Image Up Advertising & Design

FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | OCTOBER 2016 57 Outside our gated community is a wonderland of nature in southern California. New members of our community who enjoy exploring this drought-surviving landscape often join the Take a Hike Club. Such was the case on a warm August morning when three new residents employed their younger legs for the hike at Loch Levin. At the base of the San Gorgonio Mountains north of Highway 38 and a dozen miles past the Ranger Station, Old Highway 38 once took a different course from its present route. The pre-war one or two-lane paved road wound up the mountain toward Big Bear Lake. During World War II the national forests were closed due to security concerns and lack of manpower, so the houses and cabins were very isolated. Today their stone shells, less wooden roofs, are hidden along the decaying road but invite speculation from hikers and bikers about a lifestyle long gone. The road-trail widens and narrows and at times skirts locked gates that deter only large vehicles. Rock slides, critter deposits and expired plant life populate the pathway, demanding vigilance from trespassers. Our hike in August took advantage of cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 80s. Still, all breaks were in the shady canyon switchbacks with the sounds of bubbling creeks promising cool waters. Conversation is an integral component of Take a Hikers' ritual. With new members along, where, when and how long questions dominated the banter. Some of us are starting to feel like the elders we are — a rather discomforting awakening. Yet, it is still great to have interested audiences accepting that we have useful information to pass on. Our primary ritual-lunch; sent our group to neighboring restaurants in Yucaipa. One featured Vietnamese cuisine and the other to all American Mexican food. We departed satisfied and bearing Styrofoam gifts for evening repasts. 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 New members Laurie Wolfensen, Linda Ruoff and Suzie Jennings prepare for inspection

• Cover