One of the perks of High Trails is that we run on a normal school schedule. When it was our time to have Spring Break, twelve of us banded together and drove 9.5 hours to Moab, Utah. What were we going to do? We were gearing up to spend 5 days paddling canoes on the […]
Right foot, kick. Left foot, kick. Reposition ice axe. Repeat. You hear the wind come roaring over the notch in the ridge and brace yourself as it comes whipping down the couloir. You lean into the 45 degree snow covered slope until the gust subsides and then continue slogging ever upwards. It was April Fool’s […]
Teaching outdoor education during the week…and living the outdoor lifestyle on the weekends. Go hike a popular and beautiful Big Bear classic trail, Cougar Crest. Trail Name: Cougar Crest Trail to Bertha Peak Forest Service Designation: 1E22 Total Distance: 8 miles, round trip Overview: Scenic hike that works its way up mountain ridges to a […]
The biting, icy wind was fierce and growing stronger by the minute. Gusts howled over the ridgeline we walked, slamming into us with a force great enough to drive me to my knees. I huddled in the snow and waited for the gust to pass, certain that if I stood up I would be knocked […]
It’s February in the San Bernardino Mountains and winter is in full swing. There is a lot of beauty to be found in the snow covered forests, but, even for a native upstate New Yorker like me (read as 300 plus inches of annual snowfall), I find myself longing for a chance to dust off […]
Are you looking to see the remains of a wildfire? To see the evidence of recovery and the broad sweeping scenes of chaparral forest unique to the San Bernardino Mountains? I was curious enough to take this half-day hike that offered me evidence of ecological adaptation to wildfires, the scenic beauty of the chaparral forest, […]
There is a magical place, not far from our mountain home, where environmentally conscious soul searchers rub shoulders with Lamborghini driving eccentrics. This is a place where the sun shines 300 days a year and rain is feared; where average people become near-mythical beings when they place both feet on a plank of foam and […]
Imagine an island paradise: rolling hills and exquisite wildflowers, turquoise water crashing into rocky sea caves, and creatures found nowhere else on earth. Although this may sound like a faraway dream, it’s actually right here in our backyard! Channel Islands National Park Channel Islands National Park encompasses five of the eight islands off the coast […]
In just a few short months, I will board a plane with my bicycle and fly to the one of the northernmost towns in Alaska. After cycling through Alaska, Canada, and the U.S., I will proceed south through the Americas and all the way to the southern tip of Argentina while backpacking in natural areas […]
Trail Name: Castle Rock Forest Service Designation: 1W03 Total Distance: 1.3 miles Overview: short steep hike up to a beautiful rocky crag with great views of Big Bear Lake. Difficulty: Moderate to Advanced. Activities: Hiking. Horses and Bikes are possible, but difficult because of the steep and rocky terrain. Trail Type: 100% Singletrack Possible Loops […]
Trail Name: Poopout Hill via Jenks Lake/South Fork Forest Service Designation: 1E04 Total Distance: 3.8 miles one way Overview: scenic trail that takes you past Jenks Lake to the edge of the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area Difficulty: Moderate Activities: Hiking and Horses. Bikes and motorized vehicles not permitted on South Fork Trail. Trail Type: Graded […]
