Trail Info - Black Bear

[old_man]

This trail is the place to put info about the Black Bear, a trail we will be running during ColoradoFest 2011. I like the way everybody likes to make the trail more scary than it really is. I have led multiple groups of first time wheelers over this with stockers. This is a must do trail. This is me running it about 12 years ago with 31's and a 3" budget boost. This pix is of the hardest part of the whole trail. We will spot you through this. It is not hard and there are trees all around so going off the edge is not a major risk

http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=79

Feel free to link your pix and comments about the trail. We will be putting up maps and satellite images as well. If anybody has waypoints, that would be nice as well for the geeks.

 

[zluster]

Taken my stock XJ's with ~30's over black bear many times without incident or damage. Your mileage may vary, generally it is considered the hardest one in the area.

The switchbacks on the one-way downhill side(telluride side) are tight, but doable with a 2 or 3 point turn. It is two-way from highway 550 to the top, but one way down into telluride. It's a pretty short trail so it makes for an easy day to do it and imogene.

View at the top of black bear, background is of the telluride side going down:
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8101.jpg

Looking down towards the telluride side:
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8105.jpg

http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8107.jpg

http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8109.jpg

http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8111.jpg

http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8113.jpg

Looking down on the power generating station/private residence and bridal veil falls:
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8118.jpg
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8119.jpg

telluride:
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8121.jpg

Small falls and some mining ruins at the beginning of the descent down the switch backs:
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8123.jpg

http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8126.jpg
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8127.jpg
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8130.jpg

Power generating station:
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8141.jpg

Easy road for much of it:
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8142.jpg
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8144.jpg
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8147.jpg

Power station:
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8148.jpg
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8150.jpg
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8151.jpg
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8152.jpg
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8154.jpg
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/ouray/ouray_laborday_07/8161.jpg

 

[zluster]

View of the switchbacks coming down black bear, and the power generation station on the right:
http://colorado4wheel.com/images/libby/libby216.jpg