Bear Peak, Boulder, Colorado

Bear Mnt Summit View #5 (The requisite summit selfie). Boulder, Colorado, 2013

I must be in a mood to check out local places I haven’t been before.

I tried to roll out of bed this morning for an early start–maybe catch the sunrise and moonset from the Bear Peak summit (8,461′). But I wasn’t on the trail until 5:30 a.m. and I was unfamiliar with either of the possible trails, so I wasn’t particularly efficient. (I chose the longer trail up.) By the time I reached the top–climbing up through a freshly burned area (the 2012 Flagstaff Fire) and some magnificently powerful and freight train-sounding west winds–the sun was up and the moon was down. Oh, well…it’s just a recon, right? Next time I’ll know.

Cliff’s Notes version….Three hours up via Bear Canyon Trail, an hour at the summit enjoying the view, and two hours back to NCAR via the Fern Canyon Trail. The September flood really ripped down Bear Canyon. The signs are still there–washed out sections of trail, mudslides, debris, etc. The trail was easily passable, though, as City of Boulder Open Space has fixed the worst of it.

Some recommendations:

–On top, if you have whipping west winds, there are some nice natural rock seats on the east side of the summit ridge where you can eat lunch without losing your hat. You’ll want to sit there awhile to enjoy the spectacle and contemplate your navel (orange, that is, don’t leave the peels behind).

–If you want to do this as a loop, consider climbing up Fern Canyon and down via Bear Canyon–it would be faster to the summit and easier on the knees.

–The road up to NCAR, where many people start, is technically closed until after 6:00 a.m. So, if you want an early morning start, you might consider approaching from the Eldorado Canyon side (that is,once the Mesa Trail fully opens, pending flood damage repairs). Or, perhaps you could get prior permission to park earlier at NCAR, although I’m not sure of their policy.

–Consider climbing the nearby and slightly higher, but much less-traveled, South Boulder Peak (8,549′) while you are up there as it’s the highest peak in the City’s Open Space. That’s on my agenda for next time (along with getting up earlier).

Interesting addendum: If you want to see what the Great Front Range Flood of 2013 did to some of the Boulder Open Space trails, check out their photo album HERE. That is some pretty impressive erosion over a three-day period.

And a few more images from this morning…First, the view north from the summit, with the Democratic Republic of Boulder spread out below: