Triple Peak Challenge (Bear, S Boulder, Green) from NCAR

[Charlie78]

Considering doing this hike as a loop from NCAR, here is the proposed route-

NCAR
Mesa
Fern Canyon
West Ridge
Greenbear
EM Greenman
Mesa
NCAR

Anyone done this way before? Looking for a ballpark on elevation gain and mileage and pain . I calculated 4500-5000 elevation gain but couldn't get an accurate estimate of mileage. There is a bailout route that cuts out Green Mountain by coming down Bear Canyon and I figured this would be around 10 miles and 3500 elevation gain per this link from summitpost-

http://www.summitpost.org/fern-canyon/158174" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[zoomie83]

Anyone done this way before? Looking for a ballpark on elevation gain and mileage and pain

If you go EM Greenman-Saddle Rock-Amphitheatre-Bluebell-Baird back to the Mesa Trail, by the Boulder map I have it comes out to close to 12 miles; I know Derek has done these peaks in a day but I'm not sure by what route. He'll probably reply if he sees this.

I can tell you its possible to do them from the Green Mountain West Ridge Trailhead but its kind of an out and back: Green Mountain, Bear Peak, South Boulder Peak and return and it totals 9.4 miles and around 2,500 elevation gain. Took me 4 hours and 40 minutes.

Either way the views are worth any pain. Highly recommended.

[ebnhils]

I hike the three same Peaks from South Mesa T/H last year, it was 12.5 miles and around 5k. In the book Best Summit Hikes in Colorado they have it listed as 12.1 miles and 5,171 elevation gain from Gregory Canyon T/H.

[Derek]

I know Derek has done these peaks in a day but I'm not sure by what route. He'll probably reply if he sees this.

He knows me well.

I hike the three same Peaks from South Mesa T/H last year

Thats how I did it. I started from south mesa, headed up Mesa trail all the way until I hit Bear Canyon trail. From there, I took the standard route to Green mountain. (Green bear to green mountain trails.) I followed the same way back off of Green Mountain but took the Bear Peak West Ridge trail SE to Bear Peak. Traversed to South Boulder, and down Shadow Canyon to Homestead back to the Mesa TH. I think round trip was about 6 hours, but I wasnt rushing at all. My estimated stats from my log were 13.2 miles and 4280 elevation.

Track if interested. (Didnt turn GPS on for the first little bit....)


Good training for early season, minus the high altitude.

If you did this from NCAR, I would assume much less mileage, probable similar to a little less elevation. Very doable.

--Derek

[Kevin Baker]

I just did the exact route you listed today, and it took right at 6 hours at a moderate pace. Excellent loop hike, but a bit too crowded for my taste when I'm used to seeing nobody on obscure low peaks.