Iron Bear - Teanaway Ridge, Miller Peak Loop — Saturday, Apr. 20, 2024

This report is based on hiking from the Miller-Bear Trailhead side (FS 9703 aka Stafford Creek Rd).

Road conditions: FS9703 is snow-free to Standup Creek. Beyond that, there are few, but increasing size snow patches that led me to pull over and park my Outback about 0.25mi before the Navaho Pass trailhead at Stafford Creek. A couple vehicles had made it beyond me to at least Navaho Pass trailhead, but the only tracks for the last half mile of the road appear to be from snowmobiles.

Keep in mind that just because you can drive across a snow patch in the morning, doesn't mean you'll be able re-cross it after your hike. I was one of 3 or 4 vehicles that needed help to cross an earlier snow patch another half mile or so downstream from where I parked after the mid-day sun softened it up and additional traffic made the ruts deeper.

The restrooms at both the Navaho Pass trailhead and the Miller-Bear trailhead are unlocked and unstocked.

Trail conditions: After hiking 1.25mi to the end of the road, I started up the Iron Bear trail towards Teanaway Ridge. (Distances after this will be from the trailhead.) The trail immediately transitions to predominantly snow (ranging from 1-2ft deep) with decreasing dirt patches. The trail is heavily used by wildlife, making it significantly easier to follow and also providing guidance about where the snow was firm or soft. Most of my steps this entire trip only sank in a few inches.

There are also 10-20 downed trees crossing the trail in the first 2.75mi before you reach the major campsite by S. Fork Bear Creek (none after gaining the ridge). Thankfully, all of the creek crossings were doable with a combination of careful balance (sometimes on small barkless logs) and long strides aided by trekking poles. The most challenging snow conditions on this lower part were on the southwest side of S. Fork Bear Creek, where I think the trail has built-up turnpikes in summer, but right now the small side creeks sometimes flow down the trail, making the snow hollow.

Once the trail turns northeasterly around 4100ft, it was quite suddenly bare dirt with the occasional ribbon of snow up the middle until one last snow field in the approach to the pass at 3.8mi.

Turning left on the Teanaway Ridge trail, I ventured onward and upward to Iron Bear Peak. From here the trail is predominantly dirt with increasing snow/ice patches. Some of these patches, especially in the treed switchback sections have the look and feel of leftover packed ice from late fall traffic. On the final open slope to the summit, there were some small (1-2ft) cornices in the drifted snow (steepest on the east side), but they were easy to avoid by walking slightly left of the crest and could likely be carefully crossed if needed.

Finally, there are signs that spring is coming (at least on the south-facing slopes) as I did see a few flowers along the ridge.