Those Were The Days: 1953 Labor Day horseback adventure

By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Historian

Recreational activities have abounded in the San Bernardino Mountains since people first visited here. Labor Day weekend was always the final big holiday for vacationers, since school would start that next week.

Around the turn of the 20th century, vacationers arrived in horse-drawn wagons and stages to resorts and vacation camps, yet horseback riding continued as a popular recreational activity. We’ll have to speculate that riding horses for pleasure in the beautiful mountain setting was vastly more enjoyable than riding for transportation down in the hot dusty valley. Vacationers desired to experience scenic mountain vistas otherwise inaccessible.

Riders, including 12-year-old Barbara Carey (center with white hat), from the San Moritz Stables on the Lakeview Trail around Lake Gregory in the early 1950s.

As motorized automobiles became transportation, horseback riding became an exciting recreational activity. Many mountain resorts offered discovery tours of the forest’s trails and meadows by horseback. The summer camps usually had horseback riding experiences for their campers. Every town in the mountains had several stables, boarding and caring for the horses, year-round. Horses were often the transportation method of choice of local youth in the 1950s and 60s.

In 1953, seven horseback riding clubs in the California Horseman’s Association joined together in a thrilling trail ride through the west end of these mountains. Thirty-three riders spent the three-day holiday camping out under the stars and exploring the mountain horse trails 77 years ago this weekend.

The riders arrived in Cedar Springs (now flooded by Lake Silverwood) and set up camp on Friday night. Saturday’s “desert ride” was over the California Riding and Hiking Trail through the Cajon Pass, up Horsethief Canyon and through Summit Valley, exploring some of the same areas that the early pioneers to San Bernardino traveled. Saturday evening’s entertainment was provided by Yodelin’ Bob Lewis, San Bernardino’s well-known singing mailman.

Camp Seeley horseback riders in 1960s.

Sunday was the “big event.” The riders left early, journeying up Miller Canyon to and through the apple orchards of Dart Canyon (which the horses found to be delicious), past the Valley of the Moon, riding over the ridge to beautiful Lake Gregory. Then, along the scenic pine tree-lined Lakeview Horse Trail and past the well-known San Moritz Stables, visiting with the horses. The riders then traveled through the thick green forest and over the hills to Valley of Enchantment.

The Crestline Trailriders met up with them in V.O.E., hosting a BBQ lunch break at the Plush Paddock, a well-known V.O.E. stable complex and restaurant, where Barbara Roviera raised award-winning Morgan horses. Afterwards, the riders joined together spending the day traveling up the oak and cedar tree-lined trails over the ridge to Breezy Point in Cedarpines Park.

The tired but happy Crestline Trailriders returned to V.O.E. while the 33 visiting riders returned to their campsite by riding down the trails on the north side of the mountain and across the valley back to Cedar Springs, possibly along the Mojave Indian Trail that Jedediah Smith may have traveled 125 years before.

The Monday morning ride on Labor Day was up to the beautiful Sawpit Canyon area of Cedarpines Park, with its tall pines and oak tree-shaded trails. The many streams in the area had created a thick fern cover for the canyon walls. Coming around a bend and seeing Mozumdar’s Temple (which resembles the Taj Mahal) was a big surprise for the riders, making a wonderful and positive impression upon them. The riders were awed by the area’s beauty, declaring it to be the most delightful trail of the weekend.

After the weekend ride, plans were made to make this outing an annual event for the California Horseman’s Association.

Today, 73 years later, horseback riding is not as popular, since most stables have closed. The National Forest and the back country still have amazing scenic beauty, which is now only accessible by hiking as motorized vehicles are prohibited on the trails.

Campers, including 13-year-old Douglas Motley, bringing up the rear in 1959.