by Breeanna Jent on 2014-01-07
For active residents, the best way to start 2014 on the right foot is with a hike.
Hikers gathered at the base of Grand Terrace's Blue Mountain — one group at 5:30 a.m. and another at noon — on New Year's Day, for the hike tradition orchestrated for the 19th year by coordinator Ernie Medina Jr. He estimated the morning group was comprised of about 40 people, while the noon group saw up to 90 participants.
"It's the die-hard ones who come up in the morning," Medina said.
Hikers of all ages from Grand Terrace and nearby communities of Loma Linda and Redlands, came out for the event. Hikers made the just-over two-mile hike to the top of the mountain, where they then listened to inspirational speeches about making resolutions and ended the hike with a sparkling cider toast. A new feature this year was a musical performance by sibling duo Rebecca and Erick Michel on the flute and the violin, respectively.
Another new feature? Mountain bikes.
"Every year we have maybe one or two people who like to ride their bikes up, but this year in our noon hike, we had a large number of kids who rode mountain bikes up. My sister is in a community biking group called Team RICO, and it's various high school kids in the area from Redlands High School, Redlands East Valley, Loma Linda Academy, Redlands Adventist Academy and homeschool groups, so they came out and rode up the mountain," said Medina.
Medina, who worked for 21 years as a preventative care specialist at Beaver Medical Group and recently took a job as a faculty member at Loma Linda University, started the New Year's Day tradition after being introduced to it while teaching English as a Second Language in Japan during college.
"New Year's in Japan is a very big holiday and it's a big tradition to go to some elevated point and welcome the new year by viewing the sunrise at that spot," said Medina. The hike first started as a small group of Medina's friends and gradually grew to become a larger, more community-saturated event.
"I'm a big believer in new year's resolutions and a lot of people do make resolutions to start a workout routine or lose weight and this, I feel, really helps people get off to a running start, so to speak," said Medina, who's come to earn the nickname "The Physical Activity Evangelist."
He explained it's also rewarding to see participants finish the hike, especially when they didn't think they'd be able to.
"They might say, 'It's so hard,' but then they get to the top of the mountain and they're like, 'That's it? That's the end.' When they make it, they can say, 'Wow. If I can do that, then I can do all these other things, too.' It builds confidence that spills over into other parts of their lives," Medina said.
He also explained he's begun planning for next year's hike — the 20th annual — and is looking forward to involving more of the community, possibly with a partnership between Loma Linda University and La Sierra University, where a former colleague now works.
"Who knows? Maybe we'll even be able to get a little band up there for some more music," he said.
[END]
19th Annual New Year's Day Hike up Blue Mountain
Wednesday, Jan. 1:
Two times: 5:30 a.m. (for sunrise) or 12 noon.
Meet at base of Blue Mountain in Grand Terrace. (Palm Ave. and Honey Hill Drive, Grand Terrace)
Come start the new year with a hike! Come at noon or at 5:30 AM to see the sunrise from the top. Sparkling cider will be provided for a toast, and a new year’s thought will be given at the top. For more info, call/text Ernie Medina, Jr. at 909-747-5935 or e-mail emedinajr@msn.com.
Last year's published article:
Dozens kicked off their New Year with a hike up to Grand Terrace’s Blue Mountain on Jan. 1, New Year’s Day.
Orchestrated by Ernie Medina, a preventative care specialist at Beaver Medical Group, for the last 18 years, residents have been gathering for two separate hikes— one taking place at 5:30 a.m. and the other at noon— up Blue Mountain each New Years Day.
Adults, children, and even furry pets of the canine persuasion joined Medina at the corner of Grand Terrace’s Palm Avenue and Honey Hill Drive to begin their 45 minute trek up the mountain in their respective groups. Once atop the peak, Medina led an inspirational speech in which hopes for the upcoming year were discussed, and where he was joined by a hiker who had partaken in the hikes for the last three years as he described his experience with an illness he was not sure he would make it out of last year.
Hikers also enjoyed a toast of sparkling cider.
Medina shared that the annual Blue Mountain Hike tradition was borrowed from a Japanese tradition that he learned during time he spent teaching in Japan during his college years.
“Christmas isn’t as big of a holiday in Japan, but New Years, is,” said Medina. “They have a tradition of hiking up to a peak, and when I came back [to the United States], that’s what I did.”
This year more than 70 people joined in the hike. Hikers included Grand Terrace residents; members of Medina’s church, Azure Hills; Beaver Medical Group employees and patients, among others.
“We had a good mix,” said Medina. “A lot of them hike, and then there were a lot of first-time hikers, too. There was a whole range of people, and everyone had a good time.”