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| Grays Peak and Torreys Peak as you come out of Steven's Gulch |
This was one of those hikes that gets you going right out of the gate. After arriving at the summer trailhead from Denver, the altitude is readily noticeable. Got on the trail at 5:05 am. The trailhead sits at 11,280’, and the first portion of the hike from the parking lot through Stevens Gulch is definitely a challenge. It is probably one of the most gorgeous approaches I can think of, and makes you wait to see the mountain or mountains you are about to hike. After gaining the first portion of the hike alongside Stevens Gulch alongside the Kelso Ridge, Grays and Torreys come into view.
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| Looking back down Steven's Gulch |
The peaks appear farther away than they actually are. Its time to put your head down and keep plugging. Once you get to and cross a large stream, you can tell you are nestled into the shoulder of the mountain, and the hike truly begins. At this point you are in the bowl that is created from Grays and Torreys, shielded from approaching wind. Continuing up the trail on Grays, the switchbacks start, elevation is gained quickly, and the view increases with every step. After several switchbacks, you gain the summit of Grays and can finally get a view off to the west, and decide for yourself if you want to start making the move over to Torreys. When I got to the summit at 7:25am, there was one other person up there, I had been following him up, and he was eating some trail mix enjoying the early morning view. We Bs’d a bit, and talked about the climb, start times, and other peaks we had climbed. Turns out he was from Kansas City, and had driven up the day before to check out his parents’ new vacation home in nearby Dillon (mad jealous). He wasn’t sure about doing Torreys, but after we talked about it, decided to make a run at it. The ridge from Grays to Torreys is pretty damn cool.
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| Old Glory and I at the top of Torreys. |
Great views to the east and west. Breckenridge ski area was visible, and looked like a foothill compared to where we were. The ascent up Torreys was pretty straightforward…a short, but direct route up to the summit. On top, we signed into the register, and enjoyed a “Special Export” brought in from Kansas City. The beer should have never been exported. It tasted like yesterdays PBR left out in the sun. I wish the kid brought some Boulevard. Next time…The descent was fun. As we were the first ones up Grays and Torreys that day, we had a bunch of people asking about the weather on top, and what was coming in from the west. We talked about all kinds of stuff. He was a pharmacist who just got out of school. We talked about that, good beer, and our amazing luck with the day we ended up with on top of Grays and Torreys. Tried glissading for the first time, and had a blast. Only went 200’, but it was crazy! Not sure about the couple who glissaded down the bowl with their dog. They had quite an audience (including a park ranger) we all reveled in their stupidity. Once back at the parking lot, it was time to take off the boots, put on the flip flops, and look for the greasiest cheeseburger on the way back to Denver.
X-Factor:
As far as hikes go, this one went right according to plan. There were no snafus, no unexpected terrain, and was pretty damn enjoyable.
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