June 5th, 2024 - Gray's and Torrey's Peak via Loveland Pass

Beautiful hike, beautiful conditions - at least for the first bit. This is a challenging route, as I'm sure most are aware. You begin by summiting two moderate 13ers (Cupid & Grizzly D), only then beginning to ascend Torrey's, which further connects to Gray's. Very clearly not the standard route to accomplish the two 14ers, but a fun one, nonetheless.

The first thing I noticed today was that there are heavy snow drifts that hang on the east side of the ridge between Cupid and Grizzly D. I would only assume this is where the trail leads, but due to the snow and my unwillingness to drift toward overhanging snow drifts, I decided to hang right on the ridge. Hanging right is fun, but it will put you into some more technical scrambling with potential 4-points of contact. Be aware and take time to route-find well.

There is a fairly significant false summit as you approach Grizzly D, and the final pitch of Grizzly D itself is quite steep. Be prepared for the incline. Once atop Grizzly D, enjoy the views of Torrey's, Gray's, Sniktau, Lenawee, A-Basin, and so much more. Truly a beautiful area.

The descent from Grizzly D to the west face of Torrey's is steep and should be handled carefully in the snow. Hang as far left as possible when descending the ridge. I made the mistake of drifting too far right into the basin itself and found myself on very slick and steep ice slopes. I had to utilize an ice axe to prevent myself form slipping down the entire slope. The descent from Grizzly D into the basin will drop you about 750-1000ft of elevation. Don't disregard this, you will have to come back up later should you choose to do the out and back route.

Approaching Torrey's from the west is a grueling hike, with approximately 2000ft of vertical gain over a short period of distance. With snow, a handy couloir allows for steady traction assuming the use of micro spikes and/or crampons. Besides that, you will find the rock will get considerably looser as you go up, which will be a challenge for coming down.

Once you reach the summit of Torrey's, the saddle to Gray's becomes quite obvious. Follow cairns if you need directions, but they're both fairly tame mountains.

I ended up doing the route as a thru route and finishing at the trailhead of the standard route for Gray's and Torrey's, and I did this for one reason in particular. The elevation gain on this route from Loveland Pass is extreme, and quite steep. Unless you are in spectacular shape, it is an exhausting and painful route - yet rewarding, nonetheless.

The descent from Gray's back to the standard trailhead had a ton of wet snow that resulted in anyone being especially prone to post holing - plan accordingly.

Beautiful route, hard day, spectacular mountains.