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Grays Peak
via Stevens Gulch Trailhead, east/northeast ridge to summit
~8 miles roundtrip; 2:37 to summit
Shep, Kiefer, and I (and Bob later!)
After spending the weekend sweating and socializing in Dallas, I took today off in the hope of doing a snow climb (Dead Dog Couloir or Lost Rat Couloir) and Grays and Torreys. And, the plan was for these to be Kiefer's first and second fourteeners. The forecast did not look favorable…mild night temperatures and snow/rain today…but we had to take what we could get.
We left the Stevens Gulch Trailhead at 6:42 am, under cloudy sky, mild temperature (40 degrees F), and light sleet. The upper portions of Kelso and Edwards were enshrouded in fog, and, soon after crossing the bridge, the sleet transitioned into a nice December-like snow. The snow on the lower segment of the trail was annoying, but the postholing was not too bad. Kiefer and Shep were occasionally swallowed by bottomless postholes created over the warm weekend.
The snow on the trail was constant after the Kelso Ridge turnoff. This was some of worst snow I've ever hiked in: deep, with a soft upper 12-14 inches concealing a bottom layer of ~8 inches of boot-sucking slush. There was a single hiker ahead of us…his agony as he slogged through this mess was unimaginable. Unfortunately, I weighed considerably more than this trail-breaking masochist, so I punched his bootprints down another few inches as I tried to match his shorter stride. He stayed low as the trail passed Dead Dog, so my preference for staying high on the ridge meant breaking my own trail and making his agony my own.
From the mild temperatures and snow conditions, I knew the couloirs were off the table before even seeing them. I never saw Lost Rat, as most of it was in fog. The bottom-most section of Dead Dog had 5-6 tongues of slide debris, as well as a few rocks. Water noisily spilled over the exposed cliffs adjacent to the couloir.
We caught up with the other climber at the point where the trail comes onto Grays' north slope. He was Bob from Utah, and this would hopefully be his first successful fourteener ascent. I thanked him for his trailbreaking, and partially returned the favor by breaking trail the rest of the way to the summit.
At ~13,400 feet, the weather deteriorated suddenly and dramatically. 35-mph wind kicked in, and blowing snow reduced visibility, stung faces, and grizzled dogs. We ascended towards the east ridge to capitalize upon windswept rock and more shallow snow…but the wind and airborne snow were even worse there. The dogs and I summitted at 9:19 am; Bob arrived a couple of minutes later, suddenly emerging from the gray gloom on the summit ridge. Bob was very happy with his first fourteener summit. Kiefer, on the other hand, seemed unhappy with the weather conditions, and really didn't buy into the festive mood.
The weather extinguished Bob's and my motivation for Torreys…and, Kiefer had a cut near his left eye, so I wanted to get him down to the truck as soon as possible for treatment. We dashed down the snowy north slope, and very quickly returned to the more friendly clime of the basin. Snow continued to fall through the remainder of our descent, becoming a light rain by the time we reached the parking lot.
I'm really proud of my boy Kiefer. Grays Peak was the first of many many peaks that we'll do together, and I look forward to the two of us establishing the same close climbing partnership that I have with Shep and had with Scooby. Kiefer Madness was a tired little dog after the hike…he slept all the way home! But, he had a great time overall, and he clearly enjoyed the quality time with Shep and me. |
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