Lead story · Maroon Bells Wilderness
6.2 miles out and back · 1,750 ft gain · you're on the ridge by 6:40 if you start at the gate. Here's the exact line I take, where the trail turns to scree, and why I carry a puffy even in July.
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Field note · Oct 18, 2026
I've linked Grays and Torreys a dozen times and the saddle still surprises me. You crest the first summit feeling strong, then the trail drops into loose rock that slides a half-step with every stride. Short steps, poles planted, eyes two feet ahead. That's the whole trick.
The combo is 8.4 miles and 3,600 feet of gain, and it earns every one of them. I start at the summer trailhead before 6 a.m. to beat the afternoon storms and the parking crunch on the access road. If you only have time for one, take Grays — it's the gentler grade and the views open earlier.
Read the full combo guide →One hiker, one van, most weekends above 9,000 feet.
I've hiked Colorado's front range and high country for eleven years — 640 summits, a lot of them repeats. I write the mileage and elevation first, then the story, because that's the order I plan a trip in. Based in Golden; out most Saturdays before the sun clears the ridge.
Snowshoes, traction and cold-weather routes. Marcus has broken trail on Quandary more January mornings than he'll admit, and he tests every boot and pole note on this site himself.
Priya tracks the wildflower window from Crested Butte to the San Juans and keeps the permit and seasonal-access notes current. If a road opens late or a trailhead fills, she's the one who updates the guide.
Everything published, newest first.