Grays Peak

Route: Grays and Torreys
Posted On: 11/18/2012, By: DanielL
Info: We had a fun day climbing Grays and Torreys yesterday! Our 2005 Subaru Outback made it to the summer trailhead without any problems. The morning was windy and cold, but in the afternoon the wind died down and it warmed up quite a bit. Other than a few clear spots, especially below the kiosk (12,000'), the well-traveled trail is covered in snow. I put on my microspikes at the saddle after coming off Torreys and didn't take them off until the trailhead, although they would have been useful while ascending as well. The traverse back across Grays' south face after leaving the saddle was interesting (image #2 - the path is marked by large cairns), and I was glad that I had my spikes on, even though there were climbers kicking and cutting steps in front of us. Images 3 and 4 are looking back across this area. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 11/2/2012, By: farside
Info: Road was easy to drive up, light snow in some areas but easily accessible. Camped overnight and it was only a little windy but chilly down to around 34 F. The trail was a little snowy and icy in the basin. From the small ridge after passing the kiosk to close to the summit of Greys the trail was largely covered in snow, we had donned our microspike then making the travel alot easier. Was windy (gusts up to 20 knots) when going up to the split that would either take you to either Torreys or Greys but for the most part seemed to be protected from the majority of the wind by the summit. When going up Torreys once you pass over to the saddle the wind hits you full force for constant 25+ knots with strong gusts up to high 30‘s. Your able to avoid the snow on Torreys only in a small portion of the saddle but after that the trail is covered in snow till the summit. Greys trail is snowy till you get to within 50 ft of summit. Microspikes and trekking poles highly recommended but not necessary. Windy and very cold, summit temp ~25 F. Not many people out on Saturday, saw maybe 40 as compared to this past Feb when I saw over 100 in a lot snowier conditions. Let me know if you have any questions about conditions and hopefully I can be helpful. Happy Hiking. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 10/19/2012, By: jimmtman
Info: Trail has a fair bit of snow on it. Snow/icy patches from bridge all the way up but some bare sections along the way and especially near the top. Bluebird day today but windy (gusts of 40+ mph). Microspikes and ski poles helpful especially going back down. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 10/6/2012, By: MountainHiker
Info: Snow on the trail, especially above 12,500’. I used MicroSpikes and a pole. There were people without traction who did okay since the snow was mostly still fresh. They minded it more early in the day before the snow softened. There could be more ice in coming days. Traction recommended. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 9/29/2012, By: Btuperkwh
Info: Trail was dry up to the 1.5 mile info sign. About 1-2" of snow covered the trail all the way up to the saddle and Grays Summit. Conditions icy in several areas especially as the day wore on. Didn‘t get to Torreys but looked icy in spots as well. Bring micro-spikes or yak trax to assist with traction on the trail especially going down. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 9/22/2012, By: ezabielski
Info: Patches of snow next to the trail, no snow on the trail, including Torrey‘s. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 9/19/2012, By: acwixom
Info: Still awesome conditions but getting colder up there! The aspens are almost all golden on the way up to the trailhead and can be seen in great numbers on some of the other sub-treeline slopes as you look behind you to the north/northwest on the way to the summit of Grays (or from the summit). The snow from the brief cold snap a few days before was still lingering, especially on the north-facing slope of Grays, but presented no problems (i.e. had melted from the trail) until going down the ridge to the saddle between Grays and Torreys. On that stretch down to the saddle, there were several areas where there was hard-packed snow/ice on the trail. Even though it was probably only a couple inches deep, it caused a lot of slipping and sliding, some of which seemed dangerous considering the higher level of exposure on the path down to the saddle. No one in our group or the groups around us was hurt, but several people fell on their derriere and slid for a few feet. We ended up climbing down on the rocks just to the side of the trail, which still had soft snow that provided much better traction. All in all, a great day, beautiful skies and beautiful fall colors in the aspens and willows - cold and windy though. Dress warm! 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 9/4/2012, By: jsulateskee
Info: I completed the Grays & Torreys combo yesterday, 9/3/212. We started our drive from Denver at 5:00am and was accompanied by minimal to no traffic. Upon reaching the dirt road we were able to make our way up the dirt road to the parking lot with no problems at all. It is generally recommended to take a 4x4 SUV but we by taking it slow and easy we were able to make it up to the parking lot in my Subaru Impreza. There were some pretty rocky areas that took some navigating skills but no big holes that would pose a threat to a low sitting vehicle. Upon reaching the parking lot at approximately 6:00am there was a moderate size group of people and parking was scarce. By 7:00am most people arriving at the parking lot had to park along the sides of the dirt road and hike a little bit more to reach the beginning of the trail. We were also accompanied with bursts of strong and chilly wind while ascending and on top of both summits (thin gloves and hat/ear protection) is recommended.The trails were clear but took some time due to the amount of people hiking. This also happened during our descent of both peaks. We were able to summit both peaks before 12:00pm and we were met with a slight amount of rain on our way back to the parking lot. On our way back to Denver we experienced some slight traffic delays on I-70. I‘d recommend taking alternate routes if possible to avoid any such delays. Overall a great hike and great day. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 8/15/2012, By: Cat13
Info: I hiked Grays peak yesterday. Forest Road 189 was clear of any major ruts or potholes. Trail head was very crowded, I arrived at 7:30am and there was only two parking spaces available. It had rained the day before so there was some muddy areas at the start of the climb and light snow at the peak. I expected to see minimal people being that it was a Tuesady, however the trail was crowded. Even with the crowds it was a great hike. This was my first 14er, and now I‘m hooked. The only problem is that I‘m from Florida so next time I‘ll have to extend my vacation and include multiple summits when I return.:) 

Route: Grays and Torreys
Posted On: 8/5/2012, By: LKMinDEN
Info: Did the combo hike yesterday. For those that haven‘t done a 14er before, I highly recommend taking the longer trail (more switchbacks) up to the left as you ascend Grays. We came down from Torres along the more direct route down Grays and it was very slippery and rocky - really glad we didn‘t come up that way. Great conditions otherwise. Parking was a bit of a mess, so plan on adding a mile or two to your hike just to get to the trailhead. 

Route: Grays and Torreys
Posted On: 7/19/2012, By: RuiCal
Info: 100 Foot section of the Road about a quarter of a mile before the TrailHead can only be passed with a high-clearance 4WD vehicle. As in prior posts, Trail is clear of snow, but there is loose rock near the top. 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 7/19/2012, By: ameristrat
Info: Haven;t uploaded pics yet and may do a trip report then, but here‘s what you need to know. Trail in good condition, and it‘s a wonderful hike if you want solitude. We saw 3 guys coming off the summit as we got there and that was it from car to summit to car. Definitely a different experience, coming up Grays and avoiding the traffic jam. After 12,500‘, there is intermittent trail and cairns, but it is more or less a straight shot to the ridge and then a ridge walk to the summit pitch. Having done the East Slopes, this is a more difficult and tiring hike. above 12,500‘, there is very little relief and just a lot of elevation gain. Definitely gives you a new appreciation for Grays! Road to TH is rough and borderline 4WD. I made it in a 2WD Xterra and needed every inch of clearance that I had. 

Route: Grays & Torreys Peak
Posted On: 7/7/2012, By: bfizz
Info: The trails were great when I went today. The weather was a little chilly, but overally very pleased with the hike. It took my group about 6 hours to do hit both summits and get back to the car. Granted we had a few problems to start our trip. I wouldn't recommend a 2wd car to get to the TH though. I went up in my 4wd lexus gx and it was a bumpy ride. Happy Hiking. 

Route: Grays and Torreys
Posted On: 6/30/2012, By: swostal
Info: Hiked this one last weekend with a friend from Denver, my sister (from Oregon) and brother in law (from AZ). Forgot to put a conditions report up so thought I‘d rectify that today. We took the standard route for Grays and Torreys. The trail was perfect, no hazards and no snow. We made both summits and round trip was about 8 hours (we are a little pokey and I take lots of pictures). 

Route: Grays and Torreys
Posted On: 6/20/2012, By: Mtn Izz
Info: Conditions are perfect for anyone that is a summertime hiker/climber. There were no potential hazards worth noting and my only recommendation would be to leave the TH as early as possible to avoid a crowded summit. Other than that feel free to ask questions if you have them!