U-Bar Trail #28

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Commonly Backpacked · River/Creek · Spring · Views · Wildlife

Right from the trailhead, U-Bar requires some route-finding and map skills, a GPS, or the Hiking Project mobile app. The signage is not great, and you are sometimes on a lightly marked trail or road. This trail is the more difficult of the cabin loop trails with steep ups and downs that cross the canyons on a mixed tread.

The first great place to fill water is after a steep descent to Barbershop Canyon. The stream flows nicely, so we stopped for food and water. In the water around here, expect to see lots of small fish and a few crayfish. I used a new Steripen Adventurer and MSR Trail Shot filter for the first time just to be sure, but the water was clean-tasting and cool.

From here, make your next stop Dane Spring and the remnants of a cabin. Water flows from the spring through a pipe here, reducing the risk of contamination. Regardless, you should always treat your water.

This trail ends at the intersection of the Barbershop Trail.

Large stands of dense ponderosa pine dominate the landscape in this area.