Introduction
The Bear Peak Loop is a short, strenuous 7-mile hike that starts at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado and reaches Bear Peak (8461 feet) along a western ridge with an elevation gain of almost 2400 feet. Along the way there are the meadows of Table Mesa graced with wildflowers, the dramatically upthrusting Flatirons, the namesake of Twisted Pine microbrewed beer, and the snowcapped Indian Peaks on the western horizon. From the top of Bear Peak, there's also a commanding view of Boulder and the expanse of Colorado's metropolitan Front Range - on a clear day you can see Denver and Pikes Peak to the south. We usually descend through Fern Canyon to get back to the trailhead, but you can do it the other way around. Participants in this hike, sponsored by the Gay nd Lesbian section of the Sierra Club, Rocky Mountain chapter, and led by Mike Lanciloti, were blessed by sunny weather during an otherwise rainy spring weekend.
