My hiking buddy and I decided to tweak the sometimes monotonous route up to Mount Rose by tacking on some extra distance and scenery. After hiking up to Horse Camp, we went counter-clockwise on the summit loop. I had never done the loop in that direction before and thought that simply reversing direction might allow us to see a different perspective. We hiked up as far as the departure point for the climber’s path to Bear Camp and left the trail there. Up until that point, the trail had been clean and dry. The trail to Bear Camp, on the other hand, was overgrown and littered with forest debris, indicating little usage. It was still easy enough for us to stay on track. Upon reaching Bear Camp, we took a break in the inviting shade of the shelter, sitting on two patio chairs that some ambitious predecessor had hauled up there.
When we were ready to move out, we followed a faint trail on the back side of the shelter and headed west. This same trail originates at a switchback on the Mount Ellinor trail a quarter mile below the intersection of the lower and upper trail junction. Determined hikers can take it all the way to Copper Mountain. Right off the bat, we plowed into chest-high devil’s club and the kind of soggy ground that only swamp foliage could love. Thankfully, those difficult conditions were short-lived and we were soon sailing along on a nice but unmaintained trail towards our next objective, Bear Peak, a small prominence on the north-south ridge that terminates at Mount Rose. As we approached Bear Peak, we had to leave the trail and pick our way uphill through a confusing mix of intermittent meadows, patches of devil’s club and other lush greenery, tangled downfall, and dense, low-growing conifers. We eventually found ourselves on the Bear Peak summit and took a short, sweaty break, glad that our brush-thrashing was over.
Nature only knows why forest conditions change the way they do. From Bear Peak heading south towards Mount Rose, the walk along the ridge is downright easy. Tall trees grow with nice, hiker-friendly space between them and it’s easy to pick one’s way through. It’s also only about a quarter mile to the Mount Rose loop trail. Of course, if one is traveling in a counter-clockwise direction as we were, you would be required to hike uphill if you wanted to visit Mount Rose (I did hear Hiking Buddy grumble once about it, even though it was his idea to go counter-clockwise). As a peace offering, the ridge gave us a dramatic display of blooming Bear Grass. Eventually we reached Mount Rose and took a long break in the sun. The rest of our counter clockwise trip down the steep trail was unremarkable.
This route was definitely not monotonous, but given the season and the amount of effort it took, I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re just looking for a straight forward summer hike. We’ve done this route in winter and it’s much easier with snow on the ground. I also think there are valid benefits in going clockwise, either doing the traditional Mount Rose loop or the extended one. There’s just something about getting the elevation gain out of the way while on fresh legs and enjoying a gentler grade downhill when fatigue has started to set in.
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