Big Bear in Winter

I had a great opportunity to spend this year's Christmas holiday in Big Bear, a popular ski resort in Southern California. The weather started out pretty reasonable, cloudy with a chance of snow... A big chance of snow...

The next day it surely happened. Early in the morning on Monday, December 23rd it started to snow. It's been a while since I've seen snow since moving to California, and I can't say I missed it too much. But seeing fluffy flurries reminded me of good times (snow days!) in New York. Snow is really pretty when it falls, but it becomes really nasty driving in it very quickly. I still remember shoveling my car out a few years back as I promised it (yes, the car...) to never see snow again. I did fulfill my promise as I left my car at the bottom of the mountain where snow fell in the form of rain.

Since skiing is not my kind of thing (or so I think...), hiking is. Hence, on this beautiful snowy winter day there is no better way to enjoy the flurries than checking out some trails. And surely I was not disappointed. As snow got deeper, it was a bit more challenging to walk, but it added to the serenity of hiking in snow. There is something meditative about the sound of crunching snow under the boots and complete silence that happens when snow absorbs any sound nearby. Step after step, I continued along the Cougar Crest Trail.

I did not get to finish the trail, but truly enjoyed it.

My plan was to hike several more trails, but after the snowy day, many of them were impassable. One of the trails that appeared still reasonable (only a foot of snow!) was Alpine Pedal Path Trail, a moderate difficulty, mostly flat trail along the Big Bear Lake. This was the day after the snowy day, and the sky was blue and clear. It was a crispy day, but with proper attire no cold was felt, and half a mile into it even the heavy jacket came off. Apparently, it's not that easy to hike in a foot-deep snow!

Again, I did not finish this trail, but go to enjoy the lake at it's best - covered on all shores by a fresh layer of snow, cold and clear.

Overall, it was a memorable trip, but I certainly prefer warmer climate!

Cougar Ridge to Jack Creek Meadow Trail

I had a holiday party later tonight. And what do I decide to do? Go on a longest hike I've been in a while, of course! Cougar Ridge to Jack Creek Meadow trail was one of those 15 mile trails that you think to yourself you would hike just partially and at some point just turn around and go back... That did happen, indeed, but a bit farther along than I would hope.

It started out slowly gaining elevation and continued at the same pace, up and down, throughout the hike. Stanley Peak was ultimately the turn around point, as I knew there was no way I was making it to that party if I continued...

I found the hike rather isolated with only a few people nearby. The weather was cloudy and misty, and only at one point during the hike did I see the sun peaking through the clouds. It made the trail somewhat mysterious and suspiciously remote.

A nice pond (or I call it a pond) was located along the trail, and it was a perfect spot to relax and take a break. For whatever reason, I can't find a picture of it, but trust me, it was worth sitting next to.

Stanley Peak did not seem like a destination point initially, but as I ascended the mountain, the views really opened up.

On this gloomy day, I could not imagine a better place to enjoy the view of the valley (although I have to admit, I was pretty frustrated with initial fog).

The distance I covered ended up to be 13.5 miles, but I was exhausted somehow. Knowing that I had to go to a work event and pretend to be fresh and cheery felt like a burden, so after a nice cup of late afternoon coffee and half an hour in front of the mirror, I was ready to be that person :)

Mystic Canyon and Upper Monroe Trail

First snow... Up in the mountains we got our first snow, earlier in the year than usually... The next day, I was set to go to hike Mystic Canyon and Upper Monroe Trail. Never did I anticipate that I would see snow so closely on this hike.

Located near Glendora, the trail starts at around 1,100 ft elevation and slowly gains to over 3,000. Snow fell above 3,000 ft the night before and was as fresh as it could get. It rarely snows at such low elevations, so it was a surprise for me.

At first there was no signs of snow, just beautiful views and cotton-like clouds in the blue sky. It was cold, but from the very beginning elevation gain became rather noticeable. As we ascended, I knew the descend would be just as tough, especially on my knees.

In a little while, we started seeing the snow-covered mountains far in the distance. As we continued to hike, these mountains were getting closer and closer until we were faced with this...

Pictures rarely can tell the whole story. And this is the time when my Pixel camera just could not truly show the contrast of the beauty I was seeing. Indeed, there was something peaceful about the snow.

Back in New York, I remember the last snowstorm we had before I left for California. That day over a foot of snow fell in a short period of time, and the next morning the sun was shining fully showing off the glitter of the snow. It was so quiet... Snow wonderfully absorbs the sound... It felt just like that, even though snow was further away this time.

I truly enjoyed this hike, more than many before. Each hike is somewhat different. Some are difficult, some offer nice views, and others are simply breathtaking. This was one of those.

Volcan Mountain Trail near Julian, CA

I find Southern California the place to be. Mountains, ocean, lakes... It is truly a delight for someone who likes outdoors. Since moving to CA, I really can't spend a weekend without hiking. There is something about being far from the civilization, far from everyone if you choose to, in peace and solitude. If you are lucky to find a hiking group (there are dozens here) and/or a hiking partner, it becomes even more enjoyable.

Today I was back in Julian hiking Volcan Mountain Trail. Together with a group, we hiked this relatively short trail, but with some change in elevation it felt worth the trip. The grass has become dry desperately needing some rain. But I guess that's what makes California what it is.

I find it rather difficult to figure out what peak is where. On this map, it was not any easier...

As we approached the end of the trail, we were welcomed by nice views of the fluffy clouds sprinkled on top of the mountains way in the distance. I sat on a large rock trying to not fall down, and felt like I could sit there forever. The group was departing, so I had to wrap my thoughts up and throttle along. This is one of the cons of hiking with a large group, you gotta follow the crowd...

One of the distant views of the mountains

The hike downhill was much more pleasant, as usually it is. On the way back, we stopped at a Cidery and enjoyed a tasting flight of delicious apple cider with some add ons...

...and finished the day at a local restaurant Jeremy's on the Hill, which by far exceeded my expectations. Brussels sprouts were the best I've ever had (well, now I am hungry...)

Monserate Mountain Trail Loop

It's been a while since I hiked...

Today I decided to go on what I consider a short hike, only 4.5 miles round trip. Located about 10 minutes from my new residence, this hike was a challenging one due to elevation gain, but moderate in difficulty because of the shorter distance. Monserate Mountain Trail really offers wonderful views.

The trail gains and loses elevation for the first 2 miles of the hike, and then just continues to go downhill. The trailhead is located right next to the 15 Highway, so the traffic noise is quite noticeable for the first and last parts of the hike. Some people mentioned in their reviews that it was rather annoying, but I found it to be merely white noise.

I encountered quite a few people on the trail. Many appeared to hike there regularly. There were some runners as well, although I can't imagine to be actually running those hills.

On top of the mountain, there is a flag and a geocashing spot. I found both quite picture-worthy.

I really enjoyed this trail, and since it's so close to my new place, I will be coming back for sure.

Mount Baden Powell Trail

Gosh, am I behind on my posts... The past month has been quite eventful, although not necessarily with hiking. I decided to share my latest hike to Mount Baden Powell, a kick-butt trail in Angeles National Forest. Since I have not done much hiking in the past 30 days, I felt completely unprepared for this one. At 9 miles round trip and almost 3,000 ft elevation gain, this trail just promised not to disappoint with the views, hence I sacrificed my sleep, gathered my remaining hiking strength and headed to the trail head.

Starting this trail early is the key. At 8 AM, the weather was already rather warm for the hike uphill. On good thing about this trail is switchbacks. The elevation gain is very moderate and relatively paced, but don't get me wrong, it's still elevation gain. The views open up as you get higher and higher. On one side, you see the flat and somewhat developed land (north) and on the other side, mountains and, far in the distance, signs of LA civilization.

I must admit, the north side reminded me of Fresno, not really a pleasant reminder overall. But the south side (picture above) was what I was looking for - peaceful and remote from hustle and bustle. It was not long until I reached the top, much less tired than I thought I would be, perhaps because of company distracting me with conversation from continuous incline. In fact, I think this is why I only took one picture on this hike, somewhat abnormal for me, but probably indicating that I actually was present in that moment in time.

The hike back was a bit lengthy, but beautiful nevertheless. Something to say about hiking in the pine forest...

Big Laguna, Monument Peak Loop

Two hour drive... I started dreading it on Friday evening. Less than a year it would have been a normal drive to a hiking spot, somewhere in Yosemite or Kings Canyon probably. But now it seemed  like a long long drive. I guess you get used to good things quite easily and quickly. Yet, with the help of my friend, I decided to go.

I took the highway through Julian, a small town in North San Diego County that is famous for its pies. It was very early in the morning, so I did not get a chance to stop by to get a taste of what they've been bragging about. Next time...

The drive was rather boring and foggy in some areas. I reached the trailhead and was pleasantly surprised by the cool temperatures. Indeed, it was 59 degrees. The air was so fresh and crispy, and right at 8.06 AM, as the group leader promised, we started the Big Laguna Mountain Loop Trail hike.

The first part of the hike was on a narrow trail covered on both sides with healthy vegetation. I was glad I wore pants. Very soon we came to an open meadow, still green since there was a large pond at the base of it. It looked so peaceful and serene that I wanted to stop for a few minutes and just stare at this untouched beauty.

The group kept going, so we needed to keep up. Another meadow, this one filled with lounging cows, came next. One of the cows stood out to us. Look at those lashes! Naively, I hoped that this cow would live a long life. It's sad that humans raise animals for slaughter, but it saddens me even more when cows are stuck in a tiny fenced dirt-filled area with multiple stalls. This cow appeared to be happy (for the time being) and healthy grazing in the field filled with delicious grass.

As we continued hiking, the trail started to go uphill. The rocky ground did not make is easy, but soon enough we reached our first view of the land below and it was gorgeous!

As the climb continued, we finally started to get a better idea where we were at - on the right side there was Anza Borrego Desert State Park, sandy and yellowish-brown, and on the left side Cleveland National Forest, green and luscious. What an odd landscape!

We stopped at two of the peaks and started our descent along an undefined path. Eventually, we found the trail and finished the hike around 1.30 PM with a total of 11.5 miles and 1,500 ft elevation gain.

Mount Baldy via Devil's Backbone Trail

I wanted to do this hike for a while, and was waiting until there are no more reports of snow on the top of the mountain. Mount Baldy via Devil's Backbone trail is not an easy one. Well, let's be honest here, it is the second toughest hike I have ever done after Alta Peak.

It started out pretty good with slow and steady elevation gain. In the early morning, parts of the trail are still fully shaded, so it was nice to feel cool at least at some portions of the hike.

The elevation started to be felt almost right away. Usually pretty energetic in the first few miles, I felt out of breath at times due to higher elevation. I remembered how thin air gets closer to 8 to 10,000 ft, but the hike was worth it. The views were incredible from the very beginning.

Sap was flowing from the fur trees, seeping onto the cones and shining in the sun. It looked like they were covered in ice.

I soon came across a restaurant that was near the ski lift. It was too early for it to be open, but their bathrooms were fabulous!

The next section was brutal and straight uphill. It seemed like minutes were dragging like hours. My legs were killing me, and were weren't even half way there!

On the picture it looks almost flat, but angle it at about 45-50 degrees, and you'll understand my pain...

Finally, we were on top of the first hill only to be greeted by another section with more elevation gain. The hike was supposed to gain almost 4,000 ft from top to bottom, and I felt it.

The views distracted from how tough this hike was.

The last section of the climb was another brutal one. At some point I thought I ran out of water, but decided to finish hiking to the top. Heck, I've gone that far, I had to finish!

Luckily, as I reached the top I realized I had more water than I had thought. I ate my delicious granola bar (that was even more delicious after such exercise) and headed down. I thought for the first time that I would like to camp right there. How amazing would it be to wake up 10,000 ft above the sea level. Will add this to my bucket list...

The way down is usually much easier, but not in this case. The trail became very steep covered in sand so that traction on my boots was barely keeping up from letting me slide down the hill. My knees were angry from constant impact, and my muscles begged for a break. But noooo! I wanted to get down, and so I did.

First Time in Seattle - Day 4

My last full day in Seattle was meant to be less hectic. I started my morning with a cup of cappuccino and a vegan sandwich that for some reason I had to wait for a long time. Patience... Patience...

I took the train to Seattle Needle and headed north to Kerry Park, a tiny piece of land that you hardly can even call a park, maybe a small square, at best. The view from this little spot was quite spectacular...

I then took an Uber to Discovery Park, a real park this time with a hiking trail! I enjoyed walking along the dirt pathway, something that I have missed in Seattle. I am glad that even big cities have a small piece of land that is still devoted to nature. While it was within 10-15 minutes from Downtown Seattle and still packed with people, I could see myself getting lost there without seeing a soul for a while, especially on a Monday afternoon. 534 acres of beauty!

Old lighthouse

I later checked out another highly recommended destination Golden Gardens Park. While I wasn't as blown away by it, it was a nice beach destination for the locals. In the meantime, I explored the neighborhoods as I refused to take Uber and opted for walking... well, and eating... and more eating...

I was so tired that I decided to grab a smoothie and sandwich and get an Uber on the way home. My Uber ride turned out to be pretty unique. The driver just kept picking up other people on the way to my destination. An hour and a half later, I finally got to my AirBnb and was happy to take a shower. I wonder if anyone has spent in an Uber 1.5 hours...

My trip was coming to an end. While I enjoyed my time in Seattle, I can't say I fell in love with it like I did with San Diego or Southern California. My next trip in the area would be Mt. Rainier, and this time no city life, just hiking and hopefully cabin living :)