Frank
My grandson Brandon is up there this weekend for the Hobie Regatta.
Check them out.
He called to tell me that he is taking some pics of a couple Mac 26 sailboats up there.
Have fun
Big Bear Lake
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Herm. Beeck
- Deckhand
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 7:22 pm
- Location: Tucson, Arizona
Big bear routing from Alameda
Frank C...Captain Steve's suggestion for less traffic and a less traveled road going up the East side through Apple Valley makes sense. I lived in Alameda for the last 10 years and visited the Cement Plant on the East road to B Bear many times.
I would go to the Cement plant via I-5 and East 58 to Bakersfield, up the Tehachapi grade to Mojave on CA Hwy 58 and out to US 395, just past Boron, and go right on 395 at Kramer Junction to Victorville and then out to Apple Valley and up to the plant back of B Bear.
You pull the Altamont and Tehachapi grade and skip the pull by not going over the I-5 grapevine (4200 feet) then down the hill through the LA area and then again pulling up the twisty road out of the LA basin. You would be again lifting the same elevation from LA/San Bernadino to Big Bear that you did on the grapevine or the Cresta Grade into San Louis Obispo on 101.
Once you get to the High Desert at Mojave you are at about 4000 feet and the road is reasonable level to the final pull up the hill from Lucerne Valley going past the Cement plant at about 5500 feet. I am verifying Captain Steve's suggestion. He would be going from Oxnard, up the hill, to San Bernardino then to Victorville or going to up to Lancaster and then to Victorville and again up the East way in to Big Bear.
FYI I have a 2005 26M and use a 2005 F-550 6.0D with a 11.5 foot camper to pull the boat that is in Lake Millerton...east of Fresno. I just retired and sold my Alameda ZIP code for a move to Coarsegold, up CA Hwy 41 North of Fresno. Still a member of the EYC and come to Alameda from time to time to work on my project boat a Coronado 25 in the OYC slips near the EYC. This is my first post.
I would go to the Cement plant via I-5 and East 58 to Bakersfield, up the Tehachapi grade to Mojave on CA Hwy 58 and out to US 395, just past Boron, and go right on 395 at Kramer Junction to Victorville and then out to Apple Valley and up to the plant back of B Bear.
You pull the Altamont and Tehachapi grade and skip the pull by not going over the I-5 grapevine (4200 feet) then down the hill through the LA area and then again pulling up the twisty road out of the LA basin. You would be again lifting the same elevation from LA/San Bernadino to Big Bear that you did on the grapevine or the Cresta Grade into San Louis Obispo on 101.
Once you get to the High Desert at Mojave you are at about 4000 feet and the road is reasonable level to the final pull up the hill from Lucerne Valley going past the Cement plant at about 5500 feet. I am verifying Captain Steve's suggestion. He would be going from Oxnard, up the hill, to San Bernardino then to Victorville or going to up to Lancaster and then to Victorville and again up the East way in to Big Bear.
FYI I have a 2005 26M and use a 2005 F-550 6.0D with a 11.5 foot camper to pull the boat that is in Lake Millerton...east of Fresno. I just retired and sold my Alameda ZIP code for a move to Coarsegold, up CA Hwy 41 North of Fresno. Still a member of the EYC and come to Alameda from time to time to work on my project boat a Coronado 25 in the OYC slips near the EYC. This is my first post.
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Frank C
kaube - I noticed immediately that it was your first post - welcome abd. Great feedback, thanks very much. I was guessing that Steve's info (only 12 mi grade) meant that it was starting from the high desert. I had also concluded that Tehachapi was the logical ingress ... I just drove that route to Las Vegas a few weeks ago, albeit sans boat & trailer. Seemed silly to go thru Castaic first, and you've confirmed the reason.
You've much clarified the issues - if I choose to pull the boat, I'll definitely be using your and Steve's suggestion. Welcome! Send a PM next time you're planning the hike back to Alameda. Thanks again!
You've much clarified the issues - if I choose to pull the boat, I'll definitely be using your and Steve's suggestion. Welcome! Send a PM next time you're planning the hike back to Alameda. Thanks again!
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zuma hans 1
- Engineer
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2006 12:29 pm
Seems like an awful lot of elevation to climb for a pretty dinky lake.
I've done all three of those roads and wouldn't take the Mac up any one of them. The wear on the tow vehicle just wouldn't be worth it for a cruise on that lake, IMHO.
But, in the truest sense of the term, whatever floats your boat ...
I've done all three of those roads and wouldn't take the Mac up any one of them. The wear on the tow vehicle just wouldn't be worth it for a cruise on that lake, IMHO.
But, in the truest sense of the term, whatever floats your boat ...
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Frank C
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Frank C
Jury's in. The welder is still fussing with the new brake actuator, so the trailer's not ready for a road trip this weekend. Looks like we'll be spending any water time at a beach instead of on deck. 
Hafta' admit that I wasn't keen on towing up that hill, but still, I'll wish I had the boat with me. Thanks for all the travel scoops.
Hafta' admit that I wasn't keen on towing up that hill, but still, I'll wish I had the boat with me. Thanks for all the travel scoops.
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Frank C
IN CONCLUSION: Info provided by Steve, Scott, Theo, kaube, others was spot-on, many thanks to all.
On Friday I drove south thru the CA central valley, then up to the Mojave high desert, thru Boron, south to Apple Valley, and finally that evening, over the backside route into Big Bear Lake, ~ 450 miles. The climb from Apple Valley was ~4,000 feet over ~40 miles but mostly a straight run with just a short distance in tight curves or switchbacks (as Capt Steve reported). While much higher in elevation, it offers a route no worse than towing to Lake Berryessa in Napa Valley (zero shoulders, but consistently 10 or 11 foot lanes). My Sierra pickup, 5.3L V-8, would pull the Mac up there with just a bit of sweat. Monday's downhill run was the frontside route (CA-18 / CA-30) into San Bernardino. About the same 40 miles long, but all of it a very curvy road, albeit with generally longer-radiused curves. Both routes have a short stretch of very tight switchbacks near their summits.
In a towing overview, starting from my son's location, south along the Corona freeway:
About Holloway's campground, a bit pricey at $45 per night, but clean and well maintained. I rented one of their pontoon boats for a half-day (~$50/hour) and we saw the whole lake. Fish were feeding at the surface from 5 to 7 pm, almost jumping into the boat. Unfortunately, my grandson's lures were completely unappetizing ($20 for a 2-day fishing license).
About Big Bear Lake ... it's an absolutely beautiful place and I think the lake is amply sized to be fun for a week. We had ~90 degrees and 10+ knot winds for our 2 days and it's definitely big enough to fall asleep during a single tack ... though only sailboats we saw were under 20 footers, or Hobies. The surrounding peaks aren't as high above lake level as Tahoe ... can't really judge how they were affecting the wind. Based on last weekend's experience with lake full to the brim, I would not hesitate to tow my 26X up there to spend a few days sailing & gunking about.
This trip was a total of 1,600+ miles on the pickup, averaging 16 mpg, $300 in gasoline, or maybe $500 if Macgregor had been in-tow ... Say hello to the new millenium ... Thanks again, for all the advice~!
On Friday I drove south thru the CA central valley, then up to the Mojave high desert, thru Boron, south to Apple Valley, and finally that evening, over the backside route into Big Bear Lake, ~ 450 miles. The climb from Apple Valley was ~4,000 feet over ~40 miles but mostly a straight run with just a short distance in tight curves or switchbacks (as Capt Steve reported). While much higher in elevation, it offers a route no worse than towing to Lake Berryessa in Napa Valley (zero shoulders, but consistently 10 or 11 foot lanes). My Sierra pickup, 5.3L V-8, would pull the Mac up there with just a bit of sweat. Monday's downhill run was the frontside route (CA-18 / CA-30) into San Bernardino. About the same 40 miles long, but all of it a very curvy road, albeit with generally longer-radiused curves. Both routes have a short stretch of very tight switchbacks near their summits.
In a towing overview, starting from my son's location, south along the Corona freeway:
- - would it be tough to exchange the direct 40 miles of frontside curves up to 8.000 ft summit
(8,000 ft in just 40 miles);
..... for the alternative .....
- adding an extra 45 miles of a straight freeway climb, 4,000 feet into Apple Valley,
plus the remaining 40 miles of fairly straight climb over the backside summit
About Holloway's campground, a bit pricey at $45 per night, but clean and well maintained. I rented one of their pontoon boats for a half-day (~$50/hour) and we saw the whole lake. Fish were feeding at the surface from 5 to 7 pm, almost jumping into the boat. Unfortunately, my grandson's lures were completely unappetizing ($20 for a 2-day fishing license).
About Big Bear Lake ... it's an absolutely beautiful place and I think the lake is amply sized to be fun for a week. We had ~90 degrees and 10+ knot winds for our 2 days and it's definitely big enough to fall asleep during a single tack ... though only sailboats we saw were under 20 footers, or Hobies. The surrounding peaks aren't as high above lake level as Tahoe ... can't really judge how they were affecting the wind. Based on last weekend's experience with lake full to the brim, I would not hesitate to tow my 26X up there to spend a few days sailing & gunking about.
This trip was a total of 1,600+ miles on the pickup, averaging 16 mpg, $300 in gasoline, or maybe $500 if Macgregor had been in-tow ... Say hello to the new millenium ... Thanks again, for all the advice~!