Grays Peak: View From the Top

Sir Edmund Hillary along with his Nepalese Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, were the first to reach the top of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953.  I used to ask myself why anyone would risk so much for what seems to be an exercise in futility but Sir Edmund Hillary said it best; “it is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”  Colorado gives us those opportunities everyday and this weekend I chose to climb one of Colorado’s famed 14er’s.  A 14er for those unfamiliar is the term used to describe a climb that takes you above 14,000 feet in elevation and Colorado is littered with them.

I chose Grays Peak in the Arapahoe National Forest primarily because of its proximity to my home town of Erie.  Grays Peak is a category 1 climb which will indicate that this climb is possible without the assistance of ropes or harnesses.  It’s no Mount Everest but for the average person any peak over 14,000 feet is going to test your abilities both physically and mentally.

This was my first 14er and although my Garmin Edge recorded a max elevation of 13,665 ft, the official height is 14,270 ft.  My Garmin eTrex recorded 14,267 this afternoon.  I’m told the Edge is not the ideal tool for hiking so I brought along my eTrex just to make sure I would have two devices to record my first attempt at a summit over 14,000 feet.  It took me almost 5 hours to complete the 7.2 mile climb but I will most certainly feel it for most of the week.

Fourteen thousand feet is way up there and you have to be prepared.  The sun is more intense, the temperatures are much cooler and the air is very thin.  For this hike I packed a fleece, a wind jacket and a ski parka; I still don’t handle cold that well.  I also wore hiking pants that converted to shorts, a long sleeve hiking shirt a hat and of course water.  I also had some first aid items and other miscellaneous items found on most mountaineering checklists.  I chose to wear hiking shoes as opposed to hiking boots and next time I’ll go with the latter, on these mountains you need some ankle support.

The drive up Stevens Gulch (Forest Road 189) to the trail head is beautiful; leave your windows open and breathe in that fresh mountain air.  This road is closed in the winter so I’m glad I made the time to tackle this mountain this weekend.  The road is a bit rocky but most cars can make it up just fine as long as you take it slow.

I arrived at the trail head at about 7:00am, the temperature was in the 60’s and at 11,000 ft it’s cold enough for a fleece and long pants.  There is a very small bathroom at the trail head and because this can be a popular climb on the weekends, be prepared to stand in line.

The trail begins just under timber line (eTrex-11,252 ft) so the first few meters have a light population of pine trees that don’t offer much shade.  The sun at this time of day was not a factor but the wind was a bit too cold for a fleece so I switched to the parka.  You start by crossing a well constructed pedestrian bridge that crosses a small mountain stream and almost immediately the climbing begins.

At first it doesn’t seem so steep but it’s very exhausting as your muscles are using more oxygen than your lungs can deliver.  The tread is rocky and there are many step ups along this section to help control erosion.  These step ups are all about 2 feet high and take some leg strength to get over not to mention the strain on the knees.  I try to alternate legs on each step up to save knee strength for the steep sections I'm sure lay ahead.  It seems like I’m only hiking for 15 minutes before I need to take a breather; I certainly underestimated the effects of altitude on this hike.

The trail is a continuous climb with few level areas.  I chose a slow and steady pace so that I didn’t wear myself out too early.  Once over tree line the scenery is uniquely alpine-no trees, colorful vegetation but predominately rock.  Mountains surround you with absolutely no shelter from the elements.  The wind blows furiously at times and sometimes not even a hint of a breeze. 

As I approach the 2-mile mark the trail becomes increasingly rocky and more unstable.  The sun still creeps behind the mountains and casts a shadow on me for most of the day so far.  The temperature is dropping with every step it seems.  Aside from the toll on the lungs, the most strain is felt on the quadriceps.  My legs begin to shake from fatigue and I’m not even half way up.  Grays and Torreys are two 14ers that stand right next to each other and my plan at this point is to summit both but the way my legs are feeling right now I begin to doubt that I will summit Grays at all.

Energy is what I crave and beef jerky just isn’t doing the trick.  I start to feel light headed and I fear altitude sickness is starting to set in so I stop for a few moments.  Close to the 3-mile mark there is a junction; the left takes you to Grays Peak with the option to loop around to Torreys Peak while the right takes you to the saddle which offers the route to Torreys to the north and Grays Peak to the south.  Most will go left at the junction, summit Grays then continue on to Torreys.  I chose to summit Grays Peak first then continue on to Torreys from there too.

The trail from here is extremely rocky and in some areas the trail is impossible to identify.  I found myself off the “trail” once and if not for other hikers I would have easily lost the trail and any chance of a summit.  Slow and steady was the key to my strategy and before long I found I had picked up 4 other hikers following my lead.  On a water break they tell me that they found my pace was helping them with their climb and were happy to follow me to the top.

There’s really no section on the way up to Grays where you would fear paying the ultimate price but with the size, shape and quantity of rock even a minor fall would have painful consequences.  The final few meters seem to be the hardest but before you know it you’re at the top.  The view from the top is spectacular (picture at 14,267 ft).  You can see almost every mountain range in Colorado and many of the peaks are piercing the soft white clouds above.  In fact, Grays Peak was hidden behind clouds most of the day and I was very fortunate to have clear skies when I reached the top.  The one issue that I found myself most unprepared for was that of my hands.  With the wind and high altitude temperatures, my hands were freezing and dry and for me this combination was painful.

I have used up just about all the energy I had to reach this summit and although Torreys Peak sits just about half a mile away, I can’t seem to convince myself that I can continue.  I make the loop down to the saddle and head back down.  A little disappointed I couldn’t knock two out on one trip, I’m still proud to have completed my first 14er.

Coming down was almost as difficult because my legs were extremely tired, my knees were in pain and the loose rock was causing me to slide on the steep grades with nothing but jagged boulders to land on.  It was the most difficult downhill I’ve ever done on my feet; I couldn’t wait to get back to the car.

A casual hiker would not like this trail.  There are a lot of rocks, no real resting spots, full exposure, steep and unstable towards the top.  The scenery has its own unique charm and exactly what one would expect of an alpine setting.  I must say that you learn a lot about mountain climbing on your first run like how to pack.  For this climb I was carrying about 10 or 12 extra pounds and I could probably reduce that by half next time and I will never again forget warm gloves.  Plan this climb as you would a day hike; have something to protect you from sun, rain, wind and cold temperatures.  Have plenty of liquids but I think 2 water bottles is good enough, you may not realize it but you begin to dehydrate the moment you step out of the car.  Lightning is what climbers fear the most so get an early start and if you're not at the top by noon you may need to try another day-people tend to forget about the long way down and you don't want to be exposed when storms blow in.

Grays Peak is one of our easier climbs but never forget that this climb will take you from over 11,000 feet to a peak over 14,000 feet and many things can go wrong at that altitude especially if you’re from lower elevations.  If you’re visiting from lower elevations, you will probably need a day or two before attempting a climb like this and I would go even further in saying that you will need to take some time at the trail head to acclimate further before you begin.  This was my first 14er but certainly not my last.

You can view my route at connect.garmin.com/activity/218161200 and note that my route was posted using my Garmin Edge so the elevation is not quite accurate.  Thanks for checking in and Happy Trails.

AR