Since our club is heading up to Dusy-Ershim next week some of the members wanted to test run their new stuff and make sure the old stuff was working properly so off we went to Big Bear to give them a run. We met up on Sat. Morning at the IHOP in town had a few pancakes and headed for Holcomb Creek. We decided to run the trail to the mid-point intersection at 2n06x cross over the creek and take that route then once on 3n16 run over to the creek trail-head and double back through the rockgarden.
Now that we figured out where we were going comes the interesting part, normally this trail is a moderate trail with some technical sections to grab your attention but this was not to be a normal day. There was a threat of thunderstorms but we were getting torential downpours and it made everything twice as hard to negotiate and I only had a bikini top so I was getting WET!! no I was getting SOAKED!! The trail was a flowing creek and you couldn't see the bottoms of the drop-offs, each one was an adventure since you didn't know when you'd stop going under and pull out. Fortunatly by the time we got to the rockgarden on 2n06x it was not raining as hard but it was still slick and we slid our way over the rocks, just as we cleared them it started pouring again so eveyone but stayed dry. Once we got to the rockgarden at the trailhead on 3n16 the rain had stopped again so we took lunch there.
Thankfully there was no further substantail rain on the way back, but the final rockgarden had water flowing through it like it used to have before the drought in the mountains, cool very cool. Once through that section we link back up with the loop and returned the way we had come, diving through the creek at the end. Next stop was happy hour!!
On Sunday we decided to do Gold Mountain and play in the ultimate rockgarden but we were constantly being harrassed by a big thunderstorm throwing lightening around our heads, and since we were on one of the highest mountains thought we should try to stay ahead of this monster, don't need to push our luck and get hit by or a close ear shattering stike. We did go through the rockgarden but didn't hang out and play. Got back just after noon packed up and headed home.
