
Photo by Doris Lombard

Photo by Doris Lombard
PHOTOS: Monarchs …
By


In this column, my Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit teammates and I usually focus on safety on the trails and the overall beauty of the high country. Never have we talked about the safety aspect of the core sport that makes Idyllwild a destination for people from around the world — climbing!
We have all admired the gorgeous blooms of the Amaryllis, especially at the winter holidays. Then, the blooms fade, the plant dies down …
For those of us in the fire suppression business, winter presents a paradox. Once the rain and snow come we, and the citizens of our mountain, relax our hyper vigilance for wildland fire. Statistically however, the biggest threat to life and property in our mountain communities has been cold temperatures, ice and snow. We’ve never…