To celebrate Father's Day I decided to take a little trip through memory lane back to 2012 when our family spent the day hiking around the eastern rim of Silverwood Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains near our home in Victorville, California.
Our family has enjoyed hiking around Silverwood Lake for years so spending the day out in nature was something I knew that would be fun for everyone. The event, however, has been referred to ever since as The Hulsey Family Death March.
Let me explain.
On this day I decided to be a good father and let my teenage son lead our expedition. In retrospect this was a really poor decision on my part. I have to express just how proud I am of son. He's a brilliant man who has the technical know-how to be able to work on aircraft. What he doesn't have is any experience traversing woods and mountains and he has no natural sense of direction.
I bet you can guess what happens next.
To make a long story short my son lead all of us a misguided trek through wooded areas that no human being had probably ever been through. Why he chose to go off into the woods instead of keeping to any of the numerous hiking trails in the area is something that only he knows.
We got lost, he got heat stroke and I was so dehydrated when we finally found our way out of the woods that I chugged half a boiling Diet Coke that got left behind in the car.
Ultimately I can't blame the boy. I should have spent more time with him teaching him about nature instead of letting him play video games for hours. My attempt to let him get a life experience by figuring it out on his own probably taught me more about survival then it did him.
Of course my wife and I were dumb enough to follow him.
Now this probably seems like a strange way to start off an article on just how amazing Silverwood Lake really is.
You almost died there but you want me to go there?
I shared my story as a way to reminisce about a good Father's Day memory. You have to understand that before my son went all Mr. Magoo meets Daniel Boone our family was having great time. Like I mentioned in the intro to this piece our family had been enjoying the area for years. Silverwood Lake is a great place for hikes (if you stay on the trails), fishing, boating and camping. Despite being so close to the sprawling urban squall of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange County the area never gets as crowded as nearby Big Bear Lake gets on the weekends. It's remote enough that you can spend a day there in solitude if you so desire.
Silverwood Lake is a large reservoir in San Bernardino County, California, United States, located on the West Fork Mojave River, a tributary of the Mojave River in the San Bernardino Mountains. It was created in 1971 as part of the State Water Project by the construction of the Cedar Springs Dam as a forebay on the 444 mi (715 km) long California Aqueduct (consequently inundating the former town of Cedar Springs), and has a capacity of 73,000 acre⋅ft (90,000,000 m3).
Fishing is excellent at Silverwood Lake. Anglers 16 years of age or older must purchase a California Department of Fish & Game fishing license.
Regular trout plants take place throughout the year by the California Department of Fish and Game. Other species of fish include Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, Crappie, Bluegill and Channel Catfish which bite throughout the year. You can call the marina for the most recent fish report. You may also call (562) 594-7268 for pre-recorded trout plant information.
Fishing is permitted only during the posted park operating hours. Fishing is allowed off the dock! For fishing regulations, visit the California Department of Fish and Game.
For your convenience there is a marina which will provide you with grocery items, ice, hot and cold drinks, snacks, toys, swimming apparel, camping goods, and firewood. In addition, the marina provides California Department of Fish & Game fishing licenses, bait and tackle, a boat rental fleet of motorboats, wet slips, and dry storage spaces for the monthly or nightly visitor. Any size boat may be launched at the paved boat ramp, which offers 7 lanes for your use. The maximum lake speed limit is 35 mph.
The park features 2 swimming beaches, 4 picnic areas, 3 of which can only be reached by boat, nearly 100 miles of paved and/or unpaved trails, 6 miles which are along the southern end of the lake, or you can sit and watch the wildlife that Silverwood Lake attracts, such as waterfowl, raptors, songbirds and the occasional Canadian Geese or Bald Eagle.
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