Walking the Cougar Mane Trail in California, USA to see the Pacific Crest Trail

When you mention the two keywords of the United States and the West Coast, what comes to the minds of climbers is not Las Vegas, the city of desire, nor Los Angeles, where many Hollywood stars gather, but many An outdoor enthusiast's dream - the Pacific Crest Trail.

During this trip to Los Angeles, I thought how great it would be if I had the opportunity to walk on this dream road. There are many trails around Big Bear Lake in the suburbs of Los Angeles. One of the popular routes ends at the Pacific Crest Trail, so the journey to find the trail of your dreams begins.

Big Bear Lake——is a tourist attraction with convenient transportation and four distinct seasons.

Big bear lake, part of the San Bernardino National Forest, is located in the mountains east of Los Angeles, only about a 2-hour drive from downtown Los Angeles. With convenient transportation, it can be said to be the back garden of Los Angeles people. The climate of Big Bear Lake is warm in winter and cool in summer, and its geographical location is excellent. It is a famous ski resort during snowy winters. Summer is suitable for various land and water leisure activities. Tourists engaged in outdoor activities such as climbing, hiking, boating and fishing can be seen here year-round.

Cougar's Mane Trail - Great for both old and young, ends with a link to the climber's dream trail PCT.

There are many hiking trails of varying difficulty around Big Bear Lake, the most popular of which is the cougar crest trail. The trail is 5 miles long and the ride is gentle without many ups and downs. It can be completed in about half a day. It is suitable for both adults and children, and some sections of the trail offer beautiful views of the entire Big Bear Lake. The trail ends at the Pacific Crest Trail, the most famous trail in the Western United States.

Pacific Crest Trail - one of the seven longest trails in the world

The Pacific Crest Trail (Pct) is a dream destination for countless mountaineering enthusiasts. The trail runs through the western United States, starting at the Mexican border in the south and ending at the Canadian border in the north. Shenyang Tourism Network, with a total length of 4,286 kilometers, passes through 43 national ecological reserves, 25 national forests and 7 national parks along the way. It is recognized as the most beautiful hiking route with the greatest changes in natural landscape among the three major hiking championships (Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail and Continental Divide Trail).

Then let’s go!

The night before, we reconfirmed that the trail was not too difficult. We got up early with a happy mood, had a hearty breakfast leisurely, went to the store, bought a few biscuits and two bottles of water, and then hit the road easily. Drive to the Big Bear Lake Discovery Center to buy a national forest parking pass, which will have different prices depending on the number of days you stay. There is also information about mountain climbing nearby.

It was cloudless and the sun was shining brightly. After the sun rose, the temperature was around 10 degrees, which was very comfortable. However, even though I had a huge breakfast in the morning, I still felt cold. I just added a pair of jeans to my compression pants and didn’t want to take them off until I was stretched out and warm.

From the Cougar Mane Trail, we looked at the snow-covered mountains across the way and the lake was as clear as a mirror. We took a short break here and quietly looked at the distant and peaceful scenery in front of us.

Turn a corner and walk from reality to dream.

The Pacific Crest Trail sign suddenly appeared in front of me, and I knew the trail was not far away. I passed two or three hikers on the road and looked at their lean bodies and exquisite backpacks. They looked like they had been gone for days. Maybe they were hikers! Looking at them, I couldn't help but get excited and speed up unconsciously.

"Are you really here?" It's a bit incredible. Is pct here?

"Let's go! I didn't really believe it until I found the Pct sign nailed to the tree.

It is no longer an image on the computer, nor is it in the book The pct is really here, and my feet are walking on it like a small fan, jumping back and forth. The desire to become a full hiker is too far away from reality, but it comes true. There’s not just one ideal way to do it, and having the opportunity to get so close to it, to see it a few times, and to put your feet on the trail, is deeply satisfying.