Route: Northeast Face

Team: Ted, Christy, Jill Midthun

From the summit of Quandary Peak yesterday, Grays and Torreys looked pretty good. I sought some acclimatization before my South America trip, and Christy and friend Jill Midthun were looking to get out and do something. I pitched the idea and they decided it sounded good.

We drove to the Peru Creek Road snow closure, skinned in, and set up camp in Chihuahua Gulch around 11,000 ft. In the morning we would try for Grays Peak first, then Torreys.

Up and out early, the snow was pretty hard. Skinning up the south face to the summit of Grays was tough. As the angle steepened the frozen snow was challenging the grip of our skins.

We struggled to get off the frozen face, and traversed to the Southwest Ridge. We packed our skis and booted the remaining way to the summit. Once up top the hard part was behind us we were ready to enjoy the day. Pushing right off the summit, we skied northeast towards the Stevens Gulch trailhead.