Handies Peak, CO -- An Easy, Yet Remote 14er

Handies Peak – Overview

Handies Peak, at 14,058 feet, is the 39th highest mountain in Colorado with a prominence of 1,908 feet. Located in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado, this peak is one of the more remote 14ers. Other attractions making it popular are the fabulous scenery, great wild flowers, the fact it is a relatively easy14er to summit, and the trail is dog friendly.

The two most common routes up Handies are the Grizzle Gulch trail and the American Basin trail, both easy to follow trails. The longer route, Grizzle Gulch, starts on the east side of the mountain. This trailhead can be reached by most 2WD vehicles. If your group is in good shape I would advise going this route.

Trailhead at 10,410 ft (3,173 m)	Summit at 14,058 ft (4,283 m)
Elevation Gain of 3,640 ft (1,110 m)	Out and Back Trail of 7.8 mi (12.6 km)
Hiking Time of 5-8 Hours	Class 1 with some class 2 near the summit

Since this was our first 14er and we were all over sixty, we chose the easier route from American Basin Trailhead on the west side of the mountain. A high clearance AWD is required to reach the American Basin Trailhead. There is, however, a parking area about 0.5 miles below the trailhead that with careful driving you should be able to reach with most moderate clearance vehicles.

Trailhead at 11,620 ft (3,542 m)	Summit at 14,058 ft (4,283 m)
Elevation Gain of 2,430 ft (740 m)	Out and Back Trail of 5.2 mi (8.4 km)
Hiking Time of 3-6 Hours	Class 1 with some class 2 near the summit

The trail classification system used in this blog is the YDS, Yosemite Decimal System https://www.devilslakeclimbingguides.com/blog/understanding-climbing-ratings

Remember, start your hike early. Afternoon lightning is the biggest killer each year on Colorado’s 14ers, so start you hike early and watch for hints of approaching thunderstorms. https://americanhiking.org/resources/lightning-safety/

Directions

Handies Peak can be accessed from the town of Silverton, Colorado or Lake City, Colorado. From Lake City it is about 19 miles to the Silver Creek - Grizzly Gulch trailhead, from Silverton it is about 21 miles, but on more challenging roads, requiring a high clearance four wheel drive.

We opted for the Lake City access, since we were driving a Suburb Outback, not a truck or jeep.

The Grizzle Gulch trailhead is about one hour from Lake City, Colorado. The paved road from Lake City soon changes to a graded dirt road that is narrow and windy, but most 2WD cars can make it to the Grizzle Gulch trailhead.

From 4th street in Lake City follow Gunnison Ave (HWY 149) south for 2.5 miles to Cinnamon Pass Road (CR 30). Hang a right onto the Cinnamon Pass Road (CR 30) and follow this road for 16.2 miles. This paved road turns into a good, but narrow, dirt road after you pass Lake San Cristobal. This dirt road has numerous sharp turns, which makes seeing the many approaching 4X4s, ATVs and dirt bikes difficult, drive cautiously.

There are numerous good camping spots before and after the Grizzley Gulch trailhead easily accessed from the road. These spots often fill up during peak climbing season, so best to arrive before midday to find a good spot. There are toilet facilities at the trailhead.

The American Basin trailhead is another 30 minute drive after you pass the Grizzle Gulch Trailhead. This road is best suited for AWD vehicles, but a 2WD car can make it most of the way to the trailhead. Clearance will be an issue even with an SUV, we scrapped the undercarriage of our Suburb Outback a few times getting to the trailhead. Fortunately, I installed aluminum skid plates to protect the engine and transmission. Without the skid plates I would not have driven the Outback to the trailhead.

From the Grizzle Gulch Trailhead you continue to follow CR 30 until it forks, stay left onto CO12, turning right will take you to Silverton. Follow CO12, for about 0.8 miles to the designated parking area. Since the American Basin trailhead is above treeline, I recommend not camping in this area due to late afternoon/evening thunder and lightning storms. Safer to find a campsite soon after the Grizzly-Gulch trailhead and drive up to American Basin trailhead early the next morning.

Trail Info -- American Basin Trail

There are several parking spots as you approach the American Basin Trailhead, and as you pass each spot the road gets worse, the last half mile requires a 4WD/AWD. There is sufficient parking for numerous vehicles at the trailhead.

The photo above is looking south into American Basin, about 1/2 mile before you reach the trailhead. Handies Peak is out of the photo on the left side.

Starting from the 4WD parking area, this out and back route is 5.2 miles with an elevation gain of 2,430 feet. If you are in a two wheel drive, you will need to park before the 4WD parking area, but this will only add one or two miles to your hike. The trail is class one until the last stretch to the summit where there are some class two sections (YDS). We summited on Friday, July 27, 2018, encountering only a moderate amount of traffic while hiking.

The American Basin trail is almost a U shape. You head south on a good trail with great view of 13,720’ American Peak ahead of you. As the trail begins to steepen you will encounter a fork in the trail about one mile from the trailhead, follow the trail to your left. This trail heads easterly for about one-half mile on slightly steeper terrain until you enter a bowl. Then the trail turns south for about 200 yards where you will encounter a fork in the trail. The right fork goes to Sloan Lake and the left fork goes to Handies Peak. You are now 1.5 miles from the trailhead, and just over a mile from the summit.

The detour to Sloan Lake is only a couple of minutes, well worth the short walk and a good location for a short break.

After the fork, the trail heads north-east going up briefly and then down into a small basin. Leaving the basin, the rest of the hike is all uphill. After several switchbacks the trail intersects the saddle between Handies Peak and Point 13,588. After the saddle it is just a half-mile slog up the ridge line to Handies Peak. This section has numerous switchbacks, please don’t cut these switchbacks; stay on the trail and help reduce erosion.

This photo below is looking up the last couple hundred feet of elevation before reaching the summit. Four people can be seen on the summit. The trail is easy to follow, in great shape and only moderately steep at this point, but you are now hiking at about 14,000 feet.

Looking south from the summit, the hikers in the middle of the photo are about 1/2 hour from the summit. Sloan Lake is located in the mid-right center of the photo.

Our first Colorado 14er, four more to go on this trip. You will almost always have company on these peaks. It seemed that on most peaks someone had preprinted a summit sign. We borrowed this one for our group photo, from left to right, myself, Aubrey, and Mike.

Camping

Our camp site was about on-half mile below the American Basin trailhead. As the photo below shows, we camped slightly above treeline without giving it much thought. In retrospect, we should have camped well below treeline, since camping above can exposed you to potential evening thunderstorms with lighting.

Fortunately, there are several campsites down the road both above and below the Grizzle Gulch Trailhead, I advise using these campsites below treeline. Also, the Grizzle Gulch trailhead has a toilet, always a nice convenience. Driving to the trailhead, in the early morning, will take about one-half an hour from these campsites.

History

The first settlers to this area were the nomadic Ute people who lived here for over 500 hundreds years. Several Spanish expeditions visited during the 1700s, exploring for silver, but without success. The lack of success resulted in these expeditions having minimal impact on the Ute people.

Unfortunately, for these Utes, the 1860 discovery of gold near Silverton by Charles Baker resulted in the unraveling their livelihood. Soon after the Baker discovery, numerous other rich mineral veins were discovered containing varying amounts of lead, zinc, copper, silver and gold. In 1880 the US government forcible moved the Ute people to the Southern Ute Reservation, leaving the San Juan Mountains to the miners.

It is estimated that minerals worth over one billion dollars were extracted during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Unfortunately for the miners, President Grover Cleveland’s administration repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893. The act had guaranteed a high silver price. After repeal, the price of silver dropped by almost 40%. The local mining industry never recovered and by the early 1900s most mining had stopped.

The old mining town of Animas Forks, is located about five miles, over 4WD roads, from American Basin. One of the highest mining towns in Colorado at 11,200 feet, the town reached a peak population of about 450 in 1883, it was largely abandoned by the early 1900s. Today it is a fairly well preserved ghost town.

The primary economy for this area is now tourism with camping, hiking, fishing, hunting and ATVs all popular.

Fauna and Flora

When you drive south from Lake City, you are at 8,600 feet, placing you in the lower part of the montane life zone. You stay in the montane zone for about 15 miles of the 18 mile drive to Grizzle Gulch trailhead at 10,410 feet. About three miles before Grizzle Gulch trailhead, you enter the sub alpine zone at around 10,000 feet. The next transition is at subalpine/alpine ecotone ("treeline") at about 11,500 feet. If you continue on to American Basin, you transition into the Alpine life zone just before the trailhead.

The montane life zone goes from about 8,000 to 10,000 feet. Precipitation is from both rain and snow, with snow packs sometimes lasting into early summer. This zone is dominated by conifer and aspen forests. Some of the more interesting large mammals are elk, mule deer, bear, and mountain lions.

When you arrive at the Grizzle Gulch trailhead, you are in the sub-alpine zone. This zone goes from about 10,000 to 11,500 feet. Most precipitation is from snow fall with some rain, snow packs last into the summer months. Temperatures are normally cool to very cold, but summer days are usually pleasant. Flora and fauna are similar to the montane zone, but with less abundance as the growing season is shorter. At the interface between the subalpine and alpine ecozones trees can become deformed and stunted. When this happens they are known as krumholtz (German for stunted and bent wood).

At the American Basin trailhead you find yourself above treeline in the alpine zone. This zone is prone to high winds and is usually cold, with an annual mean temperature of less than 50°F (10°C). Precipitation is mostly from snow, which can last into the late summer in some shady patches. Plants in the zone, while diverse, are short of stature, but the blossoms can be a good size. Common plants are grasses, moss, cushion plants and lichen. In the San Juan Mountains both big horn sheep and mountain goats can be found in this zone.

The Wild Flowers of American Basin

American Basin is famous for it’s alpine wild flowers and by the middle of July these flowers are in full bloom. Some of the more common wildflowers include the Colorado state flower, the blue columbine. Bluebells, often found in clumps, are located in areas of deeper soil where moisture is more abundant. Elephants Head consists of numerous small bright magenta flowers sprouting from each flower stalk. These grow in wet areas of the alpine zone. Tall Larkspur consists of numerous small flowers sprouting from each flower stalk. While the elephants head flowers are magenta, tall larkspur are various shades of purple. These start to bloom in American Basin about the time that the blue columbines start to fade.

Geology

The San Juan Mountains are the largest mountain range, by area, in Colorado. The range contains thirteen peaks over 14,000 feet, with Uncompahgre Peak, at 14,309 ft. being the highest peak. Handies Peak, at 14,048 feet, is located in the north-west part of the range.

Today’s San Juan Mountains are the erosional remnant of a large volcanic complex. The volcanic activity began during the late Eocene, about 35 million years ago and stopped during the Pliocene, about 3 million years ago. The current topography of the range was carved out by several episodes of glaciation during the Pleistocene.

The Pleistocene began about 2.6 million years ago, during this time there were repeated episodes of glaciation. The end of the Pleistocene is defined by the last glacial period which ended 11,700 years ago. The range was carved by these glaciers into the steep slopes and U shaped valleys that comprise the San Juan Mountains you see today. These mountains are home to some of the highest and most rugged summits in the Lower 48.

Quandary Peak, CO -- An Easy and Popular 14er

Overview of Quandary Peak

Quandary Peak, at 14,272 ft., is Colorado’s 11th highest mountain with a prominence of 1,125 feet. This peak became the most hiked 14er, in Colorado, during 2019. For the first time surpassing Mount Bierstadt which was the most hiked 14er prior to 2019. On a weekend day this mountain often hosts over 900 hikers due to the easy trailhead access and its proximity to Denver. So if you dislike crowds, try to arrange this hike during the week. This is a dog friendly trail.

We climbed on Sunday, July 29, 2018. So the above photo provides a glimpse of what you can expect on a weekend. Even with the crowd we had a great hike and great scenery while hiking and lovely views from the summit.

Trailhead at 10,920 ft (3,330 m)	Summit at 14,272 ft (4,350 m)
Total elevation gain of 3,420 ft (1042 m)	Round trip of 6.2 mi (10 km)
Time from 5 to 7 hours	Class 1 trail

The trail classification system used in this blog is the YDS, Yosemite Decimal System

https://www.devilslakeclimbingguides.com/blog/understanding-climbing-ratings

The easily accessed trailhead is only nine miles south of Breckenridge and ninety miles from Denver. This is a relatively easy 14er via the standard route, that follows the eastern slope/ridge to the summit. Mountain goats are a common sight on this hike, so look around as you hike.

Remember to start your hike early, afternoon lighting is the biggest killer each year on Colorado’s 14ers. https://americanhiking.org/resources/lightning-safety/

Directions to Quandary Peak

The trailhead is 88 miles via I-70 from Denver and 9 miles south of Breckenridge, all on good roads that require only 2WD. You depart Denver on I-70 and travel west for just under 60 miles. Leave I-70 at exit 203 and turn south on CO 9.

Follow CO 9 for just over 18 miles to CO 850 and make a sharp left turn.

Soon after the left turn onto CO 850, you will pass a large overflow parking lot on the right side. Continue to follow CO 850 for a short distance and then make a right on CO 851, McCullough Gulch Road. Follow CO 851 about 0.25 miles to the small parking area on your right side. The trailhead is just past this parking area on your left side.

Since this is a very popular hike, the two parking areas fill up fast, especially on weekends. We parked near the trailhead on the side of CO 851, this maybe your best option if the parking lots are full. Try not to park on the side of CO 850 past the turn off to CO 851. There are homes on this stretch of CO 850 and owners have complained about hikers parking in front of their homes.

Trail Info for Quandary Peak

This is a relatively easy 14er via the standard route, but still a difficult hike. The trail is well maintained and easy to follow to the summit. This class one trail follows the eastern slope/ridge to the summit. The hike takes from five to seven hours, covers 6.6 miles round trip and has an cumulative elevation gain of 3,420 feet.

This hike begins in a conifer forest on a well maintained trail with a gentle incline. After 1.1 miles you will find yourself above timberline and about 2.2 miles from the summit.

Once you exit the forest at about 11,700 feet, the trail trends ENE to the summit. About 0.3 miles after leaving the forest, you will encounter a talas slope on the south face of Quandary Peak.

Above, Aubrey and I taking a rest before continuing on up the talas slope behind us, at this point we were just under 2 miles from the summit. This south facing talus slope steepens as you approach the ENE trending ridgeline, but the trail is easy to follow and exposure is minimal.

Above, my friend Aubrey hiking along the lower part of the ENE ridge line. The mountain in the background is separated from this ridge line by a fairly large valley that contains the Blue Lakes reservoirs.

Above photo taken at 2.7 miles just after the trail steepens for the final slog to the summit, just over 0.5 miles away. This is a good class one trail all the way to the top, see above photo.

Fortunately the summit covers a fairly large area, so even with a large crowd there are places to sit and enjoy the view.

Below, a well prepared couple enjoying some quality time on the summit with their dog.

Numerous 14ers can be seen from the summit; to the north-east are Torreys Peak and Grays Peak, Holy Cross can be seen to the west and the closest 14ers are the Democrat Group to the south. This Democrat Group contains four mountains over 14,000 feet; Mount Democrat, Mount Cameron, Mount Lincoln and Mount Boss. What is great about the Democrat group is they can all be done as a single hike that is only a 7.5 mile loop with only 3,700 feet of elevation gain. Parts of this trail, however, are on steep talas and Mount Boss has sometimes been closed to the public since it is on private ground. https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=bros6

The crowds did not distract from our enjoyment of this hike, in fact they added some humor, as we encountered some characters along the way. We even saw a small group who had biked/hiked to the summit. Actually when I saw them as they were carrying their mountain bikes down from the summit.

Camping Near Quandary Peak

We elected to camp on pre-summit nights during this nine day trip. Luckily we found a nice spot just a couple miles NNE of the Quandary Peak trailhead. Access to these unimproved campsites is via a rough dirt road.

The road from the Quandary Peak trailhead to these campsites is a dirt road, see Google Earth image below. You take a right turn after the McCullough Gulch trailhead. At this turn the road degrades and more importantly clearance becomes an issue. Our Subaru Outback had no issues with this part of the road, but a low clearance 2WD car might scrape bottom on this road.

Another option is Breckenridge, about ten miles to the north, where you can get a nice room with a nice bed. The drive, to the trailhead, is only about twenty minutes to the trailhead.

We arrived at our campsite at about 5pm on a Saturday night. We were lucky to find an unoccupied campsite this late, as all the others we passed were occupied. We got up at 4:30am the morning of the hike, had breakfast, broke camp and drove the trailhead, allowing us to start hiking by 7am. We tend to move a bit slow in the mornings, what with coffee, etc., so a 4:30am wakeup worked for us.

Quandary Peak - Area History

Mount Quandary is the highest peak in Summit County, Colorado. This county was inhabited by nomadic indigenous people for several thousand years, prior to the arrival of the white settlers. From the sixteenth century until they were forced out in the late 1800s the indigenous people consisted primarily of two Ute bands, the Parianuche (Elk People) and the Yampa (Root Eaters).

Miners began arriving after the 1859 gold discovery in Georgia Gulch, northwest of Breckenridge. The federal government signed a treaty with the two Ute bands in 1868, removing them from the area. In exchange the Utes were granted a significant portion of Colorado’s land west of the Continental Divide.

The Utes revolted in 1879, killing several Caucasians. As a result, the federal government forced the Ute people to sign a new treaty in 1880 and moved them to eastern Utah.

Millions of dollars of gold and silver were mined in this county in the late 1800s. These mines, however, had significant negative effects on the environment that still lingers. The various type of mining created vast amounts of mine tailings that leached minerals such as cadmium and arsenic into the watershed. The processing of the ores further polluted the environment with both mercury and arsenic. Peru Creek, a tributary of the Snake River, is still heavily contaminated from the nearby abandoned mines. In 2009, the EPA began monitoring pollution levels in the Snake River, since Peru Creek is one of its tributaries.

Summit County’s first ski resort, Arapahoe Basin, opened in June 1946. The effort to open the resort was led by members of the Tenth Mountain Division who had recently returned from WWII. Today the county is famous for its skiing at Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Keystone and Copper Mountain.

Quandary Peak - Flora and Fauna

When you arrive at the trailhead, you are in the upper part sub-alpine zone. This zone goes from about 10,000 to 11,700 feet, with the hike starting at 10,920 feet. In the sub-alpine zone most

precipitation is from snow fall with snow packs lasting into the summer months. Temperatures are normally cool to very cold, but summer days are usually pleasant. This zone has a short growing season and in the upper part the trees are often stunted.

This subalpine zone is dominated by meadows and pine trees. The Englemann spruce is common and the bristlecone pine is found in many of Colorado's subalpine zones. The bristlecone habitat includes parts of the Tenmile range.

At 1.1 mile up the trail you find yourself above treeline in the alpine zone. This zone is prone to high winds and is usually cold, with an annual mean temperature of less than 50°F (10°C). Precipitation averages between 40 to 60 inches per year, almost all from snow, which can last into the late summer in some shady patches. Plants in the zone, while diverse, are short of stature, but the blossoms can be a good size. Common plants are grasses, moss, cushion plants and lichen.

Mountain goats are fairly common sight while hiking Quandary Peak, although we did not see any, we spoke with hikers who did. Mountain goats are not native to Colorado, they were first introduced in 1947 and the program stopped in 1972. They are now common in many of the mountain ranges of Colorado and in some areas are displacing the native big horn sheep.

Geology of Quandary Peak

Quandary Peak, located in the southern part of the Tenmile range, contains sedimentary layers from Cambrian through Cretaceous resting unconformably on a Precambrian core, with the youngest rocks found on the flanks of the range. The valleys are often filled with Pleistocene age glacial till. At Quandary Peak, you walk on this glacial till from the trailhead to about 11,300 feet

At about 11,300 feet you transition from glacial till to Devonian age dolomites, shales and sandstones. As you proceed to the summit the rock layers get older until you are standing on Cambrian age quantize at the summit, the oldest rocks you will encounter.

Located just north of the Tenmile Range is the Gore Range. Both ranges have a similar geological history up until the Pliocene and Pleistocene. During that time the Gore Range was heavily glaciated, resulting in large U shaped valleys and craggy peaks. The Gore Range also experienced significantly less economic development and today is predominantly designated as wilderness.

For some reason the Tenmile range was only moderately glaciated during this time. This resulted in much smoother topography for the Tenmile Range. This smoother topography and the fact that the Colorado Mineral Belt intersects the Tenmile Range destined the range to become a mining center and later a major ski destination.

You pass near one of these mines, the Monte Cristo Mine, which is located about 300 yards south-east of the Quandary Peak trail at 11,400 feet. The mine produced lead and a moderate amount of associated silver. Unfortunately, due to the trees separating the mine from the trail, it is not visible as you pass by.

Grays and Torreys Peaks, CO -- Two Easy 14ers in a Day

Grays Peak, at 14,275 ft., is Colorado’s 9th highest mountain and Torrey’s Peak, at 14,272 ft. is Colorado’s 12th highest mountain. Grays Peak also has the distinction of being both the highest mountain in Colorado’s Front Range and on the Continental Divide.

Trailhead at 11,236 ft (3,425 m)	Torreys Peak at 14,272 (4350 m)
Total elevation gain of 3,746 ft (1,143 m)	Grays Peak at 14,275 ft (4351 m)
Round Trip of 7-10 hrs.	Round Trip of 8.4 mi (13.5 km)
Grays Peak - a class 1 (YDS) trail to the summit	Torreys Peak - class 2 sections near the summit

The trail classification system used in this blog is the YDS, Yosemite Decimal System

https://www.devilslakeclimbingguides.com/blog/understanding-climbing-ratings

These peaks can be hiked separately, but it is only adds about one mile and 550 feet of extra elevation to bag both. We decided to go for both, which added less than two hour to our total time of 8 hours and 13 minutes.

This is an easy to follow class one trail to the summit of Grays Peak, then you hike down to the saddle and up the long ridge to Torreys Peak. It is along this long ridgeline section that you encounter some class 2 sections. We climbed both peaks on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, part of a five peak Colorado vacation.

Since the peaks are close to Denver, the parking lot fills up early, but there is additional parking on the road leading to the trailhead. On weekends it might be difficult to find parking close to the trailhead, so arrive early.

Directions

The trailhead and parking area are 19 miles from Silverthorne, Colorado via I-70 and 55 miles from Denver, via I-70. The last 3.1 miles to the trailhead is over a dirt road that quickly degrades, therefore, a 4WD with high clearance is recommended for the last 3 miles. We managed not to scape bottom in our Subaru Outback, but the drive was slow in places. We saw a few cars parked along the beginning of this road, so the peaks can be accessed with a car. This will add about six miles to the round trip hike, so expect the hike to take an additional two to four hours.

From Denver head west on 1-70 for about 50 miles until you reach the Bakerville exit (#221). Exit and head south to the dirt parking area at the start of Stevens Gulch Road, FR 189. If you are in a 2WD car, you will need to park within a few hundred yards of the beginning of this dirt road as it quickly degrades into a 4WD high clearance road. After one mile stay left at the junction and follow the road an additional two miles to the trailhead. At the trailhead there is a moderate size parking area, toilet, and a few campsites.

From Silverthorne head east on 1-70 for just under 16 miles until you reach the Bakerville exit (#221). Exit I-70 and head south to the dirt parking area at the start of Stevens Gulch Road, FR 189. See the directions from Denver for details on the road to the trailhead.

Trail Info

Our group of three, all in our sixties, split up for this hike. Two of us summitted both peaks and our other mate decided to summit only Torreys Peak.

The trailhead is across the dirt road from the trailhead parking lot, you cross a nice bridge, then briefly hike in a conifer forest on a well maintained trail with a gentle incline. By the time you have hiked one-half mile you are above tree-line for the rest of the hike. Also that gentle slope at the beginning changes to an overall slope that exceeds fifteen degrees for most of the hike.

Remember to start your hike early, afternoon lightning is the biggest killer each year on Colorado’s 14ers. https://americanhiking.org/resources/lightning-safety/

The photo below was taken near the trailhead, looking WSW. Grays Peak is about four miles from here.

Our GPS track is overlain on a Google Earth image below. The two slightly difficult parts are going down to the saddle from Grays Peak and the walk up the ridgeline from the saddle to Torreys Peak, but neither stretch has any technical difficulty. There was a moderate amount of traffic on the trail, but nothing compared to our hike a few days earlier on Quandary Peak. We hiked Quandary on a Sunday and these peaks on a Tuesday.

Below a view of Torreys Peak from just over two miles into the hike. Most of the trail is similar to that seen in the above photo, although the incline of the trail increases overall as you ascend towards the summits. The route we took was up the ridge line on the left of Torreys, an alternate class three route follows the ridge line to the right of Torreys Peak.

The photo below was taken at about 12,600 feet, looking NE towards Kelso Peak, at 13,164 ft. The alternate class three route starts at the saddle in the foreground below Kelso Peak. The route follows the ridge on the left side of the saddle to Torreys Peak. This route is not for the faint of heart or amateur hikers. Prior to attempting this route, do some additional research, this link provides a good overview of this class three route. https://rootsrated.com/stories/kelso-ridge-the-thrilling-way-up-torreys-peak

The most important point on the trail is the fork at 2.9 miles and 13,270 feet. The right branch goes to Torreys Peak and the left branch goes to Grays Peak. We took the left branch so we could tag Grays then Torreys. Grays Peak is just under one mile after the fork.

Below, a small crowd at the top of Grays Peak, 14,270 feet. We rested here for about fifteen minutes before heading north down to the saddle that separates Grays from Torreys. The short hike to Torreys Peak took us just over one hour.

A view of the ridge line leading to the summit of Torreys Peak. This ridge line contains the only class two sections of the hike, this part of the trail is moderately steep with some loose scree. The trail stays away from the large cliff face, so exposure is not an issue.

Our group at the top of Grays Peak, from left to right, Mike, me and Aubrey.

On a clear day, you can see Longs Peak (14,255 ft) 44 miles away, look just a few degrees east of north. Longs Peak is located in Rocky Mountain National Park. To the WNW, at about 27 miles, is the Gore Range. Its highest peak is Mount Powell (13,580ft) at the range’s northern end. Mount of the Holy Cross (14,005 ft) is to the WSW at 36 miles. Colorado’s second highest peak, Mount Massive (14,421) is 47 miles away to the SW. If the day is real clear, looking east you see the eastern ridges of the Front Range, the eastern boundary of the Rocky Mountains.

Camping

We elected to camp on pre-summit nights to allow for an early start. There are a few nice undeveloped campsites adjunct to the trailhead parking lot and up the road past the parking lot. There is a toilet near the parking lot entrance.

The parking lot was empty when we arrived in the early afternoon, but a few other campers joined us as the evening progressed. When we stated hiking at 6:30 a.m., the parking lot was full and this was a Tuesday. So if you want to use the parking lot get, I suggest arriving a tad before daylight, weekends are likely a mess.

History

The first documented summiting of Torreys Peak and Grays Peak was by the botanist and mountaineer Charles C. Parry in 1861. He named the peaks after two of the most famous American botanists of his time, John Torrey and Asa Gray. Asa Gray and his wife summited Grays Peak in 1872.

The two peaks are located in the central part of the Front Range. In the northern part of the range, stone tools and other artifacts estimated to be about 12,000 years old were uncovered. These were found at the Lindenmeier archaeological site north of Fort Collins, near the Wyoming boarder. Towards the south end of the range, on the eastern slope of Pikes Peak, evidence has been found indicating hunter-gathers inhabited this area about 5,000 years ago.

More recently, the Ute people were firmly established in the Front Range by 1500. They migrated between the high mountains in the summer to camps at the base of the range in the winter. The Arapaho and Cheyenne people became the first competitors to the Utes. They migrated into the area, in the early 1800s. They had been expelled, by white settlers, from their homelands in the upper Midwest. The Arapaho intruded deeper into Ute territory often competing with them for wild game, resulting in an adversarial relationship between the Utes and Arapaho.

In 1859 commercial quantities of placer gold were discovered in Little Dry Creek. The arrival of miners soon forced Utes out of the area. In 1868 the Utes signed a treaty that restricted them to the western part of the range. Later they were forced to sign a second treaty in1880 that moved them to a small reservation in eastern Utah.

This area was the inspiration for what became the song “America the Beautiful. The poet, writer and professor Katharine Lee Bates visited Colorado Springs during the summer of 1893, while there she summited Pikes Peak. The scenery so impressed her that she wrote the poem “America the Beautiful” and published it in 1895. A few months later Silas G. Pratt set the poem to music.

Today the communities along the Front Range generate over 80% of the State’s economy.

Fauna and Flora

When you exit I-70 onto Stevens Gulch Road, you are at 9,800 feet, placing you in the upper montane life zone. The short three mile drive to the trailhead takes you to about 11,200 feet, placing you in the sub-alpine life zone. You exit the sub-alpine and enter the alpine life zone, at about 11,500 feet, after hiking less than one-half mile up the trail. For the rest of the hike you remain in the alpine zone all the way to the summits.

The upper montane life zone goes from about 9,000 to 10,000 feet. So you are in this zone for only a few hundred vertical feet as you leave I-70 and drive toward the trailhead at 11, 236 feet. Precipitation is from both rain and snow, with snow packs sometimes lasting into early summer. Lodge-pole pine and white pine are common. Some of the more interesting animals are elk, mule deer, bear, marmot and the pine marten, a weasel that lives in trees.

When you arrive at the trailhead, you are in the sub-alpine zone. This zone goes from about 10,000 to 11,500 feet. Most precipitation is from snow fall with some rain, snow packs last into the summer months. Precipitation averages over 30 inches per year. Temperatures are normally cool to very cold, but summer days are usually pleasant. This zone has a short growing season and in the upper part trees are often stunted. In the Front Range, the Engelmann spruce is common in the sup-alpine zone. Elk and snow hares inhabit this zone along with lynx, and red fox.

Less than one-half mile up the trail you find yourself above treeline in the alpine zone. This zone is prone to high winds and is usually cold, with an annual mean temperature of less than 50°F (10°C). Precipitation averages between 40 to 60 inches per year, almost all from snow, which can last into the late summer in some shady patches. Plants in the zone, while diverse, are short of stature, but the blossoms can be a good size. Common plants are grasses, moss, cushion plants and lichen. Mountain goats are occasionally seen around Grays Peak and Torreys Peak. In other areas of the Front Range, big horn sheep can be found in this zone.

Geology

Grays Peak and Torreys Peak are located in the central part of the 200 mile long Front Range. The northern end of the range stretches into southern Wyoming and the southern end terminates at Colorado’s Arkansas River.

The core of the Front Range is composed of Precambrian metamorphic rocks and intrusive granitic plutons. On the flanks of the range sedimentary rocks can be found that range in age from the Cambrian to the present.

Pleistocene glaciation carved the craggy peaks and U shaped valleys common to the Front Range. At the trailhead you are standing on Pleistocene glacial till and the trail follows a large glacial carved valley to the base of the peaks.

As you walk up the trail you pass Kelso Mountain, on your right side, this mountain is composed of Precambrian granitic mass intruded into the surrounding Precambrian metamorphic rocks of the Idaho Springs Formation.

As you walk past Kelso Mountain, you will leave the glacial till at about 1.75 miles and cross onto the Precambrian Idaho Springs Formation. The rest of the hike to Grays Peak is on these ancient metamorphic rocks. You stay on the Idaho Springs Formation until you are almost to the second summit, Torreys Peak. Near the summit of Torreys Peak you cross from the Precambrian onto a much younger granitic intrusion of Eocene age.

There are several mines to the SE of the peaks. These mines extracted ore from the Colorado mineral belt which stretches from Durango in the SW to Boulder in the NE. The belt passes just to the SE of the two peaks.

The nearest mine, Stevens Mine, is just 0.33 miles south of the trailhead, the road stops at the tailings from the mine. The ore was composed of galena, chalcopyrite and sphalerite, the primary minerals extracted were lead and silver, with smaller amounts of copper and gold. This was a small mine with minimal production, note the small size of the tailings pile.