Bullish on Big Bear Lake

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Big Bear Lake from Cougar Crest Trail/PCT

I lost more than a few hours’ sleep earlier this week, trying to reconcile a wide range of trail reviews on the AllTrails app. Some claimed two of our planned trails were tough; some said they were rather easy. Some made it sound like we’d be bouldering to the top. Some failed to mention the true pitch to one peak.

No matter. My friend Trish from Cape Cod and I had a glorious time gaining ground on either side of the mountains surrounding Southern California’s Big Bear Lake. We even got a taste of the Pacific Coast Trail.

Big Bear Lake is located about 2 hours from Los Angeles and 2.5 from San Diego, unless you hit a lot of traffic, which we did until turning off the freeways and onto the picturesque Rim of the World Highway into town. This area is better known as a winter resort town and a weekend getaway. Yet it was still a surprise to find thin traffic, ample parking and sparsely populated village sidewalks and restaurants during our peak-summer-vacation-week stay. 

We stayed in an AirBnB cabin in part because it was .25 miles from the Pine Knot Trail. After an evening of pasta eating and souvenir shopping in The Village, we hit the hay and then around 8:30 a.m. the next morning hit the trail. It was cool, as in high 50s, but quickly warmed up—as did we from moving up and up and up on a relatively smooth, obstacle-free path. With a starting elevation of 6,752, this sea-level lady struggled for the first mile to catch her breath. Our goal was to first reach the Grand View Summit, which offered great views that unfortunately were sometimes obscured by tall trees and inhabited by black flies. From there, we took the Skyline Trail, a favorite with mountain bikers, for a couple of miles just to see some more of those gorgeous views of the San Gorgonio Wilderness, which still had snow at its peak. I can count on both hands, with fingers to spare, how many people we encountered that day on the trails.

A boulder outcropping along the Skyline Trail

We eventually backtracked and headed down to high five our 10.2-mile effort. After showers and another pasta dinner, we plotted the next day’s hike on the other side of the large reservoir in Fawnskin: Cougar Crest to the PCT. I should mention that all of the hikes around Big Bear require a $5 daily or $30 annual Adventure Pass that can be picked up in many outdoors shops throughout SoCal. I got mine at my local Big 5. 

My muscles and blistered feet needed to rest, but my mind would not shut off, even with a little encouragement from a generous pour of sangria before bedtime. That’s when I started reading the reviews on AllTrails. Why did I care? Mainly because in addition to the gentle beating of an already tough (for me) trail, I had to be in decent shape to drive home immediately afterward. Cougar Crest is labeled as Intermediate/Difficult, but it's actually shorter and, it turned out, not nearly as steep as our earlier trail. It offered beautiful views of the lake and even wooden benches at various viewpoints. We reached the PCT in about an hour, took our obligatory photos with the sign and then headed along a rocky, narrow ledge to Bertha’s Peak. 

Here’s where hiking with a good friend makes all the difference. I’ve found myself (and others) on some daunting drops by taking on a steep, scree-filled or loose dirt trail or fire road without considering how to get down. Some AllTrails hikers had warned it was a steep climb to the top, but worth it. Trish needed to convince me since I saw the way and questioned my own stamina. 

One of the kinder climbs to Bertha's Peak

We made it to the top, which has a building and a bunch of radio towers to mar the views on one side. It also meant excellent cell phone reception, so I FaceTimed family to show them the amazing vista at 8,000 feet. Then I braced myself to fall on my face or butt on the sharp descent. This obsession was based on past hikes in which my poles were no match for my clumsiness and gravity. Now wasn’t the time to remember I was supposed to buy new hiking boots before this adventure (thus, the burgeoning blisters). I’m happy to say, I didn’t fall even once. It did, however, take almost as long for us to get back on level ground.

Buoyed by having conquered Bertha’s Peak and still drunk on all that alpine air, we rehydrated, downed some snacks and hit the highway, blessed to find far fewer traffic jams.  Blisters aside, I had enough energy the next day to take Trish up two local trails: one to the now-famous Potato Chip Rock at Mt. Woodson mid-morning and the slot canyon known as Annie’s Canyon in Solana Beach that afternoon.

Trish on Potato Chip Rock

We’re both still recovering from 24 miles of hiking in such a short span, but we’re also both thinking of where we can explore next. Guess you could say we’re both bullish on Big Bear. Plus, I need to get my money's worth out of that Adventure Pass.


Pine Knot Trail near the top of Grand View Summit

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