I frequently hike with my friend Myra, often around Boulder
near where she lives . This time, though, she was in the mood for something more
challenging and suggested Gray’s and Torrey’s Peaks, both fourteeners within an
hour west of Denver. Gray’s Peak at 14,270 feet is the highest point in North
America that is actually on the Continental Divide, and Torrey’s Peak across
the saddle is only slightly lower. Despite the altitude, the hike to “bag” one
of both peaks is relatively easy as far as fourteeners go because of a
relatively high starting elevation and a long but not particularly steep ascent
for most of the route. I hiked them both early in my fourteener-climbing career
back in the summer of 1992, but was eager to do the hike again since it has
been so long. Eighteen years older and however many pounds heavier than I was
then, it probably won’t be quite so easy this time around. And Myra always
smokes me on the trail anyway, so I won’t get to go at my own slow pace.

Myra and I met around 3:30 A.M. at the parking lots in the
foothills near Golden to ride up together . Do you think 3:30 A.M. is necessary,
Myra? It’s only about an hour and it doesn’t start getting light until well
after 5:00 now that it’s early September.” But I usually give in to what Myra
wants to do, even if that means sitting in the car at the trailhead for 45
minutes until it’s light enough to start without a headlight on. Needless to
say, we were the first car at the trailhead.

Gray’s and Torrey’s Peaks are accessed from the Bakerville
exit on I-70 about five miles east of the Eisenhower Tunnel. It’s then a quite
long bumpy ride up Steven’s Gulch on an unpaved road to the trailhead at 11,280
feet. Myra has two canine children, Zion and Prince, but decided to only bring
Zion (the better behaved of the two) on this hike. Being in National Forest
land rather than in a National Park, dogs are allowed on the Gray’s and Torrey’s
Peak Trail.

The trail to Gray’s Peak rises about 3,000 feet over about
four miles, not bad by mountain climbing standards, but the first part through
Steven’s Gulch is gradual and pleasant before it begins rising rapidly in
steeper switchbacks through the rock and scree to the peak. Being almost
entirely above timberline, the entire trail is very beautiful, especially at
dawn. As usual, Myra and Zion left me back in the dust. She sometimes tries to
walk at my chubby pace, but I can tell she quickly gets frustrated, can’t take
it anymore, and bounds ahead . Being a bit slower than most, there was a small
crowd at the top of Gray’s before I arrived, but not bad by local standards. We
deliberately chose a Thursday before Labor Day weekend for our hike rather than
a weekend day to avoid the bigger crowds.

When Myra set off across the saddle for Torrey’s Peak, I
began my descent. The saddle between the two peaks is only about 550 feet below
Gray’s summit and not much more of a climb than that to the top of Torrey’s so
it definitely would not have been hard for me to do. And I definitely would
have if I had not already added it to my list of mountain conquests, but I
could tell Myra was in a bit of a rush and getting increasingly annoyed at her
slowpoke friend. I tend to enjoy myself more when going at my own pace and
taking lots of pictures than when trying to keep up with someone else anyway.
And the light in Steven’s Gulch was getting very beautiful as the high thin
cloud cover we had for much of the morning was dissipating.

Round trip of eight miles with a 3,000 foot ascent, that’s
all in a morning’s work! I even managed to beat Myra and Zion back to her SUV
at the trailhead. We naturally stopped for some highly caloric food (burgers)
and beers at Tommyknockers Brewery in Idaho Springs on the way back. I think we
earned it.