Bear Mountain

We have been planning this climb all week and the day has arrived for our trek up Bear Mountain.  The ride to the trail head is quiet and tense.  I have many reservations about attempting this hike.  For starters, it is a 2.5 mile 2,000 ft climb, the trail is advertised as not well marked and we are old. Plus after climbing that height we have to navigate back down.

No messing around on this hike, after a short jaunt across the meadow in front of the mountain, the trail ascends, fast.  We seem to climb a foot with each step forward.  Soon we notice that we are at nearly the same elevation as the top of the Doe Mesa we climbed earlier in the week, and we are just getting started.

And still Up, Up, Up we go.  

The rest stops are very rewarding with outstanding vistas from all directions.

The trail moves around the side of the mountain, over and through a little canyon separating the peaks. Soon we climb some more, straight up.  

The rocks on this mountain are like slanted sheets of red slate, making most of the hike at about a 40 degree angle.

There are two more steep climbs to areas that we are sure the summit but turn out not to be. Determined we trek on.  Stopping to look up, we can not believe we still have more to go.   Finally we reach the top.  Excited and a little surprised.  

We made it!

Now we just have to get down.