Cassie Grotheer

Cassie Grotheer

Grays and Torreys Peaks

08/26/18

We arrived at the trail head at about 6:15. The parking lot was full so we parked about a mile down the road, beginning the hike from the trailhead at about 6:30. We decided to do Torreys first since it is more of a beast than Grays. The hike to the saddle which connects the two peaks was a beast in itself with a challenging rocky uphill climb. The plan was to hike both peaks but as we were climbing Torreys, my mind was made up that there was no way I would climb two peaks today. I was miserable. At the summit of Torrey's we got a second wind after rewarding views, camaraderie and encouragement from fellow hikers, and snacks from our packs. I found the climb down from Torreys unnerving and would recommend hiking poles, which we didn't have. After a group decision and a quick bathroom break (btw - there aren't a whole lot of places "to go" up there except off to the side of the saddle, which has great views;) we decided to tackle Grays which was less challenging than Torreys. After another set of rewarding views and motivation from other hikers, we began the descent which took about 2 1/2 hours. Again I was wishing for some hiking poles to help balance and steady myself on the treacherous rocks that covered the majority of the hike down. The best part of the hike were the views, being in a beautiful area, and sharing the challenge between our group and other hikers. To me, the worst part was the final summit to Torreys and the decent down to the bottom of the trailhead. It was a great time overall and was very glad we did it!

4.0