Moreno Valley Residents Take a Hike

On Jan. 23 a group of community members gathered at 7:30 a.m. in front of Landmark Middle School to make the hike to Terri Peak. The hike is rated as moderate to difficult and is 7.8 miles round trip and was free to the public to attend. The trip is part of an effort by the Moreno Valley Advisory Committee to City Council to bring awareness to trail options within the city. Gilbert Brooks has been a member of the city's advisory committee for over 15 years. The committee’s purpose, in addition to the planned hikes, is to look at the trail aspect of new development. “There is a treasure here in the backyard. You don’t have to drive somewhere to get to nature. It is also a chance to get to know your neighbors too,” Brooks said. For friends and residents Jennifer Felton and Danielle Tatum, the hike was an opportunity to do something together. It was something they had talked about doing, but hadn't had much opportunity to do before, according to Felton. "It was a nice way to spend the morning," Felton said. "The best part is being able to say I did it! There were times I thought I wasn't going to make it, and to get to the top and see the new view of Lake Perris, it was great to say yeah I did it." Tatum added that the hike not only brings health benefits and the joy of hiking with those you know, but is an opportunity to get to know the community. "I think an event like this brings community morale up. You can see the good things going on in the community," Tatum said, "With Moreno Valley a lot of people think it's ghetto. The hike shows there are good people who want to get together and do great things. That they want to help the community do something together," Tatum said. "It is a unique thing that the city of Moreno Valley puts on," Felton added. "I think it makes you feel apart of the community. You could do it alone sure, but it is also something you can do together as a community." Moreno Valley resident, Eric Walker, has hiked the trail to Terri Peak six times, including three with groups and three alone. “Healthwise you don’t have to drive far. There are six trails I can think of, that are within fifteen minutes from your house in traffic. It’s great for fitness, great to get out into nature, and great for solitude. There are a lot of advantages to walking and the accessibility is great in Moreno Valley,” Walker said. Walker is an avid hiker, having hiked for over 15 years and has completed various hikes, including the four-day trail to Machu Picchu. His favorite trails in the Inland Empire includes the Adobe trail on the Santa Rosa Plateau and in Moreno Valley he enjoys hiking up to the M. “It’s great! In all my years of hiking I have never encountered anybody that wasn’t polite. Everyone speaks to one another, and everyone is looking out for one another. So when you are out there on the trail, you can always count on a fellow hiker to be cordial to ask you if they see you are in distress or need anything. It’s a sharing community,” Walker said. “It’s unique in my opinion. I have been hiking for years and I have always been very happy by the people that I have encountered. I think it’s something about people being out in nature that brings the best out of them.” For more information on upcoming hiking events go to http://www.moreno-valley.ca.us/resident_services/park_rec/trails.shtml