Western Center to Diamond Valley Lake. I had no idea how this would be—I used to go fishing at the lake when my fishing-crazy brother, Lewis, lived in town. I recalled nothing but a long, curvy rise from the Western Center up to the lake. The prospect of a workout and the view ought to be rewarding. I did once circle the entire lake on an earlier occasion—again, with John Carter—which took us hours to do some twenty-one miles or so. Spring would be best for this as wildflowers and birdlife are in profusion. Somehow, I talked another bicycling enthusiast, Brian Bailey, into a lake circuit.

We scheduled our ride on the day before Thanksgiving. It was perfect weather for bicycling and got no warmer than seventy degrees. Once, along the East Dam, I noticed a large bird of prey perched on a pole on my right. As I approached and examined it closely, I think that it was an osprey, curved beak, white and black striated tail feathers. It cried five times, then flew away, a bluegill clearly in its talons.

I was able to keep up with Brian by encouraging him to talk, which he did at length and for nearly two hours. The fact of the matter is that in order to do so, he necessarily slowed down. So, I could eventually pedal in at the end with head held high. In fact, I zoomed down the hill toward the Western Center, near where we had parked, in the lead. By Brian’s calculations, it took us less than two hours to cover the twenty-one odd miles—no more than 1:59:00, in fact. It depends upon you include the ride up from the parking lot at the Western Center. If not, then it was a 1:45:00 ride. One highlight was when we saw a hawk alight upon our arrival around a curve. We both stopped talking and examined it as it flew away. “Black shouldered hawk!” Brian exclaimed. I had never heard of one. I thought that red-tailed hawks were all that we had in the valley.

Although it is true that my legs were sore at the end, I suffered no ill effects from the ride, nor did my bike when I woke up on Thanksgiving Day. In fact, I did better as a sixty year old man than I had when I was in my thirties, which was the last time I had done it with John Carter.

Other possibilities: descent from Idyllwild. This is not for the faint of heart! My friend John Carter and I did it many years ago by driving up the hill with our bikes in the back of the truck. His wife Sue was in Idyllwild and had agreed to drive the truck back. Although it was a warm (ninety degrees) day, we didn’t mind, as the wind of our descent down the 74 Highway continually refreshed us. If I recall correctly, it was about forty-five minutes in total from the outskirts of the town to the outskirts of Hemet. Like some more experienced bicyclists that I had seen before, John’s helmet had a little, rear-view mirror affixed with which presumably he could view cars as they approached behind him. I prefer not to see cars that are about to mow me down. As it happened, however, we both made it safely down.

For the REALLY determined bicycle enthusiast, I recall that a man used to bicycle up Lamb Canyon to Beaumont—then down on a regular basis. I don’t hear of him doing so anymore, nor have I seen anyone whenever I have to leave town that way. But it sounds fun!

Recently, the State of California decided—against the protests of the Hemet City Council—to ‘improve’ Highway 74 (Florida Ave.) by installing cement islands–center dividers—in the middle of the road. The State apparently believes that since it is the proper custodian of highways in the state, that it may do whatever it wishes to the travel arteries where people live and breathe and commute. This brought traffic briefly to our valley —something with which we are unaccustomed. It also brought construction on Florida Ave and we valley denizens had to choose between waiting in traffic or else using side residential streets to find our way home, tired after an already long commute. However, there are now signs strewing the length of the project advertising in beautiful black and orange the following notice: One is a diamond shape with the profile of a bicycle, below it a smaller square entitled “Share the Road”. On the right side of both directions of traffic, from the intersection of Florida and Sanderson, all the way to Florida and the Ramona Expressway are stencils of bicycles every 100’ or so. Presumably, we bicyclists are encouraged by the State to use up the right lanes on both sides of the street to make our way toward whatever errand we have in mind. However, no bicyclists are there—not now, not before—maybe never, because . . . we aren’t stupid.

-Peter Putnam

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Or, “I found my thrill, on Mayberry Hill . . .”

Mayberry Hill is a good challenge for someone who wishes for a challenge—a challenge to your cardio-pulmonary level, to your inclination for bicycling, to your desire to speed down after a grueling ascent. At the top are spectacular views of the valley looking west. Directly below are orange groves. Around you are beautiful houses done in individualized architectural styles.

Ramona Expressway starts far away in Perris, but dead ends in Highway 74. I join it after a twelve-minute ride from my house. I find after turning left on the 74 a shrine to a dead man, just before I hit Seventh St. I stop. It is to ‘Bobby’. There is an oval shaped ring formed by half logs arranged in the ground. From the ring a cross rises, topped with a top hat. Many decorations accompany the shrine: a photograph of Bobby, and many ‘Happy Father’s Day’ wishes. Below the photo are white, Baroque style statues of angels and of Jesus. After I continue right onto Fairview, I ride for a minute and reach Mayberry.

Mayberry Hill looms up to the east and dominates the horizon. The incline increases as houses increase in beauty. Just as the challenge to those with fear of heights not to look down from a height, I prefer not to look up as I pedal up this hill—it is too intimidating. When you reach the aqueduct, you are about half way there. As I stand up and pedal, I see the orange grove on my right, a cinder block wall in ruins. Oddly, the split rail fence is intact! Masks lie discarded on the ground, like everywhere else—O, would that we could discard the governor’s edicts as well!

The first rest is about five minutes up. Upon accessing the Heights, there is a magnificent view from Rio Vista (Spanish for ‘River View’, except there is no river to see, unless I am mistaken. There is a San Jacinto River, and it does flow, albeit in a predetermined way, the residents of the valley presumably long ago having tired of unpredictable flooding); the second rise is another four minutes.

Now return! Nothing but wind in my hair on the winding road down. How fast? I don’t know exactly. I would guess thirty miles an hour. This may not seem like a lot, but try crashing at half that speed! Altogether from Fairview St. to the top: about twelve minutes; the sailing down Mayberry: about six minutes from the top all the way down. Total time from home and back: about seventy minutes. Now the good news: since I first wrote this, I improved my time to fifty-nine minutes!

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I’m goin’ to some place, I’ve never been before

I’m gonna leave this city, got to get away

I’m gonna leave this city, got to get away

All this fussin’ and fightin’ man, you know I sure can’t stay”, by Canned Heat

If you really want to get an ‘out in the country’ feeling, try this one!

I drive to Gibbel Rd. Via State St until it crosses Domenigoni Parkway—about seven miles from my house. In order to get my full forty-five-minute workout, I find that it is best to park in the dirt next to the little fenced in water building, or whatever it is, and begin there. It is seventy-five degrees at 8:45 AM in October, because in this valley, summer is stubborn and steadfast.

Just look east and psyche yourself out: you can and will get up this rise! It

isn’t anywhere near as hard as Mayberry Hill, Pachea Trail or Vista Del Valle. As you leave the trailer park behind, beautiful boulders predominate on your left. The large white flowers that grow in clumps are called Jimson Weed—poisonous! I see vacant areas where lots could contain a new house and wonder what it would be like to live there. On the right is a vast field, filled with sand through which grow stands of pink verbena. It took me ten minutes today to reach the first rise. As you make it to the top, the fun really begins, because a downhill begins and for once you begin coasting down.

For the next six minutes, enjoy the olive trees, the pepper trees and the valley live oaks lining the road. The California Family Life Center is there, a home for institutionalized juveniles. Soon enough, however, it is time to pay the piper—to stand up and pedal again. Mercifully, it is just four minutes before reaching a level area hidden in the middle of oaks and boulders. Today (10-29-20) I saw a doe trot by in the bushes to my right, in a dark glade. A California quail crosses in front of me, then another, but I know there are more: sure enough, one or two more hesitate as I labor my way up; most give up and fly to their right and away from me and the road; turkey vultures today, circling: I smell something dead This ends too soon and—stand up and pedal! You might think that a reprieve has arrived, but you would be wrong: ANOTHER ascent immediately confronts you—steep and exposed to sunlight. At the top are signs welcoming you to ‘Mission Heights’ and it brags further about gardening and fresh air. Keep your eyes on the lots at the top and you will soon be rewarded with a view of Diamond Valley Lake. At the top, there is an estate with rusting vintage cars parked off to my left, perhaps from the 1930s? Nearby horses look at me. Further, dogs bark and run alongside the fence that encloses them to let me know that things would not seem so well for me, if not for the fence.

The entire return trip passes swiftly because I also pass swiftly—that is, it is all downhill! How fast? Hard to tell—I doubt that I get up above thirty miles per hour, but when you are sitting on a bicycle seat on a two-wheeler, with all the wind zapping me in the face, my eyes start to water and, if not for my Maui Jim sunglasses, I would have a hard time seeing at all! Now then, go only as fast as you feel comfortable. I have never crashed at high speed, and I never wish to. It just may be that caution in the form of hand brakes is what has kept me from that painful hour. Just as I approach the last habited place before the crossroads of State St. And Domenigoni, a coyote ahead of me runs across the road and hides itself in the brush just above the park. Although I gaze as much as safely as possible as I pass by, I cannot see him.

Total today from the trailer park to the ‘No Trespassing’ Sign (Violators Will be Prosecuted) and back: forty-three minutes (today [10-5-20], however, it was 38:33!)

-Peter Putnam

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SJHS Girls off to a fast start

Soccer season has started for high school boys and girls in the valley and there is a lot to dive into. In the boy’s division competition is stiff. All of the teams in the Mountain Pass League are tied with three wins so far, with the exception of West Valley who only has one win on the season. San Jacinto is leading the way with eleven goals on the season, but that isn’t their only claim to fame: they have also held opposing teams to only four goals so far. That’s the best Goal Scored vs Scored Against ratio in the league. Tahquitz’s soccer team has been great at scoring goals, however, they haven’t been the best at defending: they have scored 15 goals but have had 19 scored against them.

At this point, it looks like San Jacinto is on the fast track to compete in the playoffs. Hemet has a good team with a lot of potential but seems to be struggling on the offensive side of the ball. They’ve only scored eight goals in seven games. Their opponents have scored twelve goals. SJ needs to button up their defense and offense if they want to get back to where they finished last year. Hemet finished last year with 55 goals and only 36 against and made a deep playoff push. 

In the girl’s division, San Jacinto is leading the way with a 7-1 record. They have been blowing by opponents with 39 goals scored already and only nine against. Hemet has a 3-2-1 record and has scored 20 goals against their opponents this season. They have only been scored against eight times. Both teams seem built to make deep playoff runs this year. This is especially true of Hemet who has five very impressive Freshmen on their team. These five young up-and-comers play on the Legends FC club team and just returned from an impressive showing in a tournament held on the East Coast. They will be looking to lead Hemet into the playoffs this season and will be dangerous in the future. They already have the chemistry, trust, and sisterhood that usually takes years to build. 

West Valley and Tahquitz are at the bottom of the girl’s division. Tahquitz has a 0-4 record with only two goals scored and 12 scored against him. West Valley has a 1-7 record they have scored 11 goals but have been scored on 21 times. Last year Tahquitz finished 3rd in the league. It doesn’t look like they will be in that same position when this season is over, but there is a lot of soccer left to play. Stay on the lookout for future updates about the soccer in the valley.

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