Pine Knot Trail, Big Bear, CA

September 13, 2008:
This day was a special day for me. It is my birthday. It is also my best friend's birthday too. Mark is one year younger than me and this day was his 50th birthday. So both of our families loaded up the cars and headed for Big Bear and shared a condo together. On this day we got to do whatever we wanted to do (within reason). So the first thing we did was hike a new trail. It is called the Pine Knot Trail. No one else from our collective families wanted to hike so it was just Mark and I.

Before I get to the description of the hike let me say that Mark is a backpacker too. He was with me in 2006 when I first trekked through Yosemite and caught the bug. Unfortunately, a back injury has sidelined Mark since then but a pack-less hike is something this man can do. So there we were, Saturday morning, on our birthday, entering into the Aspen Glen picnic area and heading up the trail head (clearly marked on the northern side of the parking lot (An Adventure Pass is required to park here). The time was approximately 8:45am.

The first part of the trail is lined by short 4X4 posts and very rocky, which we assumed was for erosion protection. At the end of the 4X4 posts you drop into a little valley on what appears to be a dirt road. This, however, eventually diminishes into walking path.

The hike up was mostly moderate with many spots being a gentle climb. Both of us had no problem with this hike and could carry on a conversation without too much huffing and puffing. We enjoyed the view of pine trees, white fir and various colored shrubs and wild plants. The views of Big Bear lake were beautiful.

The trail comes upon a dirt road and a lush meadow fed by a spring. We crossed the road to continue the trail and immediately Mark and I were met with the thumping sounds of hip-hop. The trial skirts along a developed camp ground (which included a solar toilet) and the current occupants had opened the trunk of their car to reveal a huge sub-woofer with two 24" drivers, which was the cause of all the rhythmic rumbling. This ruined the natural settings of hiking the trail.

Just past the camp ground the trail intersects Sky Line Drive (2N10), a well maintained dirt road. Many vehicles and mountain bikers were present as we crossed the road to the last quarter mile of the hike. At approximately 10:30 Mark and I came to Grand View Point, the destination of our hike. Not bad for a 3 1/4 mile hike up hill. Here we viewed the Santa Ana River Valley (not sure of the official name of the valley). San Gorgonio is clearly seen on the other side of the ridge from this vantage point and I was surprised to see Saddleback above the marine layer haze in Orange County. Portions of highway 38 can be seen cutting through the trees.

After a bit of rest and hydration, we hurried back down to the car and was back at the condo by 12:45. Just in time to change and grab the Seadoo for some fun on the lake. Later that night we capped the day with time at Big Bear's opening night at Ocktoberfest and a party at the condo with the family, which included a highly fought game of Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Donkey.

A great way to celebrate a birthday.