SAUGUS CROSS COUNTRY: Big Bear, behind the scenes -- the skinny on "Fawnskin"

Nothing like getting up at 5:30 a.m. on a Sunday to go for a run. Or, in this reporter's case, getting up to watch people go run.
And then Saugus cross country coach Rene Paragas used the "F" word.
No, not that "F" word, come on, he's a mentor of student-athletes.
For the Centurions, the "F" word Sunday was "Fawnskin," not only a cozy little town adjacent to Big Bear Lake, but for many Saugus runners, their least favorite run of the year, even surpassing the daunting challenge of the "Beast" at Whitney Canyon Park in Santa Clarita.
"Fawnskin" is a seemingly endless trail that starts on Rim of the World Drive -- appropriately named, even though it's not in Lake Arrowhead -- and morphs into a dirt path filled with uneven terrain. It takes the athletes past YMCA Camp Whittle as well as Hanna Flats at the San Bernardino National Forest campground. Eventually the road comes to an end for vehicles, but obviously not for the runners, who navigated the trail going out for anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes -- roughly five to seven miles -- depending on their group.
Unlike the "Beast" -- a 5-mile, predominantly uphill trek that winds through the Western San Gabriel mountains -- "Fawnskin" is more of a rolling course, complete with its share of uphills and downhills. The least favorite aspect of the course for the Saugus runners is whatever they covered going out, they have to turn and cover it again coming back.
Female alumni Shannon Murakami and Brianna Jauregui were presented with the challenge of running with the varsity boys' group, which departed first shortly after 6:30 a.m., along with former Burbank High and Glendale College standout Jeff Nelson.
Then, Paragas, the varsity girls -- including recent graduate Anne Randall -- and the JV and frosh/soph boys took their group out shortly thereafter.
Kathryn Nelson and Jenny Ridnor accompanied the JV and frosh/soph girls out. Even some of the Saugus parents were brave enough to take on the "Fawnskin" challenge.
And for those Saugus runners who are lucky enough to stay until Friday in Big Bear Lake, they get to run "Fawnskin" one more time this week before they return to the Santa Clarita Valley.
This reporter can already tell coach Paragas and the Centurions mean business on this trip.
Will check back in a little while with the "Fawnskin" aftermath.