What: Fall 2011 Series of Trails at 10 Excursions on Redlands’ Public Trails
When: Saturdays, October 1, 8, and 29, 10am
Where: Redlands
Who: Presented by the Redlands Conservancy, free and open to the public
Six trails a year – that’s the trend for the Redlands Conservancy’s Trails at 10 Series of Trail Excursions, a program in its 11th season of taking Redlands’ residents and visitors to experience the 20 miles of public trails in Redlands.
The Fall 2011 Season opens on Saturday, October 1 at one of Redlands’ urban trails, The Terrace, a newly-renovated “old” trail.
“We will gather at the west end of the trail at 6th Street for a brief presentation about the history of The Terrace and the area in general,” said Sherli Leonard, executive director for the Redlands Conservancy. “Nathan Gonzales, Associate Archivist at the AK Smiley Public Library, has agreed to share some tidbits of history about the path, the people who have used it, and the buildings around it.”
The Terrace, a half-mile groomed path, had fallen into poor condition over the years until this spring when it was renovated through a CDBG grant by the City of Redlands. Mario Saucedo of the North Redlands Visioning Committee spearheaded the renovation efforts, and the Redlands Conservancy has, on several occasions, provided volunteers for trail clean-up.
“It’s a simple walk,” said Leonard. “But it will be a very pleasant opportunity to take some time, take a good look at some of the old houses along the route, and imagine a slower, more peaceful time when people sauntered and looked around at something besides their cell phone.”
As usual, the event will conclude with a free lunch for the first 50 people to register. The lunch, sponsored by a generous grant from the Beaver Medical Group, will be provided by Kool Kactus Café, with burrito box offerings and vegetarian option available. The Redlands Conservancy provides water in jugs so people can fill their own water bottles.
To register for this first event, which starts at 10am, call (909) 792-1800. The event will stage at Sixth Street and The Terrace, adjacent to Colton Avenue.
On October 8, the Series will move to the Creekside Trail at the east end of Creekside Drive over San Timoteo Canyon. This event will combine Kids’ Day and the California Coastal Clean-Up Day. At 10am, kids and their adults will spend some time with garbage bags picking up trash along the portion of the trail that runs along Creekside Drive.
They can also participate in several activities at the staging area designed to help them understand and appreciate the Redlands’ natural environment and the benefits of trails. Volunteer Tracey Stahler Roche will conduct an art activity for all the kids, board member Kathy Behrens will guide kids on a treasure hunt, and the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District will be on hand to demonstrate the results of pollution on our streams.
After the events and the hike up and back on the one-mile trail, hikers can enjoy a free lunch provided by Subway. The staging area is at the east end of Creekside Drive, ¾ mile from Alessandro Road.
The October 29 event will take hikers one mile west to the new San Timoteo Nature Sanctuary where they will get to hike the three-mile loop trail on the land held in conservation by the Redlands Conservancy. The hike, one of the more rigorous in the series, will take users along the historic Carriage Trail, to the overlook, and back on the access road trail, near the spectacular riparian habitat of the San Timoteo Creek.
At the staging area at the corner of Alessandro Road and Creekside Drive, guests will enjoy a free lunch by Oscar’s Mexican Restaurant in Redlands.
All events are free and open to the public, and start at 10am. Restrooms are not provided. To make reservations for the free lunches, call (909) 792-1800.
For more information on The Redlands Conservancy, visit www.redlandsconservancy.org.