Before we go on our hike, I'd like to introduce you to my family. This is DH, my husband, and our two fur kids, Freddy B and O at the trailhead.  Truth be told, we are more a family of strollers than hikers.  

We take our time.

Freddy B and O, our Shetland Sheepdogs (also known as "Shelties") are the ideal trail companions.  If you're into dogs,  click here to read all about them. They love the fresh air and exercise, maybe even more than we do.  They never complain, and they're just happy to be with us.  

I like pictures with people -- or dogs -- in them, so if you're a purist who prefers scenery shots sans people or dogs, this is your chance to bail out.  Thanks for stopping by.

As you can see, the pamphlet box is empty, so don't count on it to supply your free hike-enhancing pamphlet by Forest Service volunteers that is readily available at the Big Bear Discovery Center, less than a mile west up North Shore Drive. Better yet, click on the previous page's link to an online copy of the pamphlet that is printable ahead of time. 

The sun is shining. The air is fresh and clean.  It's a spring day in winter!  Being outdoors is exactly where we want to be.  

As we take our first steps onto the trail, leave behind all of the hustle and bustle of modern life and step directly into the timelessness of nature and right into the present moment.

How can an experience be more real than that?

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