I wanted to stay in Big Bear Lake and hike some of the intermediate trails. I chose Butler Peak Lookout (8537'), but learned once I got to the trail head that it was snowed over in the upper elevation. I needed poles which I purposely didn't pack The forest road was gated at the trailhead and closed to OHVs, but hikers were allowed. I could see the lookout in the distance. It looked decivingly close, but I knew this was a 9-mile hike.
The trail was a forest trail that was flooded at the 1.5 mile mark, so I went cross-country toward Hanna's rock, a huge granite plateau of boulders of all kinds of sizes. The peaks were clear and the terrain still soft from the melted snow. Elevation was from 6997' to 7235' so nothing too difficult. At one point I could see the snow-capped peaks to my west. No one was around and I used my GPS app to guide me. The trails weren't marked, but I ended up circling around the Hanna Flats group campsite, Camp Whittle (a YMCA camp) and a water tank. I hiked 5.75 miles on mostly exposed dirt roads. It wasn't a streneous hike but it was a perfect hike where I could go off by myself and not worry about other hikers or dogs. I didn't even see anyone until the last half mile, when a group of motorbikers came through.
I was now hungry and drove into town, a bustling town much more crowded than last night. Big Bear Boulevard, the main thoroughway, had half its lanes closed due to construction/repair work on the many potholes in the road. Hot tar and car exhaust filled the air. I wanted a simple lunch, nothing too fancy. A small diner like last night would have been fine, but instead I had a good cappuccino at the Big Bear Coffee roasting company and ate at a Carl's Jr on chicken tacos. I stopped at the Visitor's Center for trail information, learned that the Serrano cam site run by the California Land Management (CLM) is open and discovered that there is a USMarine Corps Recreational Facility near one of the ski lanes, Summit Mountain, but when I got there the first thing the gentle clerk told me was that dogs were not allowed. The area looked nice, with cabins for rent and a few RV sites open, but absolutely no pets. He gave me directions to some local trails nearby, the Southfork network that lead up and around Summit Mountain, but most were still under a snowpack. I want to go hiking, not ice climbing.
I wanted to stay in town tonight and rented a campsite at Serrano. One night just for non-electric is $31 but the clerk reminded me that that includes a free hot shower. I desperately needed to wash up, but that water was no way "hot!" It was more like warm...in spurts. Luckily it was 3:30pm and not 35F outside. I needed to clean up before I ventured back out. The dogs were resting and content just laying there.
I drove around the touristy part of town, the "Big Bear Lake Resort Village" and went into the namesake brewpub but no one waited on me. That pale ale looked good but I had an excuse not to drink beer. Instead I ordered a Shamrock shake at McD's to stifle my still hunger. For dinner later I had fried chicken legs and coleslaw at the Von's grocery store. I never expected a grocery store to be so hip, but this one in town brought in all the bootlaced skiiers as well as the local bearded lumberjacks. The place feels more like northern California rather than SoCal. The older man from yesterday wasn't around playing his guitar. I sat inside, surfed the net and no one told me I had to leave when my 30 minutes were up.
It was a quiet day for me. Back at the campsite, I parked the van, let the dogs rest, and walked down to the lake for a few shots. The lake never seemed to benefit from the added snow the state got last month as the lakeshore is still rather low. There's still plenty more snowmelt coming down, though.
I read a bit but then by 10pm called it a night. My left ankle was hurting and I needed to rest. The dogs contined to stay quiet. It was colder than the previous night but I never woke up in discomfort. It dipped down to 40F. The campground was quiet and no coyotes came to harass us.
http://www.mapmyhike.com/routes/view/1483566922
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