Monday, May 7, 2018

Adventures on the South Side (CA18_16)

Brain cancer is....


...wrapping up this adventure.

Today is our last full day of Cabin Adventure 2018 (CA18).  Sorry.

As you may recall, one of our major ambitions for this adventure was to follow some of the many amazing trails here at the lake.  For CA18, until today, all our trail adventures were on the north shore, marked above on the map.

To wrap up our CA18 adventure, we took it to the south shore today.  Do you see the Castle Rock trail, marked on the map, above, lower left?

Castle Rock Trail is claimed by some to be the most popular trail at Big Bear.  We certainly enjoyed it.


It was great to see the lake and mountains from a different perspective.
We see you, PCT!
We continued the south shore adventure at Boulder Bay Park
and a CA18 Victory Lunch at the Peppercorn Grille.

Cheers!


 
(Click here if you'd like more of our south shore perspectives:
South Shore Perspective Video )

Sunday, May 6, 2018

We ARE Pacific Crest Trail hikers! (CA18_15)

Brain cancer is...

To the Trail Head
A Few Miles Up:  At the PCT!

...back from the Trail.

Today the Welshons and Guillaumes hiked to the PCT and spent some time on the trail before hiking back down to celebrate with pizza.

We don't know how much better life could get.

Watch the video if you'd like to see scenes from the adventure, including our first Big Bear rattlesnake...ever.

video link
Alternate YouTube Link

Keep calm.  Hike on.



Saturday, May 5, 2018

A Fortnight (CA18_14)

Brain cancer is...

...a fortnight in the mountains.

So many pictures outside with beautiful backdrops. Ho hum.  




Okay, here's something new today.  At the Discovery Center, we learned more about Big Bear's bald eagles.  This season's baby is three-month old Stormy.  You can see him and his parents 24/7 on the Eagle Cam.  Try this link:

Their habitat is here in Fawnskin; you will see the lake in the upper right hand corner of the screen.   

Yes, Stormy is all over brown.  We learned that bald eagles' heads and tails get whiter as they get older.  (How like humans, says Darrell.)  It takes five or more years for the heads and tails to become uniformly white and for their eyes and beaks to become golden.

Stormy drama:  Stormy fell out of the nest a week ago.  Fortunately, he landed on a branch rather than falling to the ground.  His parents both kept him company, fed him, and protected him from predators.  Recently Stormy learned to fly and returned to his cushy life in the nest.  Stormy's mother was born in this same nest six years ago.

We learned that eagle nests are very impressive.  Here's an actual size replica of a nest at the Center:

This replica is five feet in diameter and weighs 500 pounds.  Considering that eagles weigh only about 14 pounds, that's a pretty impressive building feat, perhaps rivalling...a midden?

Lots of people are up this weekend enjoying the lake and the environment.  We find it encouraging to see so many people loving what our earth has to offer.

Happy Saturday!

Friday, May 4, 2018

Welcome to (the final) Weekend of the Adventure! (CA18_13)

Brain cancer is...


...celebrating the weekend with the Welshons.

Curt and Barb joined us for the weekend.  Hurrah!  Lucky Cabin Adventure Day 13.

Happy Friday no matter which day it is in your adventure!

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Uncharted Territory (CA18_12)

Brain cancer is...


...going (in time) where we have never gone before.

So this is what it's like in the mountains on Day 12!  We beat our record of 11 days in Big Bear today.

The sun came out, the snow melted, and Darrell exchanged his jeans for shorts.
 
Perhaps fittingly, we went to the Discovery Center for our first day in uncharted (time) territory and roamed around the grounds.  Once again we learned that revisiting a place brings fresh findings, a lesson brought only by the gift of time.

Here are a few fun findings of Day 12:
Rocks (dolomite) in the mountains that were formed under the sea 


An unassuming plant (Kennedy's buckwheat) endemic to the San Bernardino National Forest.
An opportunity for more wood stacking
A real echo chamber
We also learned that our snow, when it melted, could be on your way.  Apparently some of the melt finds its way to the lake, exits the lake through Bear Creek at the dam, joins the Santa Ana River, and flows into the ocean at Huntington Beach--not that far from Fullerton, family, and friends. Maybe you already knew that.  It was news to us, and somehow it helped us feel connected to you and to place.  Thanks, water cycle!

A dozen thanks to you for enjoying a dozen days in the mountains with us...so far.





Wednesday, May 2, 2018

It's Snowing! (CA18_11)

Brain cancer is...


...posting early to share the snowy magic.

Darrell was so excited by the night's snowfall that he raced out of bed at 6:00 a.m. to take the first snow photos.  I love the one, above, because the bird on the deck seems to be wondering what happened to the bird seed.

Here's how the morning looked:
Snowy Walk
Snowy Selfie Kiss.  See Snow on Roof.

Shoveling Snow Where We Were Once Gathering Wood

Snow Fling Works as Well as Wood Fling

Can You Say "Snow Plow"?


Out the  Kitchen Window






It's nearly 11 a.m., and the end of the snow is upon us. 
We love snow.  We love Team D.



Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Baby, It's Cold Outside! (CA18_10)

Brain cancer is...


...not facing Optune heat alarms today.

It was in the low thirties today, with scattered snow.  Perfect!  More snow predicted for tonight, warming to chances of  rain by noon.

We hope you get your weather wishes too!  (And:  Hellooo double digits for Cabin Adventure 2018.)