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Bear Head Mountain
Wyoming
> Laramie Range
> Laramie Peak Region
Access Issue: FS 640 off Cottonwood Park closed Sept 1 for Elk Hunting
Details
FS Rd 640 is the Arapaho Trail 2-tract and is open all year from the west. Sometime Bear Creek is impassible.
Description
The Bear Head Mountain top is a mile long ridge of pinnacles, blocks, fins and mounds just south of the SE base of Laramie Peak. The ridge rock has steep featured zones of granite rock that also offers crack systems. There have been several fires since the mid 90's on its slopes and since the terrain is quite rugged fires have not been suppressed. The sides are scattered with fallen burned trees. Some of my photos of this area were before any major fires.
Getting There
The best access if from the Arapaho Trail 2-track. The west end of the Arapaho Trail is a little south of where the Bear Canyon Rd crosses Bear Creek. It's east end is a west turn off of the Cottonwood Park Rd about 1/2 mile north of Jct. Fletcher Park Rd. This end of Rd 640 goes through a ranch site with the road passing between the house and the barns.
[Hide Photo] A look at the crack systems on a mound near or on the southeast corner of the southwest end of the top ridge.
[Hide Photo] Old bedding planes of the granite gneiss that are separating or just tension cracks??
[Hide Photo] A close up of a west facing wall near the south end the top ridge.
[Hide Photo] A look at some of the pinnacles on the top ridge of the Bear Head Mountain.
[Hide Photo] The top ridge of Bear Head Mountain as seen from South Mountain in the early morning.
[Hide Photo] Bear Head Mountain as seen from Black Mountain.
[Hide Photo] Map showing Arapaho Trail access from the Bear Canyon Rd for Bear Head Mountain west side approaches.
[Hide Photo] Map showing access to Bear Head Mountain from the Cottonwood Park Rd.