by Sally » Thu Jun 09, 2016 9:49 pm
I attended a private girls' camp in Big Bear Lake every summer from 1962 to 1969. We did a hike every week in the Big Bear area, but the LAST week of camp, the girls who had proven themselves worthy hiked Old Grayback (or San Gorgonio) via the Southfork trail, starting at Poopout Hill. Slushy Meadows (Southfork Meadows) was quite slushy, and Dollar Lake was always a lake. We wore tennies, no one had a day pack, and we carried our lunch in a brown paper bag ( I was innovative and put my lunch bag in a bandana so that the contents would stay in.) We had those funky disc-shaped canteens that we wore with a strap over our shoulder. For the un-initiated there was a rumor that there was a malt shop at the top. The sign at the top said it was 11,502', and there were ground squirrels at the summit that we fed the crusts from our sandwiches.
Fast forward: the ground squirrels did not die from our donations, they are still there. Dollar Lake has not been a Lake for my last several visits, and now I can't even visit it because of the horrible fire last year. I am so grateful that I can visit "My Peak" from the Vivian Creek Trail.
San Gorgonio was my first mountain love. Being above tree line for the first time has never left my memory. I have shared this peak with my daughters and closest friends. It is a part of me, and should it ever be taken away from me I would be beside myself with grief.
These days there are several factors that threaten to take away from us our wilderness haunts that are so important to us: The San Jacintos, Skyline, Anza Borrego Desert, etc., fires and government legislation not being the least of these. It scares me. I always have to remind myself to be grateful for what we have and when called, rally to come forth and state my case to keep what I have.