6/4/2022 Route: Lost Rat Couloir Posted On: 6/5/2022, By: Crestoner Info: Lost Rat Couloir was definitely IN yesterday. We engaged the apron ~0700...while this east-facing couloir typically takes an early sun hit, it was off-and-on sun as we approached. There was a lot of trashy snow from rollers, small slides, and skiers, but nothing problematic. On the apron, the snow was very soft, and our feet (big guys) often went in to mid calf. Up higher, the snow was variable, and it was definitely getting softer as we progressed...skier tracks and small slide paths were nice and hard, though. The large cornice at the top was somewhat unsettling, but when we got there and checked it out, it looked nice and stable. The snow coverage was good all the way to the top...but, for the last ~150 feet, the snow was rather shallow, and we got a few of those uncomfortable "shock waves" up our arms when the ice axes plunged down to solid ground. Our climb took ~1 hour...great fun, no falling rocks, no slides. We kept the crampons on all the way to Grays summit...continuous snow, except for maybe 15 feet. |
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5/26/2022 Route: North Slopes Posted On: 5/26/2022, By: barringm Info: Started at 6.30 am, had to turn back after about 1 hour because snow was too soft? Other hikers had skis and snowshoes. My boots and micro spikes were sinking too often. Unsure if I should try tomorrow with snowshoes or just wait for snow to melt. Or should I leave earlier? |
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5/18/2022 Route: Grays and Torreys Posted On: 5/18/2022, By: Suley888 Info: Sunmited grays and Torrey's today. Was able to get within .1 miles of the summer trailhead in my Subaru, though things will change with the snow Friday. Snow was mostly pretty good, with our 6 am start but that last mile in the afternoon was nothing but postholing. The little offshoot to Torrey's was the only part that truly had me nervous where a loose, wet avalanche is concerned, and you can avoid it completely if you have the mind. Once up on the saddle you can make it to both peaks almost entirely on rocks and not snow. |
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5/14/2022 Route: Lost Rat Couloir Posted On: 5/14/2022, By: Thevirtualsherpa Info: Unless you like spice in your life - Thai spice - this line is: -out for riding and boarding without a rap / sketchy downclimb -window rapidly closing for climbing (like next 2-3 days) The entire approach and 5/6 of the climb is great and now has an A+ booter in it. The issue lies with the top 100ft (and growing) which is a scree fest. We managed to snake a line out but it was not ideal by any means. In addition the cornice that usually hangs to the left is absolutely massive. Pics of all below - hopefully some more snow fills this in - otherwise get it tomorrow before the heat melts out more of the top. |
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5/14/2022 Route: Grays and Torreys Posted On: 5/14/2022, By: takelifeoutside Info: 6am start, just under 4 hours round trip. Was able to get .5 miles from trailhead with 4wd car and several cars parked closer. Last half mile still has some snow conditions to get to the trailhead. Used spikes whole way, conditions were great for hiking all the way to the top. No snow shoes required. The last 30 minutes, so around 9:30AM at the lower half of the hike the conditions started to get soft - a lot of deep postholes and I made plenty more. Extreme wind about half the time on the summit of grays and making way over to Torreys. A lot of exposed trail as well from second half of hike to the summits. |
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5/14/2022 Route: N. Slopes boot, summit-shoulder-saddle-basin ski Posted On: 5/15/2022, By: HikesInGeologicTime Info: Summit ski descent is still in and is super fun if you're into skiing bowls at the resorts! There is a wedge of snow from the summit along the ridge leading to the Torreys saddle, then good coverage below the saddle and down to about 12,400, where I needed to take my skis off and walk the trail a short ways (I estimate between .25 and .5 mi.) until I could drop down into the gulch and ski all the way back to the TH. Partner was able to glissade from a short ways below the summit down to just below 13k'. We started down around 1 p.m.; snow above 12,500' was nice corn with no evidence of slide activity along our line, and the gulch was Mashed Potato Central by the time I got into it after 2, but there's just enough of a pitch to it that as long as I kept my skis pointed downhill, forward momentum was not an issue. Ascent: I put my skins in my pack but never actually used them. There was just enough snow to prevent us from thinking that driving all the way to the upper TH was a good idea (but we did get .4 mi from it, much to our satisfaction) but definitely not enough to skin up, so I rigged my skis and the outer part of my boots onto my pack, saw no need for flotation on the trail - postholed as it was - when the sun hadn't crested the mountains just yet, and decided to continue the whole way up the standard route with my double-take-worthy set-up out of a combination of pure stubbornness and the continued affirmation that this method was actually somewhat easier on the foot I'd injured the previous summer than skinning would have been. There's enough unavoidable snow on the trail below 13k' to be a bit annoying, especially if the tail of your ski keeps catching on it, but it's a temporary inconvenience, and much of the trail above that is melted out to the point that it's possible to stick almost entirely to rocks along the side. Some might find traction helpful, and while I'm a big fan of microspikes, I do not have a pair that I could fit over ski boots, so I did without and had no troubles. |
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5/1/2022 Route: North Slopes Posted On: 5/2/2022, By: kwhit24 Info: We parked 2 miles from the trailhead at around 10,400' (Grizzly Gulch Rd Turnoff) with a few other vehicles but we might've been able to get another .5-.75 miles (a few vehicles made it). 2 other vehicles go stuck trying to get higher. Snow is continuous to about a mile below the trailhead (we skied to about 10,800' before walking the rest) and then patchy/icy/rutted after that. We should've taken the gulch up because the standard route is getting thin. After getting into the basin area we boot packed part of the ridge. In our opinion taking the first skin track beneath Grays to the saddle and then boot packing up the ridge would've been best. We had a very late start so the snow was was crud ps: if you find a pair of hiking shoes at the end of the bridge I might know who they belong to (facepalm) |
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4/15/2022 Route: North Slopes Posted On: 4/16/2022, By: Queenmypawn Info: Not summitable. https://youtu.be/xPEubcdLe0s |
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1/23/2022 Route: Southwest Ridge Posted On: 1/23/2022, By: wintersage Info: Wore snowshoes from car to 13,000ft. Stashed them on the ridge, microspikes to the summit and back. Snowshoes were very much needed as any existing trail was covered and it seemed like no one recently took this route up. Saw a big crack to the left of the route before 13000 (pic #3) and opted to take the rocky ribs and patches of bare ground straight up to ridge instead |
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12/2/2021 Route: Grays and Torreys Posted On: 12/3/2021, By: abbycatMonty Info: Did Grays and Torreys via the standard combo route yesterday. Beautiful sunny day with only 2 other hikers out. The snow is packed down on the first part of the trail. The upper part of the trail is mostly dry with a few icy spots. I used yaktraxs and found them helpful, although you could probably do it without them. I made it up to the TH in our 94 Dodge 4x4 truck without issue. There was a Subaru up there as well. There is a decently large ice patch in the first mile of road, but after that it is pretty clear. There is some packed snow in the last mile. I think most 4x4 and AWD vehicles could do it if you take it slow on the ice. |
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10/23/2021 Route: Grays and Torreys Posted On: 10/24/2021, By: carnahanman Info: A couple of inches of packed snow for the last 2/3rds of the length of the trail. Microspikes are nice to have, but you could probably still summit these peaks without them until there's more snow. Great weather yesterday! |
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10/23/2021 Route: North Slopes Posted On: 10/24/2021, By: MTBMTN Info: Great conditions for October. Trail is mostly clear of snow until the Kelso Ridge turnoff. After which I put microspikes on and found them extremely helpful. |
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10/10/2021 Route: Grays and Torreys Posted On: 10/10/2021, By: skeater912 Info: Snow! Lots of it. Started at 520am, only a few cars in the upper lot. Ended up being behind only one group of 3 - they didn't take the Grays cutoff and instead headed up to the saddle to tag Torreys. I contemplated whether or not to follow or break trail on the Grays side, and elected to follow - there was knee deep snow on the mid mountain. Followed them to the saddle and then broke trail up the ridge to Grays, then spun around and went over to Torreys - the 'T' route if you will. A beautiful, cold, snowy day up there. Probably gettable until more snow arrives, there was more people on the way up as I was descending and I think the trail will be packed out nicely. Car to car was 5.5 hours. |
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10/8/2021 Route: Grays and Torreys Posted On: 10/8/2021, By: dknoester Info: Snow from 12,800' to the saddle and to Grays; spikes highly recommended. Dry from the saddle to Torreys, but windy, gusts to ~40mph I would guess. Temps were mild, high 30s or so. A light dusting of snow at 2:00 when we were nearing the parking lot. |
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10/4/2021 Route: Grays and Torreys Posted On: 10/5/2021, By: JacqueTietjen Info: Spikes highly recommended for Grays, if anything for the descent. Plenty of people did it without spikes but it definitely slows you down. Only a couple inches, packed snow from about 12,800'-summit. Torreys from grays was bone dry past the saddle and Kelso ridge looked pretty dry from the trail. Gorgeous weather today! |
