I recently traveled to Big Bear Lake, California for the inaugural Big Bear Peaks + Pines three-day stage race hosted by TransRockies Running. This was my third TransRockies event in 12 months (see also Colorado + Moab) and I’m here to tell you that they can do no wrong when it comes to race organization and bringing all the fun and supportive vibes. I ran just over 48 miles in three days and it was epic!!! 10/10 recommend stage trail racing!

Big Bear Peaks + Pines was offered as a three-day stage in both full and half “pint” distances or as single day events. Here’s how it broke down:

• Friday “The Vert Stage” – full pint 5.5m with 1,378f gain, half pint 3.0m with 1,333f gain
• Saturday “The Sky(line)’s the Limit – full pint 32.4m with 4,642f gain, half pint 15.5m with 2,239f gain
• Sunday “Maple Hills and Pancakes” – full pint 9.1m with 1,020f gain, half pint 5.5m with 560f gain

Saturday’s 50k was the 30th Annual Holcomb Valley Trail Run which will now be a part of the TransRockies Big Bear Peaks + Pines race.

Let’s relive the weekend!

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN + TRAVEL TO BIG BEAR 

I committed to this race six days before it started. I absolutely did NOT have Big Bear on my race calendar for the year but the stars aligned for me to make it a last-minute birthday gift to myself/training weekend for the Golden Ultra in September.

I took a late flight to Ontario, California which is a much easier airport to fly in and out of than LAX when traveling to the Big Bear area. My 8:30p flight allowed me plenty of time to pack during the day and I was even able to sneak away to the pool with Finn for a couple of hours as it was the first official day of school being out for the summer and we had to celebrate!

My flight boarded and departed on time and thanks to miles I was able to upgrade to first class where I was served surprisingly tasty dinner and did some snoozing. A little over four hours later, we were landing in Ontario.

I picked up my rental car and hit the road for Big Bear around 11;15p. It was about a 90 minute drive and the roads were so dark and windy. Never have I ever felt carsick when I’ve been the one driving but I was not feeling good on this one. There were also so many animals in the road and I had to stay on the highest alert. It was a stressful drive but I arrived at my Airbnb at 12:45a.

This is a good time to note that most of the accommodations in Big Bear are cabin/home rentals and options are abundant. There are very few traditional hotels.

MY FIRST MORNING IN BIG BEAR 

Sleep was horrendous on Thursday night. By the time I showered and went to bed, it was 1:30a which was 4:30a on my body clock. I woke up at 6a local time and laid there until I fell back asleep for an hour. I finally called it at 7:15a and got up, dressed and out in search of coffee and food. I ended up at Moonridge Coffee Company and it was absolutely perfect! So cute, warm and friendly service and delicious food and coffee. I sat outside for about an hour enjoying coffee and breakfast which was a croissant with eggs, cheese, bacon, tomato, arugula and mayo.

I swung by the grocery on the way back to my Airbnb for a few things for the weekend.

QUICK AIRBNB TOUR 

My Airbnb more than served my needs for the weekend but I would not stay there again. I didn’t love the location as it was Big Bear City rather than Big Bear Village. Now that I’ve been to Big Bear Lake, I’d choose something closer to the village or in Moonridge. Also, a lot of the cabins in Big Bear do not have AC (including this one) and I’d look really hard to find one if I was doing this race again. It was tough to spend the whole day in the hot sun racing and come back to a hot, hot cabin. I was able to cool it down at night using open windows and box fans.

One more thing, it was dog friendly which is awesome for those traveling but the couches were definitely a little “doggy” with some stains and hair. I know from being a dog owner how impossible it is to fully clean couches of hair.

What it did deliver on was a comfy bed, a lot of space, a nice hot tub and a generally updated feel!

STAGE 1 – THE VERT (AKA – RUN STRAIGHT UP THAT SKI HILL)

Packet pick up was in Big Bear Village between 10a-noon and stage one started at 1p at Big Bear Mountain Resort. I appreciated the later start so that I could fly in late and get settled and do packet pickup.

The distance was short for stage one but it made up for it in vertical challenge. The first 1.25 miles were straight up a ski hill and in direct sun. It was over 80 degrees and the UV index was high! I was grateful that the humidity was very low.

There were no switch backs and there was really no trail…just good luck and get yourself to the top. It was so steep that at moments I felt like I was going backwards instead up forwards. My first two miles clocked in at 25 minutes each. It was slow going! We climbed up to 8,502 feet where the first and only aid station for the day was waiting.

I picked up the pace for the final three miles – 9:45, 11:25, 13:28 – and brought it in with a finish time of 1:31:29.

I hung out at the finish line for a while and then popped by my Airbnb to shower and change before heading to “Chillville” in Big Bear Lake Village. This is the area TRR always sets up for runners to hang out. We had the day’s awards ceremony and I made friends with a big group of runners from San Diego.

They invited me to sit with them and then to join them for dinner. Way outside of my comfort zone as an introvert but so glad I said yes! We went to Fire Rock Burgers + Brews where I had a burger and a salad. I swung by the grocery again on the way home for coffee and ice cream. This new Ben & Jerry’s flavor is good!

Back at the Airbnb, I sat outside for a bit and then got my gear organized for the following day’s 50k. I was in bed by 9:15p and soon thereafter.

STAGE 2 – THE 50K!!! 

My alarm went off at 5a on Saturday to get ready for our 6:30a start. I showered, made coffee, got dressed and ate a breakfast of a bagel and some fruit. I drank my carb/electrolyte drink on the drive to the start. Left my Airbnb at 6:10, lined up at 6:20 and we were off at 6:30a sharp for my first ever 50k race distance!

I have done the 50k distance twice with my friends on the Appalachian Trail (here and here). I’ve also done multi-day, long distance training weekends as well as the 2025 TransRockies Run where we covered 120 miles over the course of six consecutive days. So I’ve experienced this kind of time on my feet and knew what to expect. I could have easily dropped to the half pint distance of 15.5 miles on Saturday and had a very different day out there but I really wanted to push for the full 50k as training for my 60k in September. I knew I wouldn’t get another chance this summer to do a fully supported race with this kind of climb and elevation.

I went into it with the goal of getting time on my feet…and I certainly met that goal!

The first couple of miles were pretty tame and a climb up fire roads with pretty views of Big Bear Lake.

First aid station came at 6.2 miles. I saw my new San Diego running friend AJ, ate a little and took some salt chews. My body was feeling good with one big exception…I had woken up at 2a with terrible cramps and started my cycle. So a lot of time Saturday was spent dealing with stomach issues and the management of changing tampons on the trail. I am extremely fortunate to have a pretty iron clad stomach at this point in my running career – but all bets are off on day one of my cycle. Even if I’m not trying to run, my stomach is a mess. It presented quite the challenge throughout the day.

Mile 1 – 14:21, 2- 16:09, 3- 12:42, 4- 12:19, 5- 10:45, 6- 14:05, 7- 21:57 (first tampon/bathroom stop)

I typically take ibuprofen to help with my cramps on day one but I didn’t want to take much more than the dose I took at 2a because it’s really rough on your stomach when running long distances (like in a bad way for your health). I couldn’t run as much as I’d hoped because my stomach was cramping and it would cause me to have to an upset stomach. Lastly, I usually have no problem eating at aid stations but by the second aid station at mile 14, chewing and swallowing things that are usually no problem (banana, peanut butter and jelly, etc) was making me gag. I finally found that I could tolerate gels, watermelon and Coca-Cola. I also drank a ton of water (I think five liters throughout the day) and took five servings of salt chews. Despite all of this, I know I was underfueled and that did me no favors at all…especially in the latter miles.

I hit aid station two at 14 and a half miles and snapped a selfie with Florida Joe. The volunteers manning the aid stations were rock stars. They were so accommodating of our needs and offering things to help us cool down like ice or water over the head. Again, it was over 80 degrees and a cloudless sky. Not bad in the shade of the forest but brutal when you were exposed (which we were for long stretches).

I kept pushing on despite my stomach giving me trouble and didn’t really start suffering until about mile 20 (which is probably when the heat + insufficient fueling caught up with me).

Mile 8- 15:48, 9- 17:27, 10- 12:53, 11- 17:11, 12- 16:32, 13- 15:48, 14-16:48, 15- 21:09 (second tampon/bathroom stop), 16-20:22, 17-17:11, 18-17:45, 19-26:54 (yet another urgent bathroom stop)

I definitely hit the proverbial wall around mile 21-22 at the fourth aid station. I rolled in there and they were calling to me, “what do you need.” I just responded, “I don’t know.” What I needed was a ride back to the finish line haha but that was not going to happen. I didn’t care how long it took me as long as I finished within the cutoff and didn’t DNF. I drank a few glasses of coke and as much watermelon as I could and reapplied sunscreen. At this point it felt like I was exfoliating myself because I was so salty and sweaty. I knew I had to get out of there ASAP and keep moving.

Honestly miles 21-26 were darkest for me. The rest of the race was either enjoyable or tolerable suffering. We had thinned out enough at this point that I was fully by myself between aid stations. I was lucky if I saw one other runner. There are times when I really don’t mind this solitude but on this day I just felt so behind. I was fully exposed and hot for most of these miles and we had a a little climbing to do. At mile 26 I hit the top of Snow Summit and got to cruise down the slopes to aid station five. I saw my friend AJ again at aid 5 and joked I was bringing up the rear. At this point we had to do a big out and back loop that felt both cruel and like a relief. Cruel because I was ready to be done and passing people who were a mile or two ahead of me coming the other direction and like a relief because it was a flat dirt road with just a small loop of trail so it felt doable to sustain a decent pace.

We hit our turnaround point around mile 31 at the “Hollow Healing Tree” and it brought me to tears (it’s very easy to cry during long endurance events.) It’s a tree that was hollowed out due to a lightening strike and now people bring rocks to lay there in memory of loved ones. Some have messages written on them and some are painted.

Mile 20- 16:09, 21-18:27, 22-18:32, 23- 22:41 (final tampon/bathroom stop), 24- 18:51, 25- 18:15, 26- 20:20, 27-24:31 (way too long of an aid stop but needed to eat/drink as much as possible), 28- 28:17, 29- 17:44, 30- 18:30

I passed by AJ’s aid station one more time at mile 31 and then it was off to the finish! 2.5 miles never felt so long but FINALLY the trail dumped me out into a neighborhood street and I turned the corner to find the finish line in sight. I used the last remaining energy that I had to run it in and had a giant smile on my face as the race director and a group of others made a tunnel of support for me to run through as I entered the finishing chute. DONE felt SO GOOD!

Mile 31- 16:24, 32- 21.31, 33- 18:43, final .37- 5:37

FINAL STATS 

• Average pace – 17:46 (moving time 16:06)
• Total time – 9:52 (course had an 11 hour cut-off so glad not to be swept!)
• Run time 2:16, walk time 6:51, idle time 45 minutes
• Total ascent -5,240 feet
• Minimum elevation – 6,775 feet, maximum elevation 8,197 feet

I honestly didn’t feel too trashed after crossing the finish. I was able to chat with a few people and grab a sparking water and a cheese quesadilla. I sat down for a few minutes but it felt better to be moving so I got up and wandered around. I ended up finding my San Diego crew and sat with them for the awards ceremony.

I desperately wanted to go back to my Airbnb and shower but I knew if I did, I’d have a hard time getting back out for food so I settled on changing clothes in my car and walking into the village with my friends to eat at 527 Social Kitchen. You’d think one would be voraciously hungry after 33.3 miles and almost 10 hours on your feet but I struggled mightily to get half of a salad and a basket of fries down. You’d also think one would want to be still after a race like that but I’ve learned the more I walk and move around, the better my recovery.

I walked back to my car and headed back to my Airbnb for the night. I showered and then sat in the hot tub for about 45 minutes. I showered again and got my PJs on and ate ice cream in bed while watching the first two episodes of Off Campus. One of my clients told me it was binge-worthy and it sure was!

STAGE 3 – AN ENJOYABLE TRAIL RUN 

By some miracle, I slept really well on Saturday night. Typically after a long endurance effort like that, sleep is not great. We had a later 8a start on Sunday and the start line at Big Bear High School was less than a mile from my place. I rolled up all smiles and ready for day three!

My body felt great all things considered. The course was super runnable and 100% single track. It was nowhere near as scenic as the previous two days but a welcome change to have a flowy morning of running.

Mile 1- 9:56, 2- 11:14, 3- 14:39, 4- 13:23, 5- 12:18, 6- 11:06, 7- 12:04, 8- 14:21, 9- 12:07, last .58- 8:36

I crossed the finish line just shy of two hours with an overall pace of 12:31. It was another hot morning and my shirt was completely soaked. In the second photo, I am holding a rock/gem that Finn gave me for my birthday. I carried it with me in my shorts for the entire weekend. In the third photo, I am with race director Houda who is just the nicest human. I am so grateful for how he pours his heart into these events to create amazing experiences of connection and challenge for the trail running community.

BIG BEAR PEAKS + PINES FINISHER! 

BIG BEAR PEAKS + PINES – DONE!!!!!!

• Total Time: 13:24:20
• Total Distance: 48.6 miles
• Total Vert: 8,183 feet

I’m so proud of the endurance that I’ve built for these multi-day efforts over the last year! I have a lot of room for improvement when it comes to my climbing engine and being able to run more on the long/hard days but I have to give myself credit for how far I’ve come!

THE REST OF THE DAY IN BIG BEAR LAKE

After saying goodbye and see ya again soon to Houda and the new friends I’d made over the weekend, I got showered at my Airbnb and headed into Big Bear Village to do some exploring and eat lunch.

To be honest, I felt super nauseated and knew my electrolytes were probably off. I stopped at a convenience store and bought a big bottle of water and added a packet of LMNT to it. I tried to get it down as quickly as possible and felt like a new person after hydration + food.

Big Bear Village is quaint and has some cute restaurants and shops.

LUNCH AT TROPICALI 

After some Reddit research, I ended up at Tropicali for lunch. I nearly turned around and left when I saw the giant megalodon you walk through to enter but I trusted the overwhelming number of enthusiastically positive reviews. The inside was FULL Tiki theme – not just the decor but the service as well. It was giving major tourist trap vibes but I leaned into the fun and ended up having an awesome experience.

The work they put into designing this place was so impressive. And the food was good too! They are known for their poke bowls so a poke bowl I had! It was layered with warm rice, cucumber, sesame seeds, cilantro, a couple of yummy sauces and a generous amount of fresh tuna.

I ate outside on the patio with a sweeping view of Big Bear Lake. I’d definitely recommend Tropicali if you find yourself in Big Bear.

THE JOURNEY HOME 

(obsessed with these joggers and you must have these recovery slides)

Perhaps the hardest part of the whole weekend was my trip home. I took a red eye and holy moly. It destroyed me! I left my Airbnb around 5:30p and had a 90 minute drive back to Ontario. It was much more enjoyable in the daylight! I turned in my rental car and had about two hours until my flight. I ate a regrettable dinner of Subway (was not good) and then boarded around 9:20p. We took off at 10p (which was 1a east coast) and the flight was only 3:45 so there really wasn’t even time to get a decent amount of rest. I had a neck pillow, travel blanket and ear plugs and tried so hard to sleep but felt like I was just closing my eyes and tossing and turning the whole time. My Oura ring did tell me I slept some so that was a win.

We landed in Charlotte at 4:45a and I was home with Benji boy at 6a. I immediately laid down and slept for another 1:15 and then it was time for a teaching marathon. I taught five classes on Monday and sheer adrenaline got me through!

It was all worth it for a weekend on the trails with my favorite race organization. THANK YOU HOUDA AND TRANSROCKIES RUNNING!

Next stop…THE GOLDEN ULTRA! Let’s GOOOOO!!!!!