Big Bear Lake 2009

We arrived yesterday after a long day of travel. Direct flight to San Diego and a 2 1/2 hour drive up to the lake area. The last part was on a road that twisted and turned every which way. We were both glad to be stretching our legs at the discovery center.

We were up the next morning early and took our time getting started. Our goal was a modest hike up to Castle Rock. At the Ranger's station, they warned us that it might still be icy. We drove towards the dam and parked next to the road with one other vehicle.

The trail starts immediately with a small bubbling brook anxiously competing with the birds to be heard in the dense pine carpeted quiet of the forest. Snow and ice still covered parts of the trail but we took our time and worked deeper into the forest. In just a few minutes, we couldn't hear the road. Placing our feet in the frozen footprints of others, we made our way up the steepest part of the trail. All around us, Jeffrey Pines that are hundreds of years old rocketed into the clear blue cloudless sky.

We climbed up to a clearing that was filled with huge boulders of granite that tumbled all over each other. We scrambled up to get a better view and were able to look out on Big Bear Lake. Howard climbed higher to get a better view. As we snacked on some pretzels, Kirsten noticed large birds soaring above us. We watched as two bald eagles wheeled above us. They were graceful to watch.

We took our lunch at a picnic area on the north shore of the lake in a copse of pines. We marveled at the pine cones, many of them were the size of softballs and we had some fun kicking one around.

Our second hike of the day was the guided wilderness trail. The hand-held guide numbered 20 species to see. THere were a few signposts missing but we got the gist of it. This trail was exposed and was dry and packed down as opposed to the morning's hike. We saw a few lizards and enjoyed the scenery.

That evening we dined at El Jacalito and called it a night.

Next Day

Last Updated: April 8, 2009