You`ve hiked Mount Sanitas and Chautauqua Park, but have you given Bear Peak in South Boulder your best shot? A lengthy, strenuous climb, Bear Peak is not for the endurance-deficient beginners of Mount Sanitas Valley or Chautauqua trails. At 8,461 feet, the mountain is the most prominent peak of Boulder’s foothills and one “bear” of a hike.
In the heat of the summer, plan on hitting the trail early, around 7 a.m., to avoid long hours of hazardous ultraviolet rays. Along the same lines, don’t forget to apply copious amounts of%uFFFDsunscreen on exposed bodyparts and carry extra in your backpack. Other useful and necessary items to pack up the mountain with you include water, and lots of it, high-energy snacks like trail mix, granola bars and fruit, a hat to protect your face from weather elements and a light jacket to protect from unexpected Colorado thunderstorms. Make sure your shoes have suitable traction to precent slipping while scampering along the trail. A signaling device like a shrill whistle and a basic first aid kit are also not a bad idea to have on the trail in case you get lost or get a blister.
Own a camera? Bring that, too, because the view from the summit is spectacular.
Beginning
at the top of Table Mesa Drive at the National Center for Atmospheric
Research (NCAR), driving to the trailhead is preferable to biking.
The
occasions that I biked to the top of Table Mesa Drive from various
locations in town have resulted in preliminary and less-than-ideal
fatigue throughout the duration of the hike. If you’re hiking with
friends, try to carpool to maximize parking space at the trailhead. If
you’re hiking alone, I recommend bringing portable music to keep you
company. There are various trails that will take you to the Bear Peak
summit, depending on how physical you’d like your hike to be.
The
first stretch of your hike will be on Dakota Ridge Trail, which meets
Mesa Trail at a junction. This is where you can choose whether you want
to pursue a longer, less abrasive hike. If you do, you can access the
Homestead, Towhee or Mesa trail to their convergence at the Shadow
Canyon trail, which will take you to the summit. Each trail is about
four miles one way.
Feeling
ambitious? Bypass the Mesa Trail and head west toward Bear Canyon,
where you can access the West Ridge trail, with the option of hiking
Bear Peak’s neighbor and perhaps rival, Green Mountain. The ridge trail
is long and winding, through the beauty of Boulder flora and fauna and,
like the Mesa Trail, measures about four miles one way.
Still
feel like you can conquer Bear Peak at its brawny best? Beyond the Bear
Peak Ridge trail is the Fern Canyon trailhead. This trail doesn’t mess
around; it’s a steep climb with three miles of prominent elevation gain
from the first steps on the trail.
Dipping
in and out among pine trees, you’ll find small rodents and wasp nests
on the stony staircase of a trail. About 1,000 feet from the summit,
the trail turns to large, red-colored rocks, which may result in
hands-on scrambling to reach the summit.
At
the top, celebrate your hike, no matter which trail you chose to climb,
by enjoying the 360-degree view of Boulder, Denver, Rocky Mountain
National Park and many other notable landmarks. It’s my experience that
in the heat of the summer, swarms of unidentified insects grace the
summit of Bear Peak. It is therefore my recommendation to eat your
packed snacks before you reach the summit to prevent an unpleasant
mouthful of insects. Their presence may have been circumstantial and
seasonal, but be aware that pestering insects do reside at high
altitudes.
Also,
summer thunderstorms make the summit of Bear Peak, or any other high
point in the foothills, hazardous. Try to be on and off the summit
before 3 p.m. to avoid lightning hazards. Now quick, take a picture
with the camera you brought and enjoy your rewarding hike down Bear
Peak.
Respond: [email protected]
