Snow, Water Crossings, and Fires, Oh My!

Leaving Big Bear, Finally….

I had planned on taking a zero in Big Bear, but some women that I met up with at Whitewater, were arriving a day later and taking two zeros. I had the choice to hop back on the trail solo or take 3 zeros and head out with a trail family. So, I chose to wait, rest, and enjoy the journey with others. It’s about the people, so this decision was easy.

More snow

5 women headed out on the trail and began our warm climb through the mountains. We had planned to hike around 12-13 miles. We saw the last views of Big Bear Lake as we began our descent down the mountain and then close to the end of our day we hit snow once again. It was easier traversing the snow here than on San Jacinto but it still slowed down the miles. The snow was slushy, so we picked a camp close to the road.

More water crossings

The following day we started off hiking in more snow. At least it was firm from the overnight cooler temperatures. Eventually, we left the snow and the temps grew warmer. As we hiked through the desert we saw smoke in the distance. Oh no! I checked to see if I had cell service and found out there was the non fire and the trail was closed ahead. It was very warm. Lucky for us we had many water crossings that were thigh and almost waist-deep for some of the shorter ladies. Our shoes were wet, but it felt good. It was a long day hiking almost 16 miles. We made camp next to a beach at the last crossing of the day.

Deep Creek

We woke up and hiked 14 more miles from the mountains to the desert. A mile from camp we had one more thigh-high water crossing and then we arrived at Deep Creek Hot Springs. It was a busy day at the hot springs. People, naked people, and tents everywhere. We set up camp, soaked our feet in the cold creek, and then had dinner. Once the day hikers left we hopped in the hot springs and enjoyed the warm waters before bed.

Joshua Inn

The following day we decided to take a Nero and escape the heat. We hiked a short 6.5 miles and got an Uber to Joshua Inn. The small town bar was a good reprieve from the 86-degree heat. We set up camp in the horse corral, took showers, ordered sandwiches, drank electrolytes, soda, and beer, and washed our clothes using the water hose. We chatted with the locals, played pool, ordered pizza, and enjoyed the afternoon. In the morning we got breakfast burritos, fruit, orange juice, and coffee before they shuttled us back to the trail. Joshua Inn is good people.

Trail Magic at Silverwood Lake

We hiked 15.5 miles to Silverwood Lake trying to escape the heat. Oh, it was hot!! When we arrived at the picnic area we were grateful for trail magic!! There was fruit, Powerade, soda, water, movie theater candy, a fruit tray, and a meat and cheese tray. Thank you trail angels.  After replenishing our bodies we headed to the campground and set up camp. The campground was at the far end of the camp. Don’t they know we just hiked 15 miles?!? I got some quarters for a shower. It was $2 for 4 minutes of cold water. What the heck?! It kinda felt good after the hot day, but it was still cold. Once we were settled in we attempted to order pizza, but they were too busy to deliver to the campground. So, we used Uber Eats to order Mexican food. We had carne asada fries, nachos, rolled tacos, quesadillas, and ice-cold drinks delivered. Our bellies were happy.

McDonalds here we come!


We hiked just over 14 miles down to the Cajon Pass. I ordered a quarter pounder, fries, a drink, and an ice cream sundae. It was so good. There were some guys in the parking lot with trail magic, so we headed out and enjoyed a beer. Then we ordered an Uber to Wrightwood. The fire closure was still in effect and we didn’t want to walk the road due to safety. A zero in Wrightwood! Yay! 

 

 

 

Affiliate Disclosure

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!

To learn more, please visit the About This Site page.

What Do You Think?