
Bear Creek Trailhead. The trail goes over the tunnel.

Switchbacks etched into the cliff face.

Approaching Bear Creek, seen center.

A view into the Bear Creek Canyon narrows. Taken later, hence different lighting.

The trail hugs the cliff face.

View back on the nutty ledges above Bear Creek.



A bridge constructed over a gap.

Very cool ledges above Bear Creek.

Another shot back along the Bear Creek Trail above the canyon.

Past the ledges, the trail continues to skirt the rim.

View back through the perfect fall foliage.

Grizzly Bear Mine.

Continuing past the Grizzly Bear Mine, still above Bear Creek.

Looking back again.

The trail eventually reaches a point where it parallels Bear Creek directly.

Continuing next to the water.

Pretty meadows along the way. Peak 13140 seen ahead, my last peak of the loop.

View back.

Yellow Jacket Mine, the junction that completes my loop later.

Through meadows and forest.

Crazy colors within Bear Creek.


Looking back at the weird combination of colors.

The last bits of hiking along Bear Creek before ascending through tundra.

Darley Mountain seen left, Engineer Mountain right.

View back.

Another shot back, much higher up in the tundra walk.

Ascending to the right side of Engineer Mountain.

Ascending the south side of Engineer Mountain, view south.

View north from Engineer Mountain toward Darley Mountain.

Heading up Darley Mountain's south ridge.

View back toward Engineer Pass.

Higher up on Darley Mountain.

Along the ridge to Darley Mountain.

Close-up east toward Wetterhorn and Uncompahgre.

Close-up west toward Potosi, Sneffels, etc.

Peak 13140 seen center from Darley Mountain. I dropped left to avoid a small cliff.

View back toward Darley Mountain's small, northern cliff. Here I'm on a short Class 2/2+ section of loose ridgeline.

Wonderful tundra on the way down to Peak 13140, center.

Base of Peak 13140.

Steeper Class 2.

View back down, Darley Mountain top left.

Peak 13140, view west into Bear Creek and the Sneffels group.

Dropping north into a tundra bowl to regain the trail.

Back on the Bear Creek Trail, headed back to the Yellow Jacket Mine.

Gorgeous views along this section.

Final switchbacks, you can see the Yellow Jacket Mine below on the left.
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