Handies via CR 2 and Grouse Gulch

[REVIS]

Passed by the road leading into Grouse Gulch off CR 2 from Silverton many times wondering if it lead to the Handies standard routes. Looks as though it does. Wondering if anyone has any experience with this route and might know the distance of the trek from CR2 Grouse Gulch junction. Taking some family from CA up and trying to save them the drive all the way around through Lake City. Rather stay in Silverton and start the hike from CR2 Grouse Gulch junction and skip driving driving over Cinnamon in my crew cab diesel (tranny hates the slow grind) and I'm wanting to leave the atv's home. Looks like about 3600 ft of total gain from CR2 to Handies Peak with around 500 loss dropping into American Basin from Grouse Gulch. I could be way off though. Any info appreciated on distance and characteristics of this route.

[Exiled Michigander]

I did this route during Labor Day Weekend 2012--very enjoyable and you'll have plenty of solitude until you drop down into American Basin. I can't recall the details on length and elevation gain, but overall it was not a very strenuous hike. The worst part is the shock of going from being entirely alone to suddenly being part of a crowd. It is definitely the way to go if you want to avoid a drive to Lake City.

[LadyClimber]

I did Handies from Grouse Gulch once. It's about 10 miles-ish if I remember right. The hard part is that you have a climb up to the American Saddle and then drop back down to the basin and then up handies, but I didn't think it was too bad.

[cougar]

I did Handies by this route a couple years ago. It's pretty mellow, mostly a tundra walk. Trickiest part is getting to the right trailhead since it's not well marked (it also goes by Burns Gulch and is marked with a NFS stake). You do have to go up and over the 13000 ft pass and lose 600 ft of elevation, but it's not bad, and it joins the route from American Basin. Took me about 20 minutes to climb back up, maybe 4 1/2 hours RT, about 4000 ft elevation gain with the up and down. I'm thinking it was more like 8-9 miles RT. The whole route is basically above treeline/open slopes.

From the trailhead, you want the trail (not the jeep road that's next to the trail) as it ascends toward the pass. A few switchbacks and one spot branches off to a mine.

The road is still a narrow, bumpy shelf road but no steep grades.

[REVIS]

Awesome! Thank you all very much for the info!