Description:

You could wait in line to climb at the Motherlode or get on equally good 5.12s and 5.13s at the adjacent Bear's Den. The Bear's Den is broken into sectors with the Gold Wall and Steep Wall on the left side getting sun for most of the day and the Twelve Wall, Cut Tree Wall, and Project Wall on the right side in the shade.

Directions / Travel Info:

Park in the Motherlode parking area. Hike the Motherlode trail taking the right path as if going to the Undertow Wall side. At the top of the steep mud hill there will be a faint trail that leads to your right. After a few minutes on this trail you will come to the first of several trails angling uphill to the left. This first uphill trail takes you to the leftmost route, Tar Baby, on the Gold Wall. The second trail uphill takes you to Golden Snow Cone. The third trail uphill takes you to Gandee Candy and the last part of the Gold Wall hosting several 5.12s. Continue on the main trail a few more minutes stepping over a drainage gap and look for a trail leading up to the left that takes you to the Steep Wall which hosts numerous 100-foot long quality 5.13s. To get to the right side of the Bear's Den there is a trail angling down to the right directly across from the third trail that angles up to the left. Follow this trail down and step over a stream/drainage and follow a trail going up left on an old logging road. After a minute on this logging road follow the trail up right to the Cut Tree Wall where there is a large tree stump with 3 bolted routes on it. To the left of this wall is the Twelve Wall and to the right is the Project Wall.