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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | SEPTEMBER 2016 53 A hardy party of Hearty Hikers launched the inaugural trek of the rejuvenated Four Seasons hiking club on Aug. 10 along the Ernie Maxwell Trail in the San Jacinto Mountains. The small band of eight eager enlistees found the perfect day to enjoy the cool air above Idyllwild for their summer stroll. The twisting trail takes off above a dirt road that doubles as a narrow parking lot and then snakes in and out of the folds of the mountain. Along the path are gigantic globs of granite lifted from the ocean floor eons ago by tectonic collisions. Although the tall tress of pine and oak are picturesque in their own right, it is these bountiful boulders that attract most of the hiker's attention. The route starts at 6,400 feet above sea level and is purportedly 5 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 400 feet. Due to the ups and downs along the trail, the true elevation gain is 750 feet and tired, aching legs are a testimony to that. The single file climb has numerous small outcroppings and roots to awaken drowsy walkers as well as unsuspecting spots of soft or loose soil to test one's balance. But overall, the hike is relatively easy especially with a walking stick or sticks. Previous inventories by students of botany have documented the flora along the trail. These include cone- bearing trees: ponderosa pines, white fir, sugar pines, Coulter pines and Little Princess Pines. Three varieties of oak flourish: California black, canyon live and interior live. Some of the wildflowers were still in bloom even as late as August. Thimbleberry, dead mountain whitethorn and California aster are prevalent. The trail tops out at the parking lot for Humbar Park. The real, most memorable part of the hike is the massive rock formations that try unsuccessfully to hide behind the forest foliage. The most spectacular are Devil's Rock and Tahquitz Rock, although a small waterfall over a dead log did capture our attention. The sojourn in the San Jacinto Mountains ended with lunch at the famous Gastrognome Restaurant in Idyllwild. To find out where we are hiking in 2016 call or email Lynette Simonson, Hike Central, at (951) 377-0392 lynette. simonson@gmail.com. ~ Len Tavernetti TAKE A HIKE CLUB The hiking club enjoyed the cool Idyllwild climate