Bear Creek Mountain — Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025

TLDR: Bees about 1/4 mile in at downed tree over trail, hunters in the area so wear bright colors.

This hike is really lovely the whole way. It starts off in the forest but breaks out into wide open meadows several times before ducking back into the woods again. Once you get towards the last leg of the hike where you start climbing up the slope, the views open up and were great even today, when clouds blocked all but the closest peaks.

We arrived at the trailhead at about 8:15. The last half mile of the drive was really deep ruts and drops. We did ok in a Forerunner with higher clearance, but next time I would probably just park and walk the last stretch. There's no bathroom at the trailhead so plan accordingly.

The trail is in good shape with just one short muddy section. Flowers are mostly past peak but there are still plenty blooming The lupine and mountain bog gentian are the stars right now. The damper meadow areas were filled with gentian.

The climb up to the top has some loose dirt areas, and I was grateful to have poles to help out when we were coming back down. Despite moments of clearing and sunny skies, we were almost completely socked in at the summit with views only as far as the hillsides below.

We passed two hunters on our way up, so just a reminder to wear bright colors and be alert. We saw only two other hikers all day.

Heads up: on the way down, I got stung by a yellowjacket (I think) about 1/4 mile from the trailhead. It happened right where there is a downed tree across the trail, and I think they're either nesting in the tree or the ground nearby. There's a pretty well-established short reroute up the hillside around the tree, which is where we were when I got stung. It's the only deadfall on the trail right now so it should hopefully be an obvious location. We were fine in the morning when it was colder but if you're passing through when it's warmer I'd move quickly through this section.

I'm hiking in August to help raise funs for WTA in support of trails and public lands. #HikeaThon