We met at SHHS at 6, I drove 5 kids and one parent Kathy rode with me to the trail head. 35 People total including Coach Manley and 5 Parents.
Windy at the base and cool, partly cloudy. Coach Manley gave the group a little talk and then we were off at 8:05. I started at then end, the boys and Jay ran at the start, I stayed back and started slow talking to the parents and some of the freshmen. After a while I passed them all at a good hike pace and Manley and I hiked for a couple of miles. We caught up to the boys (except for 3) at about 13500 feet a half mile from the top, we did some fartleks to catch them on the flat runnable parts.. Fun day hiking with the team. We passed the boys who were stopping for pictures and going a bit slower. Coach Manley, Ben and I made the summit in about 1 hour 45 Minutes. The boys were about 10 minutes behind us and then a couple of groups of the faster girls. It was windy and cold at the top of Grays, we ate a snack and took some pictures.
Top of Grays 14er with Coach Manley Top Left and SHHS CC Team
After about a half hour a group of about 15 us went of to Torreys, the rest stayed to wait for the rest of the group and then go back down. I led the group over, we made it there in about 35 minutes down Grays to the Saddle and then a steep climb up to Torreys. Zach stayed with me the whole way and we were the first to Summit Torreys Some of the kids took there time but when they all got there we took a group picture which I don't have yet.
The Group Going over to Torreys from Grays
Torreys was much nicer than Grays, no wind and warmer. The kids and I hung out for about 15 minutes then we started down. I told them I was going to go down fast and run some of it, but they could go their pace and have fun. I made sure they knew where the trail down was and would not head back up Torreys. As I headed down 2 ladies from the group had just made it over from Grays.
Zach and I at the Top of Torreys Peak
I was coming down pretty fast, but checked that the kids were headed my way, none of them went with me, so I went my pace on the way down and ran about half of it where it was "runnable". I felt good going down, had my trail shoes and ran easy but that helped the overall pace going down. As I got by the saddle and on the Torreys path back to the main trail, there was a snow covered section, I tried crossing it and then slid down on my butt in the snow about 10 feet. Fun. I wasn't the only one. Everyone was either going around the snow or taking the slide. I saw Coach Manley crossing under me and yelled at him, he had just gotten everyone off Grays and headed down the path and was crossing over to catch the Torreys group. I pointed to them as they were headed to the ice slide and told him he should get some pictures there which he did.
Zach and the Team tackle the Ice Slide Area.
I headed down solo and passed groups of girls and parents from the Grays peak heading down. Got back to the trail head where some of the Grays group were waiting. I made it down in about 1:20 from Torreys but my Garmin battery died about half a mile from the end. I was tired but felt good, like I had a good altitude workout about 8 miles.
We waited at the trail head for the rest of the group to come down. Took about an hour, the boys stopped to play and have fun a on the way down, stopping at streams etc. It was warm waiting for them in the sun at the end.
Waiting at the Trail Head for everyone to get down.
When everyone got down, we headed for Beau Jeuas Pizza in Idaho Springs. Party of 35 for Pizza and Ice Water. We made it back to Smoky Hill parking lot at 5:00. A great day spend with some really good kids, coach and parents. So Much Fun. Definitely glad I took the day off and did this with them.
Pizza for 35 in Idaho Springs
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