Dennis and I decided to climb
Grays, Torreys, and possibly Mount Kelso. Because my Ford Aerostar
blew its transmission on I-70, we were in a low-clearance rental car, and
we had to park over a mile and a half below the trailhead, adding about
800 feet of climb. Since we live near Fort Worth, Texas (elevation:
600), we had a little difficulty adjusting to the altitude. There
were a lot of people on the trail, since it was a holiday weekend.
Many people zipped right past us; some sort of hiked nearby;
others did even more sitting on the side of the trail than we did, or gave
up entirely and were headed back to the trailhead. At about 13,000
feet, Dennis decided he didn't have the energy to attempt both Grays and
Torreys, so we split up. I went on ahead and climbed Torreys, then
met Dennis on the summit of Grays.
The section of trail between the Grays
- Torreys split in the trail and the saddlle between the two had been rebuilt
recently, adding about 50 feet of climb. There was also a crew at
about 14,000 feet rerouting the trail to Torreys' summit. There were
about 20 people on the summit, and after eating some trail mix and taking
pictures, I headed toward Grays to meet Dennis. |
