Hike Engineer Mountain, Darley Mountain via Bear Creek Trail Uncompahgre National Forest, CO

Sep 30, 2024 — The heat in Utah was unbearable, so I decided to change plans and head to Colorado for a few days of hiking 13ers. Today, I enjoyed peak aspen foliage along the Bear Creek National Recreation Trail (#241), a beautiful hike I hadn't anticipated, so I was very happy with my pivot. Despite its status as a National Recreation Trail, there aren't any trailhead amenities, and it doesn't feel promising at first, starting as it does on a busy road. The trailhead is located off the Million Dollar Highway just past a tunnel, a road I’ve been wary of ever since a rock fell from a cliff and struck the hood of my car a few years ago. My goal today was to reach three peaks around Engineer Pass: Engineer Mountain, Darley Mountain, and unnamed Peak 13140 (formerly Peak 13132). These are much more easily accessed by ATV via a network of dirt roads, but I wanted to loop the summits together from this direction instead to create a more rewarding hike.

The Bear Creek Trail begins on the opposite side of the highway and passes over the tunnel before continuing into a series of switchbacks that gain about 1,000 feet of elevation in the first mile. The views of Uncompahgre Gorge below were incredible, especially with the mixture of green and orange trees dotting its slopes. Miners in the 1870s discovered significant gold and silver deposits in the Bear Creek basin but faced challenges accessing the remote claims due to the steep cliffs. To overcome this, they blasted a narrow trail into the cliff walls, creating a precarious route about far above Bear Creek. The remains were converted into this hiking trail. Of course this meant that the trail felt more like a contrived construction project than a natural wilderness path. Aggressively carved ledges clung to the cliff walls, towering high above the roaring waters of Bear Creek. The narrows below were spectacular, even more so from the vantage point of the ledges. I found it amusing and a bit ridiculous that I focused so much on the peaks that I overlooked the wonders of Bear Creek Trail during my research phase of this hike.

As the trail entered the upper reaches of the canyon, the drop below became less dramatic, but the scenery remained beautiful. The trail climbed gradually, alternating between shaded forest sections and open meadows as it paralleled Bear Creek. There were a few water crossings along the way. I eventually reached the remnants of the Grizzly Bear Mine, which once produced gold and silver and supported a small community. Weathered buildings and rusting equipment littered the ground.

Farther along, I came across another mine in a small meadow with a sign labeling it the Yellow Jacket Mine. This mine marked the junction where I’d complete my partial loop later. I kept right for the ascent, following the babbling Bear Creek along the Bear Creek-South Fork Trail (#242). The Bear Creek Trail (#241.1A) diverts north and would be my descent route later. The ascent continued through a mix of meadows and forest, and the water took on a vibrant baby-blue hue against white rocks, likely due to mineral concentrations. It was surreal. I then emerged into open tundra, and the Bear Creek Trail continued pleasantly through it. While the trail ultimately ends at Engineer Pass, I decided to leave it early, heading directly up the steep slope to approach Engineer Mountain from its south ridge, saving some mileage. Cairns and a faint social trail guided the way, though they weren’t worth spending too much time trying to follow.

I hadn't expected solitude at Engineer Pass, but I was surprised by how busy it was. To avoid the crowds of ATVers, I quickly climbed and descended Engineer Mountain. An approaching storm pushed me to move even faster. I knew Colorado had a particularly rough weather year for peakbagging, but I had hoped that this late in the season I’d avoided it. I took a steep ATV road up the south side of Engineer Mountain and then continued down the north side, which was barely Class 2.

An old mining road exists on the west side of Darley Mountain leading to nearly its summit, but I decided to just take the Class 2 ridgeline and spare myself the switchbacks. I made it to the summit and was relieved that the storm seemed to be veering away, so I continued. There was no direct route down the north side of Darley Mountain due to a small cliff, so I backtracked and wrapped around the outcropping. Past this point was the crux of the day, an unexpected Class 2+ section of loose ridgeline. It might be tempting to skirt this section on the left, but the rock there is highly unstable. I recommend climbing to the crest as soon as it feels reasonable.

A short but glorious tundra stroll followed, where the Cimarron Range poked up to the right. I reached the base of Peak 13140 and started up its brightly-colored east ridge, which transitioned to a talus field. A social trail wrapped around a steeper section before joining the Class 2 talus ridge leading to the summit. The views were incredible: Bear Creek far below, Mount Sneffels on the horizon, and to the east, Uncompahgre and Wetterhorn Peaks.

I backtracked from Peak 13140 and descended north to rejoin the Bear Creek Trail, which was nestled in a sweeping tundra bowl. Farther down, the trail became hard to follow at times but was mostly intact, leading me back to the Yellow Jacket Mine via steep switchbacks.