GRAY WOLF MOUNTAIN
(13,602')October 10, 2007
By Tim Briese
Teresa and I drove to the Guanella Pass Trailhead with our lab Allie on a nice day in early October to climb Gray Wolf. There were only two other vehicles here this morning, in sharp contrast to the hundred or more when we climbed Bierstadt several weeks before on a Saturday in August.
We left the trailhead at 8:15 and struck off on the nice Bierstadt trail that descended gradually to the east. This seemed the most prudent way to get through all the bushy willows that lay between us and our goal. Just before we reached Scott Gomer Creek we left the trail and bushwhacked north across grassy meadows, weaving around boggy areas. This route went well today but would be problematic in spring and early summer when the meadows would likely be waterlogged. After bushwhacking about a quarter of a mile we stumbled upon a trail that seemed to be going in the right direction so we followed it. The trail took us deftly through a bushy area right at the divide between the Scott Gomer drainage and the South Clear Creek drainage which lay to the north. After this the trail climbed up onto higher ground and took us northeastward along a forested ridge. After the last of the trees we hiked past a couple of small lakes, then went up a steep slope through a minor cliff band and found ourselves on gentle grassy slopes at about 12,000 feet. The trail died out here but we no longer needed it, with nothing but grass awaiting us all the way up Gray Wolf=s gentle southwest slopes. There was a striking view of Bierstadt and the Sawtooth Ridge from here.
Remarkably, there was almost no snow on these high slopes yet, although it would likely be arriving soon before many more days had gone by. After we hiked up the grassy slopes a half mile or so, we spotted a lone hiker carrying a backpack below us who was headed in a general easterly direction. He passed within about 200 yards of us, and then disappeared behind a ridge and we never saw him again. He was the only other hiker we saw today.
We continued an additional mile up the easy grassy slopes until we reached Gray Wolf=s summit plateau at 13,550 feet. We walked 200 yards northeast across the broad, rocky plateau to the summit, where we arrived at 11:30. It was partly sunny and pleasant on top. Winds were forecast to pick up as a storm approached later in the day but hadn=t materialized yet. We enjoyed the nice surrounding views, particularly of Mt. Evans and Mt. Spaulding to the south. The tall buildings of downtown Denver were faintly visible in the city haze far below.
After a half hour we left and began our descent. Clouds were rapidly building up and some showers of sleet began to fall as we hiked down the lower grassy slopes. We paused near the top of the cliff band to enjoy splendid views of the lakes in the basin below. A meadow near one of the lakes seemed like a great spot for lunch so we stopped there for a while. Afterwards we followed the trail back to the point where we had found it in the morning. Instead of retracing our morning route and going crosscountry back to the Bierstadt trail, I wanted to stay on this more primitive trail to see if it provided a better way back to the trailhead. Unfortunately it soon faded out and we ended up pushing our way back through the relentless willows for a while to get to the trailhead. We returned to the truck at 3 p.m., completing the eight mile, 2400 foot climb in a little under seven hours. This was a pleasant and easy climb, a great choice for a late season outing.
