By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
The Winter 2024 edition of Crestline Magazine has been published and delivered to local post offices to be placed in post office boxes. The magazine has a lovely color cover photo looking west over Lake Gregory by photographer Steve Urteaga, who has several other photos illustrating the full color magazine, as does Jenna Rose.
The magazine, published by the Crestline Chamber of Commerce, showcases the winter season in Crestline, with things to do and ways to prepare and enjoy the winter season. The topics covered include winter sports activities such as snowshoeing at the Rim Nordic ski area. Snowshoeing is a sport that is easily learned as it is basically walking on the top of the snow.
Not every day of winter has snow falling so there are many other outdoor activities that are fun to do during the fall, winter and spring on the mountain, including the E-bikes that can be rented at Lake Gregory, with their guided tours through forested areas and up to scenic views, waterfalls and more, depending on the tour chosen.
Many hiking trails through the back country are listed as winter hiking removes much of the sweat of hiking, because of the cooler temperatures. They list nine local trails from around Lake Gregory to Heart Rock, the Will Abell trail at Arrowhead Ridge, Heaps Peak Arboretum and other easily assessable trails. Some are suitable for hiking with children and others are slightly more difficult.
Speaking of Lake Gregory, the county regional park in Crestline, although the beach is closed for the winter due to the water temperatures- the lake remains open for boating, kayaking, stand-up boarding and other non-motorized activities. The lake has been stocked with more fish than expected this year, including catfish, three types of trout, plus carp, bass and crappy. Shore or boat fishing is popular year-round at Lake Gregory, from sunup to sundown. For a $10 launch fee you can use your own non-motorized vessel or buy an $89 season pass to launch them or rent a boat from the boat house. The article lists many more activities and things to do at the lake, including the skateboard park, basketball, tennis and dog parks, all winter long.
Many other fun things to do are detailed, including staying inside at Rim Lanes and going bowling, or enjoying the many fine restaurants in town. The feature story on the revitalization of The Stockade Bar and Grill is quite fascinating, showcasing Chip Anzalone and his vision for the restaurant and town. The many other restaurants in town with a wide selection of tastes are also listed.
Getting prepared for the winter makes the season so much more enjoyable. It encourages everyone to go outside and drive up to enjoy SkyPark’s winter activities. The magazine showcases the history of how the old 200-acre Santa’s Village was saved and turned into a bicycle activity park and all the aspects of the community in which they are involved at SkyPark.
Also in the historical theme, did you know that Crestline is the only local mountain community that used to have its own motion picture studio, where 26 movies were shot? For over 100 years, the beauty of Crestline has been captured on film for the silver screen. These mountains continue to be used for shooting movies with dozens of the hundreds made in these mountains shot in Crestline itself, attracting major stars.
Many of the visitors to the mountain stay in the local hotels or in one of the many unique short-term rental cabins. Showcased is the vintage Pacific Electric Red Car that has been transformed into a vacation dream rental for those who love tranquility and to be surrounded by history. It details the owner’s journey to restore the historic relic with attention to detail in preserving the integrity of the Red Car and encouraging the joy that vacationers experience while staying in it. Some other short-term rental cabins are also listed in the story.
The authors of the stories in the magazine include poet Candace Pearson, Sara Gutierrez, Dirk Rinker and historian Rhea-Frances Tetley. The members of the Crestline Chamber of Commerce are listed in the magazine as a directory for the community of services and businesses. The center of the magazine has a street map of the community with important places pointed out, such as the county library and post offices. It identifies all nine parts of town, such as Cedarpines Park, Valley of the Moon, Arrowhead Highlands and Valley of Enchantment, with its Heart Rock waterfall trail and the hang glider launch site.
The magazine’s emphasis is on the theme that the community is “better together” and encourages residents and visitors to come visit and enjoy Crestline.
Any business, or resident who wants another copy of the magazine may stop by the chamber office, located at 24385 Lake Drive, and pick up a free copy. The chamber office is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Their phone is (909) 338-2706.
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