Mount Ouray is a peak inside of San Isabel National Forest. The route described for this hike is the East Ridge and it is strenous.One must be not only used to altitude, almost 4.000 feet of elevation gain,be in good physical shape and used to all mountain terrain conditions but also aware of their surroundings as most of the the hike is not marked and cairns can be hard to find. Also, please be aware of weather conditions as this hike is done through the East ridge and can be very extremely dangerous with storms or bad incoming weather.
Parking and trailhead are located at Grays Creek on Marshall Pass Road .Drive on South 285 past Poncha Springs for about 5.4 and turn right onto the Marshall Pass road (Country Road 200). Here drive around 2.3 miles and turn right. At 3.1 miles, turn right at a four-way junction. Continue on CR 200 to reach the trailhead at 7.2 miles. You will find a spot on the right that has a faint trail.
Once there, you will go through the aspens and cross several small streams. You will eventually start gaining altitude,the trail will start fading in and out and you will reach an area that looks like a gully. You need to continue going up and you will see a a burnt/scarred tree named the "Devil's armchair". This will be your tip that you are going in the right direction. Once the gully plateaus, you will have in front of you Mt. Ouray. This is where you need to start finding the cairns(small piles of rock) that will help you navigate this area. Your goal is to navigate them until you start finding a good grassy area to start climbing the steep left side of the ridge. If you get into very rocky terrain it will be very challenging, so always check for softer ground. where you can have some traction.Once you reach the saddle, go up and eventually you will notice a trail in between the rocks on the East Ridge. Follow the trail as it will lead you to the summit.On the way back remember to find the best route to come down the steep side back down to the base of the mountain and to be able to navigate back towards the gully to initiate your descend. It can be confusing if you are not able to find the cairns, so please make sure you pay attention on your way up to where the entrance point is so that on your way back is easier. This hike is amazing in its entirety but be prepared to know the route well and bring plenty of water and food. There is barely any water except for the streams at the beginning. Children should not attempt this hike unless have quite a bit of experience with this type of hikes. Also most of the hikes is exposed to the elements. Make sure you bring a lot of sunscreen and always watch out for signs of heat exhaustion and sun stroke.