Obstruction Peak/Bear's Playground

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
    For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
traderaaron
Posts: 685
Joined: 4/23/2008
14ers: 16 
13ers: 18
Trip Reports (3)
 
Contact:

Obstruction Peak/Bear's Playground

Post by traderaaron »

Considering going up to climb Humboldt and Obstruction Peak from Bear's Playground tomorrow/Saturday and I wondered about camping Friday night on the Bear's Playground. Anyone here done this? If I did this I might climb Humboldt tomorrow afternoon and then camp up there and climb Obstruction Saturday morning.

Otherwise I'd camp at upper S. Colony lake and try to be at Bear's Playground for sunrise and then climb Obstruction and maybe get Humboldt on the return.

Anyone climb Obstruction Peak recently?
User avatar
Jim Davies
Posts: 7638
Joined: 6/8/2006
14ers: 58  1 
13ers: 67
Trip Reports (5)
 

Re: Obstruction Peak/Bear's Playground

Post by Jim Davies »

The one time I was there, Bear's Playground was carpetted with marmots. Guard your gear.
Climbing at altitude is like hitting your head against a brick wall — it's great when you stop. -- Chris Darwin
I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go home now. -- Forrest Gump
User avatar
traderaaron
Posts: 685
Joined: 4/23/2008
14ers: 16 
13ers: 18
Trip Reports (3)
 
Contact:

Re: Obstruction Peak/Bear's Playground

Post by traderaaron »

Jim Davies wrote:The one time I was there, Bear's Playground was carpetted with marmots. Guard your gear.
I forgot about that. When I left my backpack at the pass to climb Venable last year I came back to a marmot chewing it up and probably don't need to repeat that experience camping.

Not sure I could sleep while thinking about fending off marmots.
User avatar
Carl
Posts: 1800
Joined: 5/20/2007
14ers: 58  58 
13ers: 30
Trip Reports (32)
 

Re: Obstruction Peak/Bear's Playground

Post by Carl »

This is one of the more memorable places I've spent the night. Jim is right about the marmots. I put my food under a pile of rocks. Not sure if that was a good idea or maybe I just got lucky. Probably the latter. Also, there is no water that I remember.
User avatar
miztflip
Posts: 36
Joined: 7/3/2007
14ers: 55  4 
13ers: 185
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Obstruction Peak/Bear's Playground

Post by miztflip »

Aside from the marmots, Bears Playground can get hammered with the winds out of the west. I was up there about this time last year and it was pretty nasty. I ended up climbing Obstruction and Humboldt from S Colony and thought it was pretty fun that way.
User avatar
traderaaron
Posts: 685
Joined: 4/23/2008
14ers: 16 
13ers: 18
Trip Reports (3)
 
Contact:

Re: Obstruction Peak/Bear's Playground

Post by traderaaron »

As hot as it is I know it is going to be breezy with hot air rising up from both valleys.

If I camp at upper S. Colony Lake how long should it take me to get to Bear's Playground?
User avatar
MtHurd
Posts: 2925
Joined: 8/17/2006
14ers: 57  4 
13ers: 29
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Obstruction Peak/Bear's Playground

Post by MtHurd »

+1 on the winds. It's like a wind tunnel up there. You might get lucky, but if you are not it will be a hurricane.

Probably 1.5 hours to Bears Playground from Upper South Colony Lake.
User avatar
Vermont Mike
Posts: 197
Joined: 5/7/2009
14ers: 36 
13ers: 32 3
Trip Reports (1)
 

Re: Obstruction Peak/Bear's Playground

Post by Vermont Mike »

I was up Obstruction and Humboldt a couple weeks ago. If I were you I would park the car at the Rainbow Trail and head up Humboldt's east ridge route, which I thought was much nicer than the west ridge, since you avoid hiking up the road, get ever expanding views, and get the "Wow!" factor of the Crestones appearing as you crest the summit. Then you could head down the west ridge and camp at South Colony and do Obstruction the next day, adding Columbia Pt. if you wanted. Just a suggestion, have fun!
User avatar
miztflip
Posts: 36
Joined: 7/3/2007
14ers: 55  4 
13ers: 185
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Obstruction Peak/Bear's Playground

Post by miztflip »

Barry's right, about 1.5 to the playground. It's very easy going to the saddle and a short sweet scramble to the playground.
User avatar
Nathan Hale
Posts: 464
Joined: 7/31/2004
14ers: 58  4 
13ers: 78
Trip Reports (14)
 
Contact:

Re: Obstruction Peak/Bear's Playground

Post by Nathan Hale »

Does anyone know of an easy route from Willow Lake up to Bear's Playground, or is up and over Kit/Columbia the best option?
But for now we are young, let us lay in the sun and count every beautiful thing we can see.

http://mtns.nathan-hale.com
Post Reply