Dead Dog Couloir Torreys Peak Hike Guide
Dead Dog Couloir on Torreys Peak is about a 2,000ft couloir that is a great line for snow climbing and a ski/board descent. The couloir is steep, around 40 degrees on average, getting closer to 50 near the summit. This is an east facing line which means that it will usually melt out fairly early – lasting early to mid June and wet slab slides often start very early in the morning, depending on the weather and freeze the night before. The approach to Dead Dog Couloir depends on snow conditions – starting from either I70 or the standard TH.
Dead Dog Couloir Quick Facts
Virtual Trail Guide: Dead Dog Couloir & Tuning Fork Torreys Peak
Dead Dog Couloir Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Distance: 12 Miles RT (Lower TH), 6.5 Miles RT (Upper TH)
Elevation Start: 9,786ft (Lower TH), 11,253 ft (Upper TH)
Summit: 14,270ft
Total Elevation Gain: 4,500ft (Lower TH), 3,000ft (Upper TH)
Estimated Time to Complete: 6-10 Hours RT – depends on starting point
Difficulty: Difficult What does this mean?
Class: Class 2 – What does this mean?
Snow Climb Grade: Advanced– 40-50 degrees max
Season: January – June (end of May is best for continuous ski descent)
Avalanche Forecast: This route and area is avalanche prone, check conditions here.
Directions to Dead Dog Couloir
Trailhead: Bakerville on I70 OR Standard Grays & Torreys TH
Getting Here: From I-70, take the Bakerville exit and continue on to Stevens Gulch Road. If you are attempting this line earlier in the season, park here and walk the rest of the way. From here, it’s about 3 miles to the upper TH. If you can drive, keep going up the road staying left at all road intersections. This road is a complete wildcard. In some months/years, most passenger cars can make it to the upper TH. In others, you need a high clearance 4×4 car. It all depends on the road conditions. Clear Creek County does maintain this road, but your guess is as good as mine as to how frequently that happens. DO NOT block the road or park along any private property.
Parking: Your best bet for parking would be three spots: the upper TH, if you can get there, down at Bakerville or at the Grizzly Gulch road split. There is parking available along the road, but as of 2021, it’s not recommended to park here as the county tickets vehicles often. If you are able to get up to the upper TH – you should be starting very early to secure a parking spot but this shouldn’t be a problem since you are starting early anyway to get off the snow before it warms.
Summary
Dogs: I never recommend bringing a dog on any couloir -it’s irresponsible in my opinion.
Camping: There are a few camping spots at the upper TH. Once the hike starts, camping options are very poor and much of the road up to the hike is lined with private land. There are a few dispersed camping spots along the road which will be fairly obvious. Alternatively, if you drive down CR 319 there are a few camping spots in this area as well. This isn’t the best spot to camp since a lot of the land is on a slope, but if you are lucky, you can make it work.
Make it a Loop: Most people who climb Dead Dog Couloir will descend down to the saddle of Grays Peak and take the standard trail out. You could easily descend the couloir itself on skis/board or plunge step. Just be aware that this line is very popular and even on weekdays it will usually have a handful of other people climbing it. If you wanted to make this hike a complete loop – you could descend off Torreys Peak via Emperor Couloir or Tuning Fork/Y Couloir on the north side.
Trail X Factors: Snow Level
The snow level on any couloir is the x factor. It will determine how far you can drive/walk/skin on your approach, how avalanche conditions in the couloir are and how much rock fall will be a concern for you. Since this line is east facing, the sun hits it right away and it will warm rapidly. This usually means that wet slide avalanches create less than ideal ski conditions pretty early in the season as the debri fills up in the couloir. It also means that rock fall is a major concern when climbing Dead Dog, read more about a recent accident that happened on this line here.
Hike Tip(s): Anytime you are hiking a couloir, understanding avalanche conditions is key. Be sure to get off the snow early in the spring and make sure the snow is stable anytime you start the climb. Since this couloir is so long and very popular – I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone without prior snow climbing experience in addition to a knowledge of etiquette on how to handle other parties in a snow line.
Best Views: Dead Dog offers so many opportunities for cool photos and unique views. When climbing the couloir, take a second to look down and behind you towards the beautiful basin and surrounding mountains. From the summit, views in all directions are beautiful with snow capped peaks and a unique view to neighboring Grizzly Peak D and nextdoor 14er, Grays Peak.
Dead Dog Couloir Torreys Peak Hike Route
Shows a direct snow climb up Dead Dog and a descent down Tuning Fork on the North Side.
Gear Needed
- Winter Backpack
- Hiking/SkiPoles
- Headlamp
- Climbing Helmet
- Mountain Axe
- Crampons
- Crampon Bag
- Snowboard Boot Crampons
- La Sportiva Mountaineering Boots
- Snowboard Boots
- Microspikes
- Gaiters
- Avalanche Gear: Beacon, Probe, Shovel
- Optional: Snowshoes
- Optional: Skis or Splitboard
- Optional: Goggles
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: Camera and Lens
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
My Trip to Dead Dog Couloir on Torreys Peak: May 2022
I was itching like an addict to get onto some snow lines in the Spring of 2022. Between poor weather, high winds, training and a new dog – it was very difficult to find the perfect time to hit one. FINALLY a window of opportunity presented itself and I jumped. I arrived at the Grizzly Gulch road split and parked my car around 3:30AM. I knew an Alpine Start was in order due to the long approach, my slow moving body and the east facing line.
The walk up the road was boring and uneventful, but I knew that the snow was melting fast based on road conditions. The day called for breezy and windy conditions, but luckily when I reached the upper TH it was calm. The stars poking through the dark night sky, I felt at peace for the first time in a long time.
Alone in the large basin, I started hiking up the standard trail which was covered with snow that had a solid freeze the night before. Eventually, I joined forces with another hiker John who was also climbing Dead Dog. We reached the apron of the massive and quite frankly, intimidating looking, line on this popular 14er and transitioned to our climbing gear. The sun was starting to rise and the alpenglow on the mountain was beautiful.
Starting our climb, it was clear the couloir was full of debri from avalanches in prior days which made for an easier climb (a solid booter wasn’t really necessary). The snow was soft, but we had plenty of time to climb the 2,500ft to Kelso Ridge. Slowly, I worked up the couloir as John passed me and created a large gap between us. I was taking my time since my plan was to descend the north face of Torreys and I knew it would take a long time to soften up. John was planning on skiing DD so he needed to top out fairly quickly.
After an enjoyable climb with several failed drone flying attempts, I reached the top of Dead Dog Couloir. I was right next to famous Kelso Ridge and just a small climb from the summit of Torreys Peak. I watched John ski down and wished him safe travels on his way out. Climbing to the top of Torreys Peak was easy but sitting there for a while, not so much. The winds were insane and after 35 minutes of trying to outlast them, I gave up and started my hike down towards Tuning Fork Couloir.
The hike down turned into several hundred vertical feet as snow levels were very low and I can’t snowboard on rocks. Finally, I found a suitable place to transition to the board and the winds were howling. Stupidly, I put my gloves down for a second and one immediately blew away. There goes $50. Board on feet, mountain axe in hand, I made a few turns down the firm snow and it was not enjoyable. I hadn’t been on a snowboard in months and a steep run in the backcountry on a 14er wasn’t really the warm-up run I was looking for. I settled in mentally and was able to make a handful of nice turns before finishing up the couloir.
What the internet doesn’t usually show you about backcountry snowboarding is the descent back to your car after leaving the mountain objective. In my case, I was familiar with the area and it had LOADS of flats and several stream crossings. Lets just say, those next 3 miles back to the car were a sufferfest. One that, in the moment, you swear you will never do something like this again and forget about the next day.
Overall, Dead Dog Couloir was an outstanding snow climb and one I would easily repeat. Tuning Fork Couloir on the other hand, likely not. Maybe next time, I would plan on hitting nearby Emperor Couloir instead?
