Download Agreement, Release, and Acknowledgement of Risk:
You (the person requesting this file download) fully understand mountain climbing ("Activity") involves risks and dangers of serious bodily injury, including permanent disability, paralysis, and death ("Risks") and you fully accept and assume all such risks and all responsibility for losses, costs, and damages you incur as a result of your participation in this Activity.
You acknowledge that information in the file you have chosen to download may not be accurate and may contain errors. You agree to assume all risks when using this information and agree to release and discharge 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and the author(s) of such information (collectively, the "Released Parties").
You hereby discharge the Released Parties from all damages, actions, claims and liabilities of any nature, specifically including, but not limited to, damages, actions, claims and liabilities arising from or related to the negligence of the Released Parties. You further agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and each of the other Released Parties from and against any loss, damage, liability and expense, including costs and attorney fees, incurred by 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. or any of the other Released Parties as a result of you using information provided on the 14ers.com or 14ers Inc. websites.
You have read this agreement, fully understand its terms and intend it to be a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law and agree that if any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid the balance, notwithstanding, shall continue in full force and effect.
By clicking "OK" you agree to these terms. If you DO NOT agree, click "Cancel"...
After reading all of the recent reports of good spring conditions on Little Bear, I couldn't resist giving it a try. Camping wasn't an option, so it would be a day hike from the car. We arrived at the Lake Como road on Thursday evening and were able to drive 3 miles up the road to about 8800'. Enjoyed this nice sunset and then got a few hours sleep.
Since this would be a day hike starting from the car, we knew it would have to be an early start to get off the snow before the day got too warm. Overnight temps were only around 40. We started walking up the road at 1:40 am. At little after 3:00 am, we arrived at the stream crossing, it wasn't running too high, we hopped on a couple of rocks and just walked through the rest. Here's a photo from the walk out.
At 4:15 am we arrived at Lake Como, worked our way around the lake, through some minor postholing and stashed some water and poles in the trees. At the base of the gully (5:00 am) we stopped to gear up with crampons, helmets and axes. Steady pace up the gully, footing was mostly good, encountered small areas of postholing at the base that made me concerned for the condition of the rest of the snow we'd be on today. Turned out not to be a problem with firm, crusty snow the rest of the way.
On top at the notch at 5:45 am. Crampons off and axes away for now. The traverse over to the Hourglass went smoothly, we were able to follow a cairned trail for most of the way. Looking ahead to the Hourglass, it had less snow than I thought we would find. Hoping that we still are able to take advantage of a mostly snow covered route up.
Shadow of Little Bear Peak.
Nearing the base of the Hourglass, there were several snowfields to cross. We used crampons and axes for these.
Reached the base of the Hourglass at 7:15 am. Very happy to see that there was still good snow cover. Weather was perfect, clear skies, no chance of storms, low winds with a gusty breeze here and there. Time to head up.
There was a significant break in the snow around 13,700'. Crossing that small bit of rock made me quite happy and appreciative to get back on the snow. The snow was firm with a bit of give, not icy. I was very glad we had started early.
Arrived on top at 8:10 to views of the Crestones, Blanca, Ellingwood, Lake Como and the route up.
Thoughts of getting down safely before everything warmed up too much were definitely on our minds. We stayed on top for 20 minutes and started heading down. Sunlight was just beginning to hit the very top of the gully.
Looking up and down near the top of the gully.
Near the steepest part at the top of the gully, we faced in to the mountain to descend, we also did this further down near the narrowest part of the Hourglass. In between we used a combination of side stepping and walking straight down. Snow was firm and not mushy or slippery yet, good conditions.
Near the narrowest part of the Hourglass.
Base of the Hourglass.
After traversing the snowfields, we took a break to remove crampons, put away axes and eat and drink. It was another perfect Colorado blue sky day.
Reached the top of the notch at 10:40 am and time to put crampons back on. The snow here was warm, wet and mushy and I was happy to get down it as quickly as possible and get off it. There was thigh-high postholing here and there were firm sections as well.
A last look back.
Finished the day with a 2.5 hour road walk back to the car.
Stats for the day:
5400 vertical feet
~13 miles
12.25 hours
Climbers - highplaces, britdog
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
I‘m looking at giving Little Bear a go in two weeks, but from the Southwest Ridge. Your shots of the summit ridge between South Little Bear and Little Bear are encouraging.
Incredible to see how much snow has melted in the last 2 weeks! Looks like the bowling alley is open for the season!
Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.
Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.
