trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
    For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
rdp32
Posts: 443
Joined: 2/17/2014
Trip Reports (0)
 

trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?

Post by rdp32 »

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!
User avatar
AlexeyD
Posts: 1286
Joined: 10/28/2013
14ers: 44  4  2 
Trip Reports (3)
 

Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?

Post by AlexeyD »

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!
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.

Have fun!
wondering_hough
Posts: 247
Joined: 12/20/2013
14ers: 40  3 
13ers: 56 1
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?

Post by wondering_hough »

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
User avatar
CarpeDM
Posts: 609
Joined: 8/25/2006
14ers: 58  6 
13ers: 350 13
Trip Reports (10)
 

Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?

Post by CarpeDM »

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.
"This route is awesome; you can bring all your favorite holds home with you!" - Cedar Wright
"I just wanna live the life I please; I don't want no enemies; I don't want nothing if I have to fake it
Never take nothing don't belong to me; everything's paid for; nothing's free; If I give my heart will you promise not to break it?" - Lucinda Williams
User avatar
AlexeyD
Posts: 1286
Joined: 10/28/2013
14ers: 44  4  2 
Trip Reports (3)
 

Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?

Post by AlexeyD »

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
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.

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.
wondering_hough
Posts: 247
Joined: 12/20/2013
14ers: 40  3 
13ers: 56 1
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?

Post by wondering_hough »

AlexeyD wrote:
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
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.

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.
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.
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
User avatar
AlexeyD
Posts: 1286
Joined: 10/28/2013
14ers: 44  4  2 
Trip Reports (3)
 

Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?

Post by AlexeyD »

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.
I believe it. Many are more badass than myself :) Just sharing my impressions from this morning, which were different from just 2 days prior.
rdp32
Posts: 443
Joined: 2/17/2014
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?

Post by rdp32 »

Thanks all! I'll bring the spikes for sure then
wondering_hough
Posts: 247
Joined: 12/20/2013
14ers: 40  3 
13ers: 56 1
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?

Post by wondering_hough »

AlexeyD wrote:
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.
I believe it. Many are more badass than myself :) Just sharing my impressions from this morning, which were different from just 2 days prior.
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.

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
User avatar
Brian C
Posts: 1308
Joined: 2/26/2008
14ers: 45  5 
13ers: 19
Trip Reports (25)
 
Contact:

Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?

Post by Brian C »

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.
Brian in the Wild
Lists of John
"Nature never did betray the heart that loved her." - Wordsworth
rdp32
Posts: 443
Joined: 2/17/2014
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?

Post by rdp32 »

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.
User avatar
Jeff Valliere
Posts: 537
Joined: 2/19/2007
14ers: 58  1  15 
13ers: 9
Trip Reports (8)
 
Contact:

Re: trail conditions for Bear Peak/Green Mtn in Boulder?

Post by Jeff Valliere »

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.
Post Reply