Grays Peak Trip Report 08/01/2008

Peak(s):	Grays Peak - 14,275 feet Torreys Peak - 14,272 feet
Date Posted:	08/01/2008
Modified:	10/24/2008
Date Climbed:	07/26/2008
Author:	downhillbri

Two‘fer ‘teeners
Although I've done 3 other 14ers and my wife 4, we'd not yet done the close in twosome, Gray's and Torrey's. We did Mt. Sherman last weekend as a warm up. Got up at 2AM to beat the possible summer storms. Lightning is bad especially on a mountain top as we found out last year on Bierstadt. Got to the trail head at 5:15 and were climbing at 5:25. The peaks became bathed in rosy early morning light. The clouds made interesting sunlight patterns on the peaks. We summited Gray's Peak around 8:40 and spent about 15-20 minutes up top. We consumed the obligatory PB & J as we shared the great views. Dropped down the saddle then started up Torrey's steep ascent. "One down, one to go!" Unfortunately, I forgot to track our time when we summited Torrey's. As we were enjoying the second obligatory PB & J, a group of college kids arrived and one said "That was a b--- buster". My wife looked over and said to me "And we've got 35 to 40 year on them! Hah!" Terrific views from Torrey's where you can see both sides of the Continental Divide. We looked out toward familiar sights like A-Basin, Keystone & Breck. We could see other 14ers in the distance; Quandary (a last year hike), Bross, Democrat & Lincoln (still on our radar) and Mt. Holy Cross. WOW! Our other 14ers didn't quite have the same views. We looked down onto trails we'd hiked last year, Chihuahua Gulch and Grizzly Gulch, where we said at the time we needed to get up on the summit to look down. And now we have! We could even look out toward the I-70 interchange which serves the road up Stevens Gulch to the trailhead. Time passed quickly atop Torrey's but we knew it was getting later since the lower trails and Gray's were already getting crowded. We were very glad to get an early start to enjoy the hike and the views somewhat in solitude. We always marvel at how fast we get off the summit...but not as fast as we got off Bierstadt with the lightning last year. Boy, did we move! The trail was bordered by an abundance of beautiful wild flowers. Got back to the car at 1:15 after a very rewarding trek. And again, thanks to the 14ers site for all the great details on the peaks. It is valuable information on any hike, simple or hard. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Two‘fer ‘teeners

Although I've done 3 other 14ers and my wife 4, we'd not yet done the close in twosome, Gray's and Torrey's. We did Mt. Sherman last weekend as a warm up.

Got up at 2AM to beat the possible summer storms. Lightning is bad especially on a mountain top as we found out last year on Bierstadt. Got to the trail head at 5:15 and were climbing at 5:25. The peaks became bathed in rosy early morning light. The clouds made interesting sunlight patterns on the peaks.

We summited Gray's Peak around 8:40 and spent about 15-20 minutes up top. We consumed the obligatory PB & J as we shared the great views.

Dropped down the saddle then started up Torrey's steep ascent. "One down, one to go!"

Unfortunately, I forgot to track our time when we summited Torrey's.

As we were enjoying the second obligatory PB & J, a group of college kids arrived and one said "That was a b--- buster". My wife looked over and said to me "And we've got 35 to 40 year on them! Hah!"

Terrific views from Torrey's where you can see both sides of the Continental Divide. We looked out toward familiar sights like A-Basin, Keystone & Breck.

We could see other 14ers in the distance; Quandary (a last year hike), Bross, Democrat & Lincoln (still on our radar) and Mt. Holy Cross. WOW! Our other 14ers didn't quite have the same views. We looked down onto trails we'd hiked last year, Chihuahua Gulch

and Grizzly Gulch,

where we said at the time we needed to get up on the summit to look down. And now we have! We could even look out toward the I-70 interchange which serves the road up Stevens Gulch to the trailhead.

Time passed quickly atop Torrey's but we knew it was getting later since the lower trails and Gray's were already getting crowded. We were very glad to get an early start to enjoy the hike and the views somewhat in solitude.

We always marvel at how fast we get off the summit...but not as fast as we got off Bierstadt with the lightning last year. Boy, did we move!

The trail was bordered by an abundance of beautiful wild flowers.

Got back to the car at 1:15 after a very rewarding trek.

And again, thanks to the 14ers site for all the great details on the peaks. It is valuable information on any hike, simple or hard.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

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