Big Bear Blog

I can’t recall a day beginning any more perfect than Thursday. Having driven by the Lake all week, enviously watching others enjoy our blue, blue waters, I decided it was my turn. Arriving just after 6:30 a.m., I slipped my kayak into the smooth, reflective pool of Boulder Bay. Sharing the water’s edge with a striking Mallard dabbing for food just below the surface, I pushed away creating a slight ripple in the otherwise still water. I quickly found my glide and soundlessly passed between the Bay’s signature rock formations.

I hadn’t paddled since a weekend trip to Mission Bay in April. That weekend made me commit to a regular paddle schedule this summer - taking advantage of our 22 miles of alpine shoreline. Finally, I thought, I am able to honor that commitment!A Good Day

I can’t recall a day beginning any more perfect than Thursday. Having driven by the Lake all week, enviously watching others enjoy our blue, blue waters, I decided it was my turn. Arriving just after 6:30 a.m., I slipped my kayak into the smooth, reflective pool of Boulder Bay. Sharing the water’s edge with a striking Mallard dabbing for food just below the surface, I pushed away creating a slight ripple in the otherwise still water. I quickly found my glide and soundlessly passed between the Bay’s signature rock formations.

I hadn’t paddled since a weekend trip to Mission Bay in April. That weekend made me commit to a regular paddle schedule this summer - taking advantage of our 22 miles of alpine shoreline. Finally, I thought, I am able to honor that commitment!

I cruised past swim beach - tracing the shore, dodging in-and-out of tiny coves along the way. I picked up speed rounding Eagle Point – proud of my smooth cadence. I aimed my bow for my turn around point – the East Launch ramp. Just as I lifted my blade out of the water I heard the sound of beating wings overhead. Looking up I watched as a lone Eagle landed high in a weathered pine. It was a bit surreal. A member of our wintering Eagle population decided to linger a little longer. Perhaps he was persuaded to stick around because of the fabulous view from his perch or the endless fishing. I felt a connection with this free-thinking soul and noiselessly cheered his choice.

Turning around I moved toward the center of the Lake, wanting to capture the Eagle with my camera. But he had other priorities and must have spotted something interesting in the next inlet over. Taking flight, the beating of his wings broke the silence of my morning.

I paddled a more direct route back to Boulder Bay, picking up the tempo of my morning workout. Coasting into shore I spotted another lone kayaker and we both agreed: It doesn’t getter any better than this.

I cruised past swim beach - tracing the shore, dodging in-and-out of tiny coves along the way. I picked up speed rounding Eagle Point – proud of my smooth cadence. I aimed my bow for my turn around point – the East Launch ramp. Just as I lifted my blade out of the water I heard the sound of beating wings overhead. Looking up I watched as a lone Eagle landed high in a weathered pine. It was a bit surreal. A member of our wintering Eagle population decided to linger a little longer. Perhaps he was persuaded to stick around because of the fabulous view from his perch or the endless fishing. I felt a connection with this free-thinking soul and noiselessly cheered his choice.

Turning around I moved toward the center of the Lake, wanting to capture the Eagle with my camera. But he had other priorities and must have spotted something interesting in the next inlet over. Taking flight, the beating of his wings broke the silence of my morning.

I paddled a more direct route back to Boulder Bay, picking up the tempo of my morning workout. Coasting into shore I spotted another lone kayaker and we both agreed: It doesn’t getter any better than this.

This weekend Team Big Bear hosts Big Bear Shoot Out #1, an epic mountain bike race that kicks riders in the rear. The course requires both endurance and tenacity.

The race is also the 2nd event for the “Conquer the Bear” competition. I surveyed the course with some of the guys that will be racing this weekend, and I can tell you it’s going to be a tough course that will surely separate the pretenders from the contenders. It will be interesting to see how the “multi” sport athletes fair against the full time mountain bike racers.

The course is a nice blend of everything Big Bear has to offer including wide open fire road climbs, recovering rollers and of course some sweet serpentine single track. Riders are challenged with the thrill of climbing then ripping up on more descents and then a little more climbing, to remind riders they are racing at 7,000 ft.!

Whether you’re racing or not, come out and watch the lycra wearing warriors duel to the death in the Big Bear Shoot out #1!

spreading the challenge, rev

There’s no question it’s Memorial Day Weekend in Big Bear. The town is buzzing with outdoor enthusiasts, boutique shop browsers, water sports junkies, trout anglers, classic car aficionados and people watchers. This time I fall in the category of people watching.

I am amazed at the amount of activity that is happening here in Big Bear this weekend. It’s great to see vehicles passing through town with mountain bikes or kayaks atop of the roofs. The lake is loaded with just about every watercraft imaginable. I even saw a couple peddling together on a homemade contraption that looked like it was part bike and part balloon. It was very interesting looking, but the main thing is they were afloat and full of laughs as they somehow got the gizmo in to move from point A to point B.

I drove past a classic auto show today, and I must admit there were quite a few beauties on display. I checked out a restaurant that’s right on the beach and was amazed to see all the different activities going on from beach volleyball to fetch with a golden retriever and black lab.

I’ve seen people riding into town on mountain bikes and others in backpacks after a full day of hiking. There are people at sports shops checking out the rental equipment such as canoes, kayaks, inner tubes and of course mountain bikes.

The entire shoreline on the north shore is lined up with anglers. In fact I asked one guy how he did today, and he said he caught his limit in less than two hours. Wow! There is some great fishing action right now on the lake. In fact, I heard rumor that a lake record was broken this weekend.

It’s all about the weather in Big Bear. The sun is shining and mountain breeze is cool. I’m going to kick my summer off with a hike up to Castle Rock or Champion Lodgepole Pine trail.

Blessed are those who enjoy summer,

Daniel Pea   

It’s not often I get to play guest in my own town but this past Tuesday I found myself with a bit of time in the afternoon. I left my office at 2:00 p.m. to meet up with friends for a quick hike and climb at Castle Rock.

Starting off from the road, we quickly ascended the trail – gaining 600 feet of elevation in less than a mile. At the base of Castle Rock’s southeast face we caught up with our friends Joanna and Tyler. Joanna was working out the moves on Round Table, a 5.6 crack climb. We took a break to enjoy the mountain breeze and found shade under the cover of a stand of towering Jeffrey Pines.

Castle Rock is the visible and prominent landmark located high on the south side of Big Bear Lake just west of the dam. A popular day hike area, it also attracts legions of climbers because it offers good quality rock in an intermediate range. The southeast face in particular sports 100-feet of vertical – making it one of the tallest crags in the area. Training for multi-pitch ascent in the Eastern Sierra, we decided on this face because we could make it to the summit in two short pitches - giving us the opportunity to work out our system and technical know-how.

We climbed Chainmail a vertical, off-width crack that goes at 5.6 but felt more like 5.7+ at the crux. Tyler led, followed Joanna, then my partner Scott led as I cleaned the route. Our first pitch ended at a spacious and lofty ledge – we had plenty of room to sort the gear I had cleaned. Looking out towards Sugarloaf peak, I voiced how lucky we were to live in a place with such quality training opportunities. From the broad ledge we continued in order, climbing another 30 feet to the top of Castle Rock and awesome views of the entire lake.

Descending the trail back to the road we all agreed it was far too nice to call it a night and decided to leverage our luck and find grub in the Village. We took advantage of happy hour dinner specials at Stillwell’s Restaurant in the Northwoods Resort before wandering over to Pine Knot Avenue for shopping and entertainment – it was Vinyl Revival night at The Pub.

We were home before dark and content in the knowledge that we were pretty lucky to call Big Bear home.

Gladly,
Glade Girl

It is riding season! Got the schedule lined up: Monday’s and Friday’s are trail days with the girls, Wednesday is for road biking, leaving the rest of the time open for whatever comes up.

This last Monday I took a mid-morning spin with my friend Holly – a fun cross country jaunt on the North Shore. Climbing up fire road, we followed a meandering line of bear prints in the dry dust. As we turned onto single track we made sure to yell, “Hey Bear, here we come!” The promise of a spectacular spring bloom was everywhere: Tiny stands of Paintbrush lined the trail as mountain Lupines sat closer to creek beds. A few water crossings added a bit of adventure to our Monday morning and a chance to get down and dirty. I wore the mud spit from my tires like a badge of honor at our post-ride coffee at Amangelo’s. Not too mention sharing a laugh or two is much more fun when you’re rolling through the woods.

The riding is spectacular right now – cool breezes and warm mountain air balance each other out for perfect temps. I love spring riding! The best part about this time of year - if you want to see anyone else on the trail, I definitely recommend bringing a friend along.

Earning my turns!
Glade Girl

For over 60 years, Thomas Lures have been catching fish all over the world. A young man named Richard Shubert, who was trained as a tool and die maker in Austria, came to the America in the early 1940’s and began selling lures that were both his own and European-based designs. The streams and lakes of Montana and the Rocky Mountains provided the perfect setting to test his prototypes and market the lures that he created that were effective.

Thomas Lures are a “must have” in your tackle box. I have fished Thomas lures for over twenty years and have had great success not only catching a lot of fish, but also quite a few big fish.

The most popular lure from the company on Big Bear Lake is the Thomas Buoyant. Because the light penetration and water clarity varies so much on the lake, it is a good idea to have several different colors of Buoyants to try during the day until you find the one that starts catching fish.

My favorite colors are: Copper, Chartreuse, Fire Tiger, Gold, Silver Plate, Nickel, Gold Red, Silver Blue, and Watermelon.
Last week on Big Bear trolling with Gold, Gold/Red, and Watermelon at three colors of Lead-Core produced several quality Rainbows including a beautiful 4.35 lb. Rainbow for one of my client’s.

The secret to casting or trolling Thomas Buoyant’s is to fish them very slow. You want the lure to roll side to side, and not spin for best results. It’s easy to find the right trolling speed by holding the lure in the water right next to boat while it’s moving, and change your speed until you get just the right action.

Another Thomas Lure that I have had great success with the last couple of years is the 1/6 oz. Cyclone Spoon. In fact, the Cyclone Spoon has out preformed all other lures several times this season.

My favorite Cyclone Spoon colors are Gold, Perch, Gold/Red, Watermelon, and Rainbow.
I fish Buoyants and Cyclone Spoons every day I fish the lake. So give the lures a try and I’m sure before long they’ll become your top favorites too!

Curt Dills, Fish Big Bear Charter Service
FishBigBear.com

Climbing in Big Bear has grown in popularity in recent years; in part due to a book written by Brad Singer outlining the multitude of routes available and in part due to the overall quality of granite found in the Valley. I had a chance to check out a newer section in the Fawnskin area. It’s called Legoland and was developed in 2006 as a mixed sport and trad area.

We decided to set up on Upper Kid Power Tower. It was the perfect spot to begin the climbing season – five easy 5-bolt routes rated 5.5 to 5.8: An ideal range to reconnect with my inner finesse and work on my finger-tip calluses. My friend Tyler quickly led the first climb called Block on Block. An uncomplicated 5.5 with holds exactly where you need them to be. From here we worked our way north along the Tower – taking in the views from the top of Brickmaster, a 5.8 with a slight roof, and Swabbies Deck, 5.7.

Blue sky, a bit of wind, good friends and post-climb cold beverages for the fingers-tips made for a flawless day of climbing in Big Bear. By the end, our forearms were pumped and our cheeks were sore from smiling, and we were motivated to commit to another climbing date soon – next time at Holcomb Valley Pinnacles. 

Earning my turn,
Glade Girl