14ers.com

Hey everyone, what is the best time to start Grays and Torrey's hike on the weekend. I would like to park at the upper lot, and avoid T-storms. Thanks!

That entirely depends on how fast you go. If these is among your first 14ers, a predawn start wouldn't be a bad idea. Plus getting to the parking lot can involve major traffic jams on that road, so best to get there before most other people (or camp at the trailhead).

I've done this hike in 4 hours, what time does the upper lot tend to be full.

RustyShackleford wrote:I've done this hike in 4 hours, what time does the upper lot tend to be full.

it was already very full at 6:30 last weekend. It will be a lot less full on a weekday

Unlike many other 14er routes, this one is almost entirely above treeline from the upper parking lot, thus you're exposed to lightning hazard for much of the route. For most people with "average" hiking speed on the descent, on a typical July day in CO, I'd say plan on being on your last summit (if you're planning to do both) no later than about 10AM. As noted above, how early you need to start in order to make that happen depends entirely on your uphill pace.

I only got to within 1/4 mile of the upper th yesterday morning at 6:45. The road (and the lower trail) was wall to wall by then. I bet you'd need to be there by 6 or a little before if you were hoping to park in the lot at the top.

If you want to park at the upper lot, be there by at least 5am on the weekends. I got there last saturday right at 5 and still parked about 500 feet below the upper trailhead. And by the time i got back to my truck at 930 ish the road was backed up all the way to the house.

For parking, you can also try driving *past* the TH/bridge/bathroom area and parking along the road up there. This will be counterintuitive because you'll see a bunch of people parked along the road for a quarter mile before you get to the TH, but that's because most people think the road just ends at the TH. On Saturday I arrived up there around 6:45–7 as part of a CFI group, and I think all six or seven of our vehicles were easily able to find spots past the TH while most people were parking way down the road.

The route description for the Grays/Torreys Combo says 8.5 miles, and 3,600'. Is that measured from the summer TH or the winter TH (the latter being 3 miles below the former)?

Summer trailhead.

Start: 11,280 feet
Summit: 14,270 feet
Total Gain: 3,600 feet
RT Length: 8.50 miles

LoveThisSite wrote:Summer trailhead.

Start: 11,280 feet
Summit: 14,270 feet
Total Gain: 3,600 feet
RT Length: 8.50 miles

Thanks, I should have deduced that.

1:30am.
No crowds and nice moon hike & sunrise. Home in time for pancakes.