Bear Peak
This past weekend Brenda & I hiked up to Bear Peak, one of the three major peaks in the immediate vicinity of Boulder. It was awesome.
Last weekend we had hiked to the top of Green Mountain, and I thought that was gonna be it for difficult hikes for a while, but for some reason Brenda was very excited about doing Bear Peak this past weekend, so far be it from me to decline. I’m still sore from it, but it was great fun and worth every step.
We took the Fern Canyon trail to the summit, and this is a steep ascent (I checked with some people from work, and apparently this is suitably hardcore). In just over two miles of walking, you ascend about three thousand feet. At the top you face a largish pile of boulders that you have to scramble across to get to the very top, and once at the summit you have a 360-degree view of Colorado. We sat up there for half an hour in raging wind, taking in the view. It’s like flying.
The view below is looking north from Bear Peak; the big bump in the foreground is Green Mountain, and to the right of that is north Boulder; to the left, the Continental Divide. This view gives you a good sense of how Boulder is tightly nuzzled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
I kept looking east and west, east and west, marveling at the difference between the interminable flatness of the midwestern plains that form one edge of Boulder, and the craggy rocky majesty of the Rockies that form the other. Here’s Brenda against the eastern plains, with Denver and its surrounding suburbs visible:
We decided to descend the same way we ascended, even though that meant a really steep, knee-busting grind to the bottom. I want hiking poles now. I’m still sore, but it was worth it. I still can’t believe I live in a city where we are a mile away from trailheads that lead to such amazing views.
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9 comments
Nice post, Rob. I really enjoyed the pics.
Nice desicription, but i expect an FKT (Fastest Known Time) from you up Fern Canyon by July 1.
You got it, Galen. Somehow, I don’t believe it will come close to yours…
Rob,
All this hiking and biking and flying around this beautiful place you live in is really making me sick. Stop already you healthly bastard ;-)
Really, I’m getting better with my own health. I’m down to just one and a half meds from five, and I’ve lost about 15 pounds, but the one medication leaves me unable to drink any alcohol whatsoever! SUCKS, and it has some mean side effects. But, I do feel better than I have in years.
God dude. That’s exactly why I’m pushing to live in the Adirondacks. Good for you guys. Nothing like doing the outdoor thing to put things in perspective. More pictures please!
Oh, by the way…It’s been over two months without a cigarette. Sucks balls but I’ve been working out alot and trying to eat healthy . Can’t really drink any alcohol right now because it would just make me want to light up. It’s been a bitch but hey, I’m not getting any younger.
So glad to see you guys taking advantage of your location.
What next? Hang gliding?
Hang Gliding!
Now that’s cool! I had to travel to Albuquerque for my grandmother’s funeral last week, at took the opportunity to go with my uncle, aunt, and cousin’s husband up the Sandia Peak Tram. There were two hang gliders up that day, and it was really amazing to watch them soaring with the hawks.
I might try that some day myself. . .
I would definitely consider hang gliding.
look at you all boulderified already – too funny. great post.
I think I can see Blanche in the background declaring an emergency in the pattern because she forgot to charge the batteries in her vibrator.
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