Grays Peak

Grays Peak

Elevation: 14,270 feet

Rank: 9th

Did you know?

** The highest point on the Continental Divide north of Mexico: Grays

** 14er summits on the Divide: Grays, Torreys

** Grays and Torreys were named after famous botanists (Asa Gray and John Torrey, co-authors of the 1838 book "Flora of North America"). Torrey visited the peak which bore his name in 1872.


Trailhead:
(Formerly known as the Stevens Gulch Trailhead) To reach the Grays Peak trailhead, take Exit 221 at Bakerville on Interstate 70. Go over I-70 and continue straight (south) to Forest Road 189. It is almost 3 miles to the trailhead. After about 1 mile, there is a junction. Stay straight - follow the Grays Trail sign. The road will circle Kelso Mountain (13,169') and end at the trailhead. Park at one of the lots near the trailhead. There are restrooms here and a few dispersed camping spots.

Details:
A distant view of the route:

Start the hike by crossing the large bridge that spans Stevens Gulch and follow the well-defined Grays trail up the hill into Stevens Gulch.

Grays Peak soon comes into view
Taken near 11,800', this photo shows the view of Grays Peak at you hike up the hill on the road-like trail. Continue for 1.5 miles to an information sign where there are excellent views of the two peaks -


Shortly after this point, hike to and across a flat, rocky area. The trail gradually turns left as it climbs behind a small ridge that runs south up to the east side of Grays. As you hike around this area and along a small basin, Torreys Peak is to your right. Continue west and southwest as more of Grays comes into view. Near 12,600', the trail turns left and continues south along the small ridge.

Continue along the ridge to 12,800’

where the trail again turns up to the left. Hike on easy terrain

to a trail junction near 13,300'. Stay left on the main trail toward Grays Peak and hike until you come to a corner with a large overlook of Stevens Gulch (approx. 13,700'). From the corner, turn right and gradually ascend west across Grays Northeast Slope. Follow the easy trail as it climbs toward the summit .

As you climb, Torreys is waiting off to the northwest. After 3,000' of elevation gain and over 3.5 miles, gain the Grays summit. This is the time to decide whether or not to proceed to Torreys. If so, your first goal is to hike down Grays' North Ridge. It's a 575-foot descent on a rough trail and it's the most difficult portion of this route. The ridge is rocky but still Class 2. From the summit, drop northwest off Grays and begin the descent down Gray’s North Ridge. Shortly after leaving the summit, the trail stays to the right of the ridge slightly before turning left back to the ridge for the remainder of the descent to the Grays-Torreys saddle.

Notes:
The road to the trailhead is somewhat rough, so a good clearance vehicle is recommended. The Grays trail is solid all the way to the top.

Panoramas from the summit (click to enlarge):

Quick Facts:
Grays Peak
Rank: 9 of 53
Elevation: 14,270'
Range: Front
County: Clear Creek, Summit
Lat/Long: 39º 38' 02" N, 105º 49' 01" W

Location: On the Continental Divide in the Front range. Interstate 70 is only 4 miles to the north. Grays Peak is the highest peak on the Continental Divide - in the United States.
Nearby Towns: Bakerville, Montezuma and Keystone
Nearby 14ers: Torreys Peak
Maps: USGS Quads: Grays Peak, Montezuma, Loveland PassTrails Illustrated: #104
Road Access:
Easy 4WD access to 11,280' from the northeast via Forest Road 189 in Stevens Gulch. Reach this road from exit 221 on Interstate 70.4WD access to 11,000' from the north by leaving Forest Road 189 in Stevens Gulch and driving into Grizzly Gulch.Easy 4WD access to 11,400' from the south via the 260 Road in Peru Creek. Reach this road from the town of Montezuma near U.S. 6 and Keystone. (Detailed trailhead directions and status)
Hiking Info: East Slopes , Difficulty: Class 1
Trailhead: Grays Peak
Trailhead Elev.: 11,280 feet
Elevation Gain: 3,000 feet
Trip Length: 8 miles
Trail to summit: Yes
Stability: Very stable
Exposure: 1
Crowds:
Crowded. Huge crowds on summer weekends
Fees: None
Camping: Several spots at trailhead. Dispersed camping in Stevens Gulch.

Check out trip reports at http://www.14ers.com/ Here is a good one:

www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=6918&parmuser=Jessie_s+Dad&cpgm-tripuser

Mt Bierstadt

Mt Bierstadt
Elevation: 14,060 ft
Rank: 38th

Bierstadt and Quandary are almost surely the most popular winter 14ers in the United States.


Albert Bierstadt was a German-born American, Hudson River School Painter, 1830-1902.Bierstadt was a very good, if not the best American landscape painter.
You can see many of his paintings here: http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/glenda/bierstadt/bierstadt.html

Mt. Evans was once named Mt. Rosalie. Rosalie was Bierstadt's wife.

Location:
Bierstadt is in the Mount Evans Wilderness 2 miles west of Mt. Evans (14,264'). It can be seen by taking Guanella Pass from Georgetown (from the north - Interstate 70) or Grant (from the south - U.S. 285) or from the Colorado 5 that snakes to the top of Mt. Evans.
Nearby Towns:
Georgetown, Idaho Springs, and Grant





The Standard Route is, as follows:

Mt. Bierstadt - Via the Mt. Bierstadt Trail
Class 2
Elevation gain: 2,850 ft
Length of trail: 7.0 miles round-trip




Trailhead:
Take the Georgetown exit off of Interstate 70. Drive through Georgetown and follow the signs for the Guanella Pass scenic byway through Georgetown. Drive 12 miles to the top of Guanella Pass (11,700')



and park in one of the two large, paved parking areas on either side of the road.

Mt. Bierstadt and The Sawtooth fill the view to the east.

The Bierstadt trail starts near the parking area on the east side of the road. The upper parking area (on the west side of the pass) has restrooms.



Hike east down the Bierstadt Trail. There are wooden bridges that have been built recently so you don't have to walk through all of the muddy sections.

The trail weaves through the willows and crosses Scott Gomer creek after over 1/2 mile. The trail has been improved over the past few years, so ignore the warnings that some guidebooks give about the willows. After crossing the stream, hike about 1/4 mile through the willows on the excellent trail.

At 11,800', the trail begins to climb up a shoulder. You are out of the willows and the trail switchbacks to approximately 12,300' on the north end of the shoulder. The remaining route is now visible. The trail goes left (northeast) and then curves around to the right (south) toward the slope ahead. Gradually gain elevation as you continue south up the shoulder. Reach the base of the steeper slope near 13,000' and follow the trail as it climbs south and then southeast. The terrain on the slope is a bit more rugged and covered with boulders. If there is snow, you may have to make your own trail - just aim for the ridge above (southeast). Do not stray into the steeper terrain to your left (below the summit). Reach the top of the ridge at nearly 13,800'. The summit isn't visible from here but it's only another 250' of elevation gain.

This shows the final pitch.

Turn left, cross the remainder of the ridge, and begin your climb up through the boulders. This final pitch has some trail sections when free of snow. Keep climbing until the terrain levels out and stroll a bit further to the summit.

Use this link for more details: http://www.14ers.com/routelist.php?peak=Mt.%20Bierstadt

You can check out some of the trip reports for this hike (The first one is the best):

http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=6627&parmuser=Jessie_s+Dad&cpgm=tripuser

http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=3137&parmpeak=Mt.+Bierstadt&start=75&cpgm=tripmain
From 'yorkKids' (5 years old) hike:
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=3482&parmpeak=Mt.+Bierstadt&start=75&cpgm=tripmain
Another one:
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=2647&parmpeak=Mt.+Bierstadt&start=100&cpgm=tripmain
And again:
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=2738&parmpeak=Mt.+Bierstadt&start=100&cpgm=tripmain

The 'Sawtooth' between Mt. Bierstadt and Mt. Evans:

Panorama view (Click to enlarge):

Quick Facts:

Rank: 38 of 53
Elevation: 14,060'
Range: Front
County: Clear Creek
Lat/Long: 39º 34' 58" N, 105º 40' 05" W
-
Location:
Bierstadt is in the Mount Evans Wilderness 2 miles west of Mt. Evans (14,264'). It can be seen by taking Guanella Pass from Georgetown (from the north - Interstate 70) or Grant (from the south - U.S. 285) or from the Colorado 5 that snakes to the top of Mt. Evans.
Nearby Towns: Georgetown, Idaho Springs, and Grant
Nearby 14ers: Mt. Evans
History:
-
Maps: USGS Quads: Mt. EvansTrails Illustrated: #104
Road Access: 2WD The Guanella Pass Road (mostly dirt) reaches Guanella Pass at 11,600' - west of Mt. Bierstadt and Mt. Evans.2WD The Mt. Evans Road (Colorado 5 - paved) goes to 150' below the summit of Mt. Evans. (Detailed trailhead directions and status)
Hiking Info:
Via the Mt. Bierstadt Trail
Difficulty: Class 2
Trailhead: Guanella Pass
Trailhead Elev.: 11,669 feet
Elevation Gain: 2,850 feet
Trip Length: 7 miles
Trail to summit: Almost
Stability: Stable
Exposure: 1
Crowds: Heavy
Fees: None
Camping: Campground below the trailhead on the Guanella Pass road. Dispersed camping possible in Scott Gomer Creek.