Quick Summary
Amanda Bryan turns a spur-of-the-moment plan into a spontaneous overnight backpacking trip to Big Bear Lake in the Trinity Alps with a friend of ten years, celebrating their decade-long friendship with a steep climb, a glacial swim, and wine under the stars. Leaning into the "KISS principle" (keep it simple) as its throughline — Amanda shows that meaningful adventures don't require elaborate planning, just the willingness to say yes. The real barrier to adventure is overthinking, not ability.
Words and Photos by Amanda Bryan @amandakbryan
Aw, the KISS principle. If you don’t know, it stands for “Keep it simple, silly.” A phrase I often say out loud to myself when I find myself bogged down by the logistics of life.
Enter a simple overnight with a longtime friend in the Trinity Alps of Northern California. I shot a text to a friend in Ashland, OR declaring my presence in a deeply woo-woo place: Shasta. Now is a great time to pause and introduce you to the lore of the Lemurians. These 7 ft tall creatures supposedly live under the mountain in intricate tunnels made of crystals and lined with fur. The cherry on top? They communicate via crystals. You can purchase seed crystals from one of the 14 rock shops in the little town of Shasta to hopefully communicate with a Lemurian. Excellent stuff and a reason to visit Mt. Shasta–besides the mountain’s stunning beauty.
Ok, back to this overnight. I dropped a pin to my friend at a grand alpine lake and said, “Find me here.” It's the proper way to meet with friends, honestly. Hours later, plus a SUP (stand-up paddle) mission, we were enjoying ourselves in the sun and quickly catching up. During this yap session, we learned that this year we'd been friends for a decade. We realized we'd spent ten years cheering each other on through career changes, heartbreaks, moves, big dreams, and bad ideas. Obviously, we needed to celebrate the milestone!
While floating around this lake, I asked, “Wanna go backpacking to celebrate?” Her response: “Obviously yes, but when?” With a casual shrug, I responded, “Tomorrow?” Take a guess what she said!
We fired up the various map apps and started zooming in on the area. Our requirements were simple: get above the treeline, find a lake we could swim in, and slowly sip good wine while the stars took over the sky. We landed on Big Bear Lake, which, according to AllTrails, is a “granite-rimmed paradise in the Trinity Alps Wilderness," which got a hell yes from us.
The following morning, we quickly selected our supplies from the local food cooperative and hit the road. About 1½ hours and some sketchy roads later, we parked at the trailhead at 2 pm. This duo rarely makes an alpine start happen no matter how much we hope and dream. Once packs were slung onto our backs, we began the 3,500-foot climb over 5.2 miles. Said climb starts right away, which was brutal, but we were blessed with tree cover for most of the hike.
Granite paradise is an understatement. You start to see sneaky peeks of the Bear Lakes Basin slabs through a mix of oak, pine, and cedar. This basin is a desirable destination in the easternmost part of the Trinity Alps due to towering white cliffs and striking blue lakes. Bear Lakes Basin holds the waters of Big Bear Lake, Little Bear Lake, and Wee Bear Lake. The waters from these three lakes eventually make their way to the Trinity River.
As we climbed, we left the big trees behind for thick willows and a steep grade. We put our heads down and entered that non-verbal stage of hiking. That silence disappeared as we pushed through the thick brush and were greeted by a huge, slick piece of granite with Bear Creek gently cascading down its face. I looked over my shoulder at my friend, but all I saw was a huge grin.
The two of us, plus my trusty companion Sage, could see the lake rim above us. With warm temps and the sounds of water rushing by, it took all we had not to sprint up the mountain to the water’s edge. When we made it over the rim and first looked at the lake, we both audibly gasped and allowed ourselves to be awe-struck by the pure calm and perfection of the lake.
I turned to my friend and said, “We’re good at this,” with a wild look in my eye.
Her response: “We sure are.”
Laughter followed as we found our spot for the night. Clothes no longer needed, as we had the place to ourselves, we plunged into the glacial waters and allowed ourselves to soak in the glory provided by the Trinity Alps and a 10-year friendship.
Night eased its way in, as if apologizing for the interruption. Our wine and backpacker meals felt like a Michelin-star experience. I brought a separate sleeping bag for Sage, and he happily snoozed while we reminisced about the memories we've made together and shared our hopes for the adventures still waiting to be discovered.
The older I get, the more I realize the barrier isn't usually ability. It's overthinking.
What I really meant when I said “We’re good at this” wasn't that we were good at hiking. We were good at saying yes. Good at making time for adventure. Good at choosing experiences over excuses.
This wasn't a week-long expedition. It wasn't a carefully orchestrated trip months in the making. It was less than 24 hours. The point isn't where you go. The point is remembering that adventure doesn't have to be complicated to be worthwhile.
So, remember to implement the KISS principle the next time something feels overwhelming. It’s really that simple.
