One of many
trip reports under the
SilGro home page for Alan Silverstein and Cathie
Grow.
Email me at
ajs@frii.com.
Last update: March 26, 2024
(Previous trip report: 1990_0103-04_HavasuCanyon.htm)
Southwest of Boulder there were some rugged foothills formed of conglomerate rock from the previous Rocky Mountains. Green Mountain was the mass that sat behind the prominent Flatirons. Further south, the somewhat larger Boulder Mountain sported two higher summits -- South Boulder Peak (8549'), and Bear Peak. The area was rich in wildlife, verdant meadows, rocky outcrops, and jagged, complex ridges.
Previously I climbed Green Mountain from the north, and all three peaks from the west. One Sunday, Sherry Perkins and I explored the south approach to Bear Peak up Shadow Canyon from the South Mesa Trailhead, 5600'. This well-marked parking lot and picnic ground was on the north side of the road to Eldorado Springs about 1.5 miles east of town.
There was a gravel road, apparently leading to old homesites, that extended 1.7 miles from the trailhead toward Shadow Canyon. It was one of a complicated network of trails in this part of the Boulder Open Space. Free pamphlets available at the trailhead displayed the variety of choices available for reaching the upper canyon.
The weather was gorgeous so we were in no real hurry. We started walking northwest and west at about 1020. There were a lot of hikers and runners on the trails traveling both ways, mainly in the lower stretches. We followed the Towhee trail through lovely rolling meadows and rejoined the old road after about a mile. At the end of the old road, a narrow, rocky, primitive trail departed northwest up Shadow Canyon to the saddle between South Boulder Peak, an uninteresting tree-covered hill to the left, and Bear Peak to the right.
The climb to the saddle was surprisingly direct, steep, and hard to follow up the floor of the canyon. Along the way we caught impressive glimpses of the back (west) side of the Devils Thumb, a huge pinnacle on the southest ridge of Boulder Mountain. Earlier I had ideas about attacking the ridge itself. I forgot them upon closer inspection. What a gnarly mess of eroding rock and jutting trees!
From the saddle, 8200', it was a short walk northeast along the ridge to the switchbacks leading to the small, rocky summit of Bear Peak. We arrived at 1355, taking 3:35 to gain 2860', in time for a late lunch. To my surprise we had the summit all to ourselves, but that didn't last long.
We planted ourselves on the east side of the peak, out of the brisk, cool wind, and enjoyed the glorious scenery -- cloud shadows drifting across Boulder and the surrounding green plains. The terrain dropped abruptly below us about 1000', then leveled off towards NCAR on Table Mesa. The whole Front Range to the west was engulfed in a high, fluffy wall of white that detached snowclouds across the mountains toward us.
We considered making a loop by continuing northeast off the peak and finding some "flatland" trails back to the south. But it was 1500 by the time we were ready to leave. So we retraced our steps southwest and southeast. The trip down was uneventful, and rather tedious until we reached the old road again. We mosied all the way back... Ah, it was marvelous lying in a meadow surrounded by pasque flowers, watching the swallows overhead.
We reached the trailhead at 1805, so the whole hike lasted 7:45. You could do it in much less time, but why? May is a perfect month to tarry in the Boulder foothills -- not too much snow, not too hot. They're fun and pretty to visit from any direction.
(Next trip report: 1990_0519_TwinSisters.htm)