Ukuqasha kokuvakasha e-Big Bear Lake

You'll meet up with me and then follow me in a short drive to the trailhead. Once we park there is a short easy hike (less than a mile, part on roads, part on a dirt trail) before we climb down to the creek. The climb down is very steep and slippery. It is rock climbing just steep enough to not need gear. If you like bouldering you'll love this place. If you are afraid of heights this may be challenging for you. You will need shoes with good grip and both hands available to climb down the rock cliff. The creek is a beautiful place to relax for an hour or two surrounded by the woods and the sounds of birds chirping and running water and nature to help you feel peaceful and restful. In the spring and early summer you can swim! (Note, it is too low to swim currently.) In the fall and winter just explore and play and absorb some nature. It is beautiful year round. I take candid and posed photos of you that I will send you after the hike. It is a great spot, it makes for beautiful pictures. Whenever you are ready we hike back up. For more pictures look up my Instagram @Echo_Adventure_Photography. Wear hiking boots with good grip. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have. I am very flexible with times and dates, let me know if my availability isn't quite when you would like.

We will be hiking a section of the Pacific Crest Trail. This trail was built by the USFS in the 40’s. It runs from Mexico to Canada, and comes through our beautiful town. This is a favorite section with gorgeous desert views, awesome looks down into Holcomb Valley, that turn into lake views as you continue. The lake views are stunning from this section. Depending on the time of year you visit us, there will be wildflowers, you will see horses in the meadows below, hopefully even catch a sighting of Big Bear’s famous burros left over from the gold mining days. In the distance you will see active mines, although no gold today, we will tell you the stories of days past. This area is rich with Big Bear Valley history. We will complete a “section hike” of the PCT, and try to imagine what it’s like to hike the whole 2600 miles up to Canada. Imagine what that original settlement must have looked like with children playing and moms working while the dads were in the mines. We will begin the hike in Van Dusen Canyon meeting at the trailhead on Van Dusen Canyon Road. A short up hill area as we begin then the trail walks the ridge, winding from back desert views to front lake views. The trail takes you behind Bertha’s Peak as the forest opens up to some of the best views in Big Bear Lake! A round trip hike is almost 5 miles but the awesome views make it feel like 2. Other things to note Fitness level doesn’t matter on my hikes. The minute you book, it becomes your hike. You set the pace, and the breaks. No hike is to slow. If you are in a hurry I’m down for a great workout too!

A morning at Bluff Lake is the best way to spend a day in Big Bear no matter what season it is! Spring through fall I lead hikers on tours all over Bluff Lake, the upper portion of Castle Rock and Skyline Trail. This hike can be modified for how easy or hard you want your hiking experience to be and as many miles/hours on the trail you want. The easy version of this hike is an hour, about a two-mile hike over the mostly flat ground, not much altitude gain. This is a great hike for kids. We can even stop on the hike and I’ll teach kids a bit about our local butterflies and instruct them on the best technic to photograph butterflies. If you want to do the moderate hike to upper Castle Rock (Castle Rock is the most popular trail in the Big Bear Valley), this hike is available the same pricing. Us locals prefer to hike a less traveled trail starting from the top near Bluff Lake to Castle Rock. It's prettier and not a crowded hike. This hike has a lot more altitude gain and is about 4 miles round trip. I also offer longer 3-5 hour hikes (and they are a higher fee. Inquire for pricing) and I also host beginner mountain bike rides. (2-3 hours in the saddle) Message me for more info or any questions you may have but really, the type of hike we do is up to you and your fellow hikers and how easy or hard (Or fun!) you want your hiking expirence to be. Other things to note This is a high elevation hike. The hike starts around 7,600 feet and you can get sunburnt quicker at these altitudes so high SPF sunscreen is a must.

I will lead hikers on a trek up one of my favorite wildflower meadow filled trails into the pristine Wilderness. There are areas along this trail where the wildflowers are just incredible in the springtime! The hills are simply covered in wildflowers like Prickly Poppies, Indian Paint Brush, Purple Wild Thistle, Yellow Rabbit Brush and purple Penstemon. This area burned in the 2015 Lake Fire and now a few years later the whole area is covered in colorful wildflowers. I will take your group on a tour up to historic Horse Meadows and to the pretty hidden creek above the meadows. The first section of this hike is steep; We do climb 600 feet in 1.5 miles but we will take as many breaks as your group wants (And you will want to take a lot of breaks to take photos of the fields of wildflowers!) Horse Meadows is a three-mile round trip hike. I offer this as a 3-5 mile hike in two hours depending on how fast your group wants to hike; How many photo ops you want to take and how hard you want the hike to be. If you do wish to hike farther then the five miles into the San Gorgonio Wilderness and want to do a 6-10 mile, four-hour hike, I offer that option as well. Please inquire about pricing for a longer hike. Kids are totally invited on this hike if they are okay with the elevation gain. Dogs are always invited on leash.

This hike is amazing but no fun on a hot day. I will be posting limited availability throughout the summer so you can still see this experience and you can maybe keep it in mind for later in the year. We will only be able to do this hike on the rare cooler summer days. This experience is best in fall, winter or spring. This hike is difficult. It requires hiking boots and good stamina. Six miles and 1,300 feet elevation change. There is a hill that is almost a sandy slide that is a quarter of a mile long and it is very challenging. We will spend about two hours hiking down and another two hours hiking back up. The hot springs are an amazing reward for the tough hike! Six different hot pools range in temperature from 75 to 115 degrees. They are located right along the creek so you can swim in the cold water too. It's a great spot for some contrast bath therapy! This is very good for stress, soreness, blood circulation, your metabolism, and your immune system! The whole area is beautiful and a perfect place to relax. We usually have time to stay and swim for two hours. I will take pictures, candid and posed, to capture the memories of your day and send them to you after the hike. For more pictures look up my Instagram @echo_adventure_photography. Please note, there will be nudists. -For a less crowded day pick a week day. -Best suited for ages 15 to 50