CDT - Day 67 - Grays Peak, Didn't Die
Today's hike was officially the most dangerous climbing I've ever done. And that's saying something—I even hiked the 99 Switchbacks on Mt. Whitney when they were completely covered in ice. Mesa Man and I climbed up to Argentine Pass, which leads to the South Ridge route on Grays Peak (Class 2). I'm honestly a little astonished that the official CDT follows this route. There is quite a bit of exposure, but as long as you move slowly and carefully, it's manageable. Mesa Man described it perfectly: "Type 2 fun." Argentine Pass starts out like most mountain passes, with switchbacks and beautiful alpine scenery. One of the most striking sights along the way is the milky-white water of Peru Creek. The creek is contaminated by runoff from historic mining operations, leaving it loaded with dissolved minerals that bleach the surrounding rocks. Thankfully, there are plenty of other water sources nearby, so there's no need to drink from the strange-looking creek. Once you reach the top of the pass, it's a steep climb up to Mt. Edwards at just over 13,000 feet. From there, the views of Grays and Torreys Peaks are spectacular. You can also see the route ahead... and at first glance, it doesn't even look possible. From Mt. Edwards, you follow the spine of the ridge all the way to Grays Peak. This section involves sustained Class 2 scrambling with significant exposure on both sides. A serious slip could easily be fatal. We carefully picked our way over the rocks and along the ridgeline until we finally reached the summit of Grays Peak. This is definitely not a route for the faint of heart. Thankfully, Mesa Man was incredibly encouraging and showed me the safest way across several of the trickier sections. Even he said it ranked among the sketchiest climbs he'd ever done. We took plenty of photos along the ridge, but they really don't capture just how exposed it feels. After reaching the summit, we celebrated with coffee made in Mesa Man's French press. We spent a while relaxing, chatting with a few day hikers and another CDT hiker who had made it to the top. We briefly considered making the side trip to Torreys Peak, but after climbing 7,000 feet the day before, we both agreed we'd earned a break. On the descent, we ran into Bank and Mos at a creek where we stopped to refill our bottles with ice-cold snowmelt. We wrapped up the day after just 14.43 miles, finding a beautiful campsite and giving our legs a well-deserved rest. Tomorrow should be an easy downhill hike to Highway 40, where we'll hitch into Winter Park and Fraser for our next resupply.