trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?
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trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?
I am considering doing the Bear Peak Loop hike in Boulder (starting and ending at NCAR) and possibly hitting Green Mtn as well. Does anyone know what the trail conditions are? I have microspikes and am mostly worried about mud. Thanks!
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Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?
Mud shouldn't be too bad if you leave relatively early while the ground is still frozen, as you'd only be likely to encounter it in the first 1/2 mile or so. The worst part would be the flats between the NCAR mesa and Dinosaur Mountain (near the junction with the Mallory Cave trail). Once you get on the Bear Canyon trail, snow/ice is fairly continuous, especially after the creek crossing. The crossing is still solid ice that looks like it's frozen all the way through. I have not been higher than the Fern Canyon turnoff, but from the looks of it I'd expect snow/ice most, if not the whole way up. West Ridge is probably at least partly melted out.rdp32 wrote:I am considering doing the Bear Peak Loop hike in Boulder (starting and ending at NCAR) and possibly hitting Green Mtn as well. Does anyone know what the trail conditions are? I have microspikes and am mostly worried about mud. Thanks!
Have fun!
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Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?
Expect plenty of mud on the mesa trail of the loop and ice/snow pack for shadow and fern canyon. I've been up there 4 times since Christmas and didnt used microspikes... 90% of other hikers were using them above 7k feet
You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.
René Daumal
René Daumal
Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?
Some local trail-runner probably has more recent info, but as of Jan 17, the trails were perfect for microspikes nearly the entire way. I looped Bear, S Boulder, and Green from NCAR. I put them on at the Mesa/Fern Canyon junction, and didn't take them off until past the water tower. There was very little mud, but some bare rock. My guess is you will have more mud to contend with up to Fern Canyon and any parts with lots of sun exposure, but there should still be significant portions that require spikes.
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- AlexeyD
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Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?
I was just out running there this morning, and honestly wish I had them even for the Bear Canyon trail. Not so just a couple days ago. Conditions are changing really quickly with the recent warm weather and melt-refreeze cycles, with some parts melting out while others are transforming from packed snow to very slick, hard ice. I'd say bringing spikes (as OP indicated) is a very good call right now.khuff5280 wrote:I've been up there 4 times since Christmas and didnt used microspikes... 90% of other hikers were using them above 7k feet
EDITED: with regards to mud, I might actually suggest starting at the Bear Canyon trailhead, rather than NCAR. Much less mud on the Bear Canyon trail (albeit more ice), than on the Mesa. And it doesn't really add much more time vs. NCAR, given the lack of ups and downs.
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Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?
I didnt need spikes, others did, just my two cents. The Merrell's I use have amazing grip even with snow and ice. And yes, its been very warm and conditions are changing.AlexeyD wrote:I was just out running there this morning, and honestly wish I had them even for the Bear Canyon trail. Not so just a couple days ago. Conditions are changing really quickly with the recent warm weather and melt-refreeze cycles, with some parts melting out while others are transforming from packed snow to very slick, hard ice. I'd say bringing spikes (as OP indicated) is a very good call right now.khuff5280 wrote:I've been up there 4 times since Christmas and didnt used microspikes... 90% of other hikers were using them above 7k feet
EDITED: with regards to mud, I might actually suggest starting at the Bear Canyon trailhead, rather than NCAR. Much less mud on the Bear Canyon trail (albeit more ice), than on the Mesa. And it doesn't really add much more time vs. NCAR, given the lack of ups and downs.
You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.
René Daumal
René Daumal
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Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?
I believe it. Many are more badass than myself Just sharing my impressions from this morning, which were different from just 2 days prior.khuff5280 wrote:I didnt need spikes, others did, just my two cents. The Merrell's I use have amazing grip even with snow and ice. And yes, its been very warm and conditions are changing.
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Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?
Thanks all! I'll bring the spikes for sure then
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Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?
Haha and many are much more badass then myself...it amazes me how fast some people are on those trails. That range makes for an awesome training ground and I hope it gets socked in with new snow soon.AlexeyD wrote:I believe it. Many are more badass than myself Just sharing my impressions from this morning, which were different from just 2 days prior.khuff5280 wrote:I didnt need spikes, others did, just my two cents. The Merrell's I use have amazing grip even with snow and ice. And yes, its been very warm and conditions are changing.
To the OP, enjoy your hike!
You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.
René Daumal
René Daumal
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Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?
Not sure about Fern Canyon since I haven't been up it since earlier this month, but as of this afternoon the trail up to the Third and the bottom of Bluebell Canyon are a sheet of glass. I was worried about falling down even with microspikes on.
Earlier this week the Green summit trails heading north were icy but Flagstaff trails were decent without them. Stuff that wasn't snowy/icy was muddy. I would imagine similar conditions pretty much everywhere in the area.
Earlier this week the Green summit trails heading north were icy but Flagstaff trails were decent without them. Stuff that wasn't snowy/icy was muddy. I would imagine similar conditions pretty much everywhere in the area.
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Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?
The trails weren't as muddy as I feared they might be; I started at Bear Canyon Trailhead as recommended by AlexeyD though. A lot of people up there did not have microspikes, but I wouldn't have felt comfortable without them (I love those things!). Great day out there! I'm jeolous of all you people living in Boulder who are only a couple of minutes away from those trails.
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Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?
Hopefully we get a good dose of snow out of this storm to freshen up the trails. The ice that has been forming over the past few weeks in shadowed/N. facing areas has been impressive, hard enough in spots that, even with Microspikes or Icebugs, slipping and sliding is still possible and even likely in the worst sections.