Gray Wolf Mountain (13,602) by Brian Schultz Monday August 20, 2007
Hiking the same day I arrive in Colorado always involves a late start and a crapshoot with the weather. But today's forecast was favorable and sunny skies prevailed as I flew into Denver International Airport, picked up the rental car and drove to Idaho Springs. Vying with the tourists on the Mt Evans road took some extra time but I couldn't have asked for better weather as I pulled into the parking area at Summit Lake. After a quick change into hiking clothes I started at 11:35 on the trail up Mt Spaulding's east ridge, the same trail I used ten years ago to climb Mt Spaulding and Mt Evans. This time though, I left the trail below Spaulding's summit and contoured to the wide area separating Spaulding and Gray Wolf, staying just above the cliffs on the right to keep the route safe and the elevation gain and loss to a minimum.
The slight descent of Spaulding's slopes went fast and I continued to the open area below Gray Wolf's summit. The hike up Gray Wolf's slopes was an easy class 1 walk-up and I arrived on top at 12:50 to a windy but otherwise perfect day. The views of the surrounding fourteeners and bicentennial Square Top Mountain, which I'd be climbing tomorrow, were quite nice from here. I ate a small lunch and left the summit at 1:15, at a leisurely pace that put me back to Summit Lake at 2:35. This was a short and easy way to climb Gray Wolf with some fun scrambling on Spaulding's ridge to boot.
Trailhead to summit- 1 hour 15 minutes
Summit to trailhead- 1 hour 20 minutes
Start to finish- 3 hours