Foto ©1999 by John C. Maki


Grays Peak, Front Range 14,270'
East Slopes (descent Chihuahua Gulch) II, Class 2
From Montezuma Road: est 10 miles/3800'
July, 1995
topo map - 1:25000

Can't remember what year I did this one, must have been 1995. This was my second 14er, I believe, before I had any books on the subject. Not knowing that there was an easy approach from I-70 near Bakerville, I drove down Montezuma Road from Keystone and followed the forest service road in as far as my car would take me. Hiked down the road up Peru Creek into Horseshoe Basin, came to Grays Lake way up high. I just started climbing up an old mining road, past some cliffs, and found the summit. I think I had to scramble up some rocks to make the summit. There were people going up and down a trail to the north, gee, that might have been an easier way. :-) I saw a couple mountain goats, and cautiously got my camera out of my pack. Snuck up on them and snapped a few pictures, then one of them was sniffing my pack, so I guess they weren't so shy. I walked down the north trail just a little ways, the other goat moved aside a few feet so I could pass, but they weren't nervous. I thought I'd try to make the saddle route over to Torrey's, but when I got down to the saddle I realized I was low on time, food, and water, and thought better of it. I descended a scree slope from the saddle into a gorge, navigated around some cliff bands, and followed Chihuahua Gulch back to the road where I left my car. Took a long time - every time I thought I was headed downhill to get to the road, there was more hill. Finally I got to the road, and by the time I reached my car it was getting dark.


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