it that I‘d miss that one too! (I‘m playing karma here)
Kate	Excellent TR! 7/22/2008 7:25pm Great first TR, Globreal! The pictures are awesome. I‘m glad you were able to cross one more off your Bucket List! Spontaneous Weekends, I was bummed to miss this hike as well. I‘d like to do some research and plan for the next full moon if feasible. Congrats to those that made the summit!
dcbates80911	Great Picks 7/23/2008 2:56am I have heard and thought about sunrise summits, but never really considered them. May need to add to my ”bucket list”. Good first report.
Abbey	Moonlight Hikes Rock :) 7/23/2008 5:48pm Thanks for the Trip Report and pictures. I‘d like to get a couple of those from you in full size - the group one for sure. By the way, a group from 14ers.com in Colorado Springs is getting together tomorrow evening for a happy hour, will you be there?
realhillboarding	pictures 11/30/2010 5:28pm nice to meet you as well! i love the silhouette picture, i think i'm the second person from the left. To embed the picture, highlight the number in the trip report text, then click the "image" button. edit: i tried to give an example of what the image embedding would look like, but it screwed up the formatting so i got rid of the example
corinthia	nice to meet you 2/5/2011 12:22am I didn‘t know you were a 14ers.com‘er - but it was nice to meet you on the trails! (I met you while I descended Torrey‘s, you pointed out Holy Cross to me) -Laura

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