Idyllwild local Jon King has been hiking since he was a boy. Originally from the United Kingdom, King bonded with his father who was also a keen hiker. King’s love for the outdoors has led him all over the world. He took his passion and education as a wildlife biologist to work, allowing him to…

Charles Phelan Contributor Famed nature enthusiast John Muir exclaimed, “The view from San Jacinto is the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth!” According to historians, the Muir quote is probably apocryphal, but anyone who has hiked to San Jacinto Peak would surely agree that it affords some truly amazing, sublime and…

Christmas on this mountain has a character unique in Southern California. It is different because of Idyllwild’s tiny town ambience, its charming inns, homespun shops and restaurants, its village architecture preserved from an older time, and snow-covered roofs with chimneys lofting the smell of burning pine and cedar. And bracing alpine cold, yes, the kind…