That One Time I Hiked Through a Swamp

Today I went for a hike in a swamp. I did not mean to spend my morning digging my fishermen shoes out of a foots worth of mud and chasing the dogs through the swamps of Big Bear buts sometimes the best laid plans go all funky on you.

Grout Bay used to be one of the prettiest little bays in Big Bear. It sits on the North Shore of Big Bear like, near the little village of Fawnskin. Locals know Grout Bay as the area that’s closed most of the year as our local bald eagles nest in the big trees here. There used to be a nice little swimming hole in Grout Bay before the drought and the whole area dried up and turned it into a beautiful muddy swamp.

 I say it is beautiful because before my Sketchers Fisherman shoes sank a foot into deep sticky mud and I had to rip them out with my bare hands, I was admiring wild purple orchids growing along the shore lines.

Than I took one step off the trail in the direction of the lake shore and sank into the stickiness almost up to my knees.

I originally planned on taking the doggies on an actual hike this morning but I smacked my ankle so bad at Crab Creek over the weekend that I originally wondered if I might have broken it. It felt better the last few days as we spent the weekend boating and fishing and enjoying thunderstorms, the company of good friends and way to many cocktails.

Have you ever hiked in quicksand? It might be a great work out for the calves but I would highly not recommend it especially after losing both shoes to the quicksand and worrying I would have to rescue the dogs.