Grays, Torreys and the road conditions?

[BillMiddlebrook]

Anyone been up there recently? Curious about the amount of snow on the road, if snowmobiles have been making it up there and snow conditions on the standard routes. We will be on skis.

[Mtnman200]

Have you tried looking on the 14ers.com Facebook page?

[BillMiddlebrook]

thumbsup.jpg

[brerrabbit]

I'm planning on doing Grays tomorrow, I'll update when I get a chance sometime tomorrow afternoon/evening.

[Bean]

It's been a few weeks but the road has been well-covered all winter. Snow coverage has been variable (more depending on recent wind events than anything else) but adequate to skin/ski to at least the sign near 12,300'.

[BillMiddlebrook]

Thanks!

[two lunches]

looks like you could get a solid answer from Mr. Hamilton soon, too, Bill!

[andrewhamilton]

Well last night was pretty cool. I had a full moon and practically no wind for the first time in nearly 50 peaks this winter. The summit had a slight breeze that was darn cold but other than that it was really nice. Torreys is loaded with white and looks amazing in the moonlight!

Andrea drove up the road not far to the first switchback before stopping. There were some snow ruts from some determined somebody but you wouldn't get much further, so I don't think there is much point in trying to drive up very far.

The road is fully covered with snow all the way to the trailhead, and is hard packed. I walked all the way up in microspikes. There were a couple of bare patches that extended maybe half way across the road but easy to avoid on skis. In several spots there are small rocks that have fallen onto the road so in the dark I had to be careful to avoid those on the skiis on the descent.

Above the trailhead the snow was windswept but hard. Skis or snowshoes are a good idea here because every once in awhile I'd punch through the hard surface and fall in pretty deep. After a few minutes I put on snowshoes (yes I took skis and snowshoes )

Solid snow coverage up to the big sign at 12,100 feet. Here I ditched my skis. Above this point a followed a rocky rib to avoid the snow. The options for skiers look pretty good as Torrey's is very white, and grays has a pretty good sized snowfield on it as well. I'm not nearly a good enough skier to try that, but if it had been light and the snow was good, and not too threatening it looked liked a nice glissade!

On the descent, when I got back to the skis, i traversed south to get into the frozen drainage. I had been hallucinating and sleep walking on the descent, but woke up with excitement when I got to the skis. It was so amazing. The snow was hard it was like a groomed ski run most of the way to the upper trailhead. I got a little messed up in some willows though. The road back was fast and fun and the main thing was just avoiding those rocks in the road that I mentioned.

[brerrabbit]

Looks like Andrew has you covered for updates. I have pictures of Dead Dog and Lost Rat if you were looking for those. PM me for the link to the pictures if interested.

[BillMiddlebrook]

Great stuff! A little too early to ski Lost Rat or DD so I’m more interested in the standard routes. Thanks so much

[jmanner]

Great stuff! A little too early to ski Lost Rat or DD so I’m more interested in the standard routes. Thanks so much

Bill, me and another forum member skied Grays from the summit a month or so back. You can stitch together a safe line from summit to car, with minimal hiking. Especially if you bring some beater skis.

[Jedpac01]

Planning to climb Grays and Torreys May 7 or 8, 2018, typically is the road clear by then, and can a person camp at the 4WD TH? Thanks in advance.
Jed