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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | AUGUST 2019 35 COMPUTER & TECHNOLOGY CLASS On a perfect Southern California morning, our intrepid group of hikers set off from Four Seasons to hike The Forest Falls/Bearpaw Reserve off Highway 38, much of which is a privately-owned nature conservancy as opposed to state or federally protected land. The drive is quick, and to make this a linear hike, one vehicle was parked at the Bearpaw end of the hike and the whole group then continued to the Forest Falls Trail Head. The hike was in almost-continuous shade provided by the magnificent variety of trees along the trail, and as the man said, shade is the hiker's friend. The trail was in good shape and climbed steadily but not too steeply. Under foot were many dried leaves which made that distinctive swish swish sound. As one traversed the gentle uphill climb, the views of the valley and various mountains were breathtaking. It is hard to believe such stunning landscape is at our doorstep. It's like the Swiss Alps are 30 minutes away, and no airport hassle needed. Although the rangers had said all the trail was open and passable, we did encounter a couple of sections where erosion caused our group to employ a team effort to negotiate. We succeeded and enjoyed that satisfying feeling of teamwork overcoming a small but interesting challenge. Although I am not a bird person, others in the group are and pointed out several interesting and beautiful birds that call this area home. Along the first part of the trail, the remnants of an old aqueduct were seen, and made one think of the effort it took to build it all those years ago and in such rugged terrain. At a fork in the trail, one could hike down to the Bearpaw parking lot and restrooms or take a short climb to the seasonal falls. Several of the group decided to hike to the falls, while three of us continued to the Bearpaw camp parking lot, taking the one pre-deposited car and returning with the two other cars. The Falls group, upon arrival at the parking lot, said, "Maybe it's better to see the falls after some rain!" Seems it was just a trickle! We voted for lunch at George's, the German Deli in Calimesa. It was another great hike. Thank you to George for your leadership and research. Info., Lynette Simonson (951) 377 0392 and lynette. simonson@gmail.com. ~ David Kershaw P.S. A small rattlesnake was encountered halfway through the hike sunning itself on the trail. Fortunately, it was very shy and declined to be photographed and slithered off into the brush. TAKE A HIKE CLUB At our July meeting, we enjoyed a presentation by Ron Brown of the Silvercom Computer & Technology Club. Ron gave an informative and insightful overview of Google Photo. He showed us how to utilize this helpful bit of technology; i.e., how to organize, store, and search through our personal photos with ease. Now, we "students" can readily flip through stored snapshots with our friends, as we share our experiences and other pleasant memories with them. Our class meets on the second Tuesday of each month, at 10:30 am in the RCN. Class topics vary. Please join us! Contact Larry Workman at larry.workman@gmail.com or just come to our meetings. ~ Larry Workman Susan Jennings

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