Doty Trust to Crestlawn Memorial Park

Trailhead: Doty Trust Park 5404 Golden Ave, Riverside, CA 92505
Length: 5.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 1653 ft.
Difficulty: Moderate
Total time: 2-3 hours
Dogs: Yes, on leash
Parking: Lots of parking at the park

About a week ago I needed something to make me happy after a dentist appointment because dentist appointments are the worst, so I decided to go for a hike. Tired of Roob-sing it 5 out of the 7 days of the week due to the stupid time change making it all dark and murder-y on other trails, I decided to investigate other options close to home and found Doty Trust Park, which features over 100 miles of trails (I actually can’t find anything that backs up the 100 miles worth of trails part, I just happened to run into a person who I follow on IG while I was coming down who told me that)!

This blog write up will focus on getting to the Crestlawn Memorial, which is a Flag and a Cross located several peaks over from here you start. The first day I went it was near sunset and since I didn’t know the trail, I did not finish the trek entirely because I did not want to die and have the headline be “Avid Hiker Gets Lost in Hills; Dies From Being Eaten by her Own Dog.” I went back the following Saturday when there was a break in the rain.

The trail starts off at the park. You’ll see a fenced trail on the west side of the park. Follow that rail until you see a break in the fence to a hill that climbs pretty steeply

 

This part is like, steep, y’all. But it will be the most difficult part of the trek, so just get up there and stop your complaining already.

From the top of the hill it’s a hiker’s delight as you can see tons of trails for exploring the numerous rolling hills in the area, and you can even get to the Great Norco Pumpkin from here which makes for a more exciting trek than the one people usually take.

 

From here, you’ll descend a bit as you head toward an old telephone poll that looks like a cross (that’s not the cross you’re looking for) and over to a flat top hill area that I named “Flat Top Hill Area”

As you get to Flat Top Hill Area, you’ll see there’s a trail that goes over the hill, and one that goes around it. I suggest you take the one to the right that goes around it, unless you want to be like me and go over it and then have to go down a super sketch trail that isn’t a trail and have your dog jump ahead of you, jerk back because you’re not as fast as she is and she’s attached to you, and have her look at you in confusion and anger, repeatedly, because she doesn’t understand how leashes work.

If you take the trail to the right, you’ll come out in the same area. Here you will see a few more hills.

Follow that trail up to the middle and go to the left. Here you will skirt around the hill and see the ugly, industrial part of Ontario, but also Baldy in the distance, so it’s got that going for it.

 

Finally, as you skirt around this hill you’ll see the memorial in the distance.

Keep on climbing, and you’ve made it!

 

From here you have spectacular 360 views where you can see Baldy, Wilson (boooooo), San J., San G., and San B. Additionally, you can read the memorials someone painted on the rocks.

Once you’re done here, head back from whence you came. Because there are so many trails meandering in and out of the area, be sure you keep an eye on where you’re going. I got side tracked and almost ended up in Norco.

Also if you don’t want to go back down that steep hill at the beginning, you can descend to the left at the part after Flat Top Hill Area.

This will skirt along the side of the hill and as long as you keep going down, you’ll be spit out on a paved road that leads you right back to the park.

This trail system is just as close to my house as Rubidoux is and is much more interesting, although I still would not roam around there in the dark. I also recommend doing this trail in the Fall/Winter/Spring because it’s super exposed. Both sunsets I caught there were spectacular. It’d also make a great Sunrise hike for those weirdos who like to get up early.

Also here’s a picture of Smalls because I can.

 

 

A Tale of Terror: Strawberry Peak

Trailhead: Red Box Picnic Area
Length: 6.8 miles RT
Elevation Gain: 1794 ft.
Difficulty: Moderate
Total time: 3 hrs
Dogs: Yes, but read on for what happened to sweet little RescueSmalls
Parking: Parking lot across the street. You will need an adventure pass which you can get at a ranger’s station or any sporting goods store.

Gather ’round friends, for I have a tale of terror to share. ‘Twas the time I trekked up Strawberry Peak.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Fires swept across the lands of the Six Pack of Peaks, closing several of the trails. Jeff named alternates, and as an ambassador, I felt the obligation to complete these alternates, including the sweetly and cunningly named named, Strawberry Peak.

It started off as any other day. We parked and crossed the street to get to the trail head. And the trail, it was gentle.

Ah, but the peak, she lures you in like a siren before she takes you as her victim.

We traversed through switchbacks with mild elevation gain and into an Oak Grove before coming to a junction where we turned right. “This is easy,” we remarked, as we merrily made our way through the trail.

We climbed higher and higher as we skirted around the mountain and then saw it…the final ascent.

The terrain quickly changed, becoming steep and rocky and we needed both hands and feet to climb it. Many false peaks awaited us as we made our climb. The heat began to rise. And then, the pokey plants began to multiply, stabbing us from the left and from the right.

Sweat began to pour down our temples. We came to what seemed to be a fairly begin stretch of flat land where we had to traverse between a row of pokey plants. We came to one plant which was vibrating with a buzzing sound. As Smalls and I walked through she started panicking. I felt stings on the back of my legs and arms. I screamed out in pain.

“GO!” I yelled as my fellow traveler turned to check on us.  “It was the plant,” I panted. “The plant was filled with fire ants!”

I already had welts from the bites. Smalls was spinning in circles, biting at her haunches. We looked around and saw them–fire ants, everywhere. On the ground. In the plants. On the rocks. This mountain was theirs.

Weary, we pressed on, determined not to allow the mountain to defeat us. I carried Smalls for a bit, as she was too afraid to continue on her own. I slipped and fell on some rocks as I tried to move up with a terrified K-9 wrapped in my arms.

And finally, we made it, and were treated to a terrible view of overcast skies surrounded by So Cal Brown.

After a short stint at the top to gather our strength, we made our way down. On the descent, we were smarter, as we’d learned the ways of the mountain. I picked up Smalls and carried her over the fire ant bush, although she clung to me in terror as we made our approach. We seemed to enter a time warp, as the trek back was never ending. It was as if the peak was pulling us backward, unable to let us leave. We could see the parking lot, but it never seemed to get closer.

But then finally, the road. And the picnic area which so sweetly concealed its portal to hell.

We sat down on the bench, weary travelers, indeed. We had survived, but would we ever be the same?

 

So, in case you didn’t get it from this post, Strawberry Peak sucks.

 

 

Bertha Peak

Trailhead: 701 Blue Bird Ln, Fawnskin, CA 92333
Length: 6.8 miles RT
Elevation Gain: 1325 ft.
Difficulty: Moderate
Total time: 2.5 hrs
Dogs: Yes, on leash
Parking: There is parking lot with bathrooms. You’ll need an adventure pass which you can get at the rangers station or any sporting goods store.

Last Saturday @ill_profe and I had planned to hike Sugar Loaf in Big Bear but there was some event going on where cars were lined up the streets and bouncy houses were at the trailhead and we were like, yeaaaaahhhhh passssss.

Since we’d made the drive out I racked my brain for an alternate and came up with the very memorable name of Bertha Peak, named after Phineaus H. Bertha, discoverer of mumus.

Bertha Peak starts from the Cougar Crest trailhead. When you come to the fork in the road, continue to the left.

 

You will begin to meander through a forest that is rather fairy tale like.

 

You’ll climb steadily, but gently, and if you get tired there’s like 1,000 benches for you to sit on and enjoy the views.

Seriously, guys. I’ve never seen so many benches on a trail. Benches to the left of you, benches to the right of you. There was a sale on benches and EVERYONE GETS A BENCH!

Also, on the way up we saw a bunch of cairns which we kicked down while shouting “LEAVE NO TRAAAAAAACCEEE.”

Look, I’m a big fan of cairns when they’re marking a trail (sorry Sierra Club) but when they’re just hanging out there because someone was bored and serve no purpose I kick ’em down so they don’t contribute to soil erosion and encourage others to leave stuff they shouldn’t. You may find this overkill and say “Oh, come on Kristin, you’re just being a prude, let people have their dumb rock stacks” to which I say ::insert emoji shrug::

Anyway, there’s not a lot of opportunity to get lost on this trail so just keep on heading up. At some point you’ll see some towers in the distance, and that’s Bertha peak. You’ll come to a juncture where the PCT splits off but there’s a sign letting you know Bertha is a-that-away (right… it’s to the right. Go to the right, because that’s where it is.)

 

This is where this fairly gentle trail starts getting real. It becomes a fire road but a fairly steep fire road. I mean, not like Cactus to Clouds steep, but steep enough to where you go “Boy howdy, this is kinda steep.”

Apparently, you’ve also stepped into a time warp where people say things like “Boy Howdy.”

Annnnyway, at one point on the fire road, you’ll see a track off to the right. You can take that up if you want a slightly more strenuous trek, or just stay on the fire road. Eventually you’ll make it to the top for some amazing views of the lake

 

 

There are also some buildings up there you can walk around for alternate views of the area. You might also find a guy up there stacking rocks out of boredom and think “when he leaves Imma kick those suckers down.”

Or maybe that’s just me.

When you’re done, go back the way you came.

All in all Bertha Peak was a great backup to the trail we were originally planning on doing. I especially recommend it as an introduction to elevation training.

Or carin kicking.