Bertha's Peak is a 8186' granite outcropping on the north side of Big Bear Lake and the Pacific Crest Trail. It was one of those peaks I was interested in hiking if conditions allowed. It's a 7.1-mile hike that starts off CA38 and the Discovery Center. It's accessible via the Cougar Crest trail and rated as moderate to strenuous because of the steep grade. Today was that day to hike this peak, albeit with some caveats.
As usual, I enjoy short early morning walks with the dogs to stretch their legs and get some miles in. I had nothing planned other than a remote trail where I could take the dogs that didn't require a lot of driving. I can usually find such a trail in a foothills neighborhood. I was driving North on CA38 looking for a Van Dusen Canyon road (which turns into a forest road) but that road was closed due to snow, so I turned around and went up Eagle Mountain road, a hillside road lined with million-dollar cabin homes. At the end of the street I spotted a sign that said "Bertha's Peak" and took that. This wasn't the official trail, as nothing was marked and there was a plethora of roads leading along the neighborhood and up the peaks. It's like a neighborhood jogging trail/mountain bike trail. I spotted a rocky outcropping and took that as my goal. It wasn't Bertha's Peak at only 7541' but it was close, proving the same views of the lake and the snow-capped mountains.
Getting up to the top was not easy as the hillside was rocky, the terrain still saturated with melted snow water, and dead snags made for excellent obstacles. Junipers lined the hillside. We walked past an old mining site with remnants of a shack, a spring mattress and rusty cans. This area was hit with its own Gold Rush in 1859. There's even a 12-mile forest road loop on the north side of the lake, the "Gold Fever Trail" that is a combination of several forest roads that go past historic sites.
The little rock scramble was a mere 2.5 miles. The dogs were happy and rested in the van at campsite #30 as I returned to shower. Although the campground is expensive, it's a quiet place with good views and close to some great hiking trails. I sat in the van and just enjoyed the views and smells. I didn't want to leave the area, but I know that if I want to hike one more big peak and see the wildflowers in the Mojave Preserve, I must leave early tomorrow if I want to drive at a relaxing pace. Temperatures in the valley will be ten degrees cooler for the rest of the week, so I planned this mountaintop resort just fine.
I stopped at Von's one more time for more raw meats for the dogs. I'm going to miss that store! I parked in the lot and surfed the net and discovered the directions for the Gold Fever Trail, which starts near Fawnskin off Polique Canyon Road, one of the roads that Chuck recommended I boondock that first night.
The canyon road is wide and two cars can pass each other as the dirt road meanders uphill. But at 7300' there was too much ice on the road and rather than risk getting stuck, I pulled the van over to the side to allow other vehicles to pass me, and walked up the road for a bit. I didn't take my backpack or any water since the dogs could drink from the snowmelt rushing down the road. Indeed I expect this area to experience some rockslides once the melt begins in earnest.
The road meandered uphill and at a mere half mile I came across the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Holcomb Valley was below. I could see abandoned mine trailings against one hillside and what looks like a cattle ranch elsewhere. Just my luck! I could see Bertha's Peak and the communications towers on the peak (which reflect in sunlight) to the east so I decided I would try bagging that peak from this approach. How far would I make it before the snow overcame me?
All the way, it turns out. While there were sections on the north side of this crest that covered the PCT in three feet of snow (it came to the dogs' bellies), there were only small sections in the grand scheme. The trail to the peak then went off the PCT at .75 miles farther before a wider maintenance took over and we took that to the peak. It was only 2.1 miles from where I had left the van. The views north toward the lake and the higher peaks was even more impressive from this elevation. Winds weren't too bad. I took some photos and then began the descent. I couldn't stay long since I had my van off the road still and didn't want anything to happen to it.
I was watching my GPS app. Since I like loop hikes over out-and-back hikes, I opted to try coming back via the Cougar Crest Trail, which I discovered follows Polique Canyon along the ridge. I could see the road, I walked up, too. I had to guide the dogs off the snowy trail and down the hillside to get down to Polique Cyn Road, but we managed despite the snow. The slide down was only .15 miles and in under .3 miles we were back at our van. Another car, an older Buick Cutlass, however, was parked ahead of me (uphill) in the middle of the road. It looks like the driver had the clearance but didn't have the traction to get uphill. That ice on the road was at least six inches deep. I'm glad I was smart enough to not try getting uphill.
So thus ended another fine day of exploring around Big Bear Lake. I didn't get to see more of the popular spots, but what I did get to see was worth it. I was so excited I stopped by the Broadway Cafe in Big Bear City to let Chuck and Brenda know about my adventures. Chuck was off but Brenda was there. I ate my dinner there, chatted with Brenda for a little, but had to let her go since she was busy. Maybe next time I drive through I'll mingle more with her. The advice she and her husband gave me went really well.
I stopped one more time at Von's. James and his ten-year-old dog Chinook were outside playing guitar again. This time I got out of the van and tipped him $5. That man plays his heart out and I noticed many others stop and chat with him, too.
If I enjoyed the community this much during my spring break, how must the summers here be?!
http://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/2064903893
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