Village Group Joins In Trek To Big Bear

Seven residents of DHS were among a group who helped promote the proposed road connecting the high and low desert with Big Bear Lake.

Residents from DHS were Peggy and Paul Hadley, vice-president, Chamber of Commerce; J. Marie Ropp, Sam Benton, Barbara Rebiger and her two sons, Eleanor Hunter and Lola Hemingway.

Pioneertown was the scene of 50 cars and more than 230 people from the high and low desert areas who gathered for a trek to the San Bernardino Mountains.

The lead car carried the slogan “We Want a Road to Big Bear,” and cars carried banners for their own villages. Civic leaders and members of the Associated Chambers of Commerce who handled the caravan were: Ted Richardson of Twentynine Palms, President of the Associated Chambers; Marty Dodge, secretary, of Joshua Tree; and Jules Boltazar, chairman of the caravan of Yucca Valley.

The caravan formed promptly with the trekkers eager to leave the blistering desert area for the higher altitude. Both the high and low desert regions were feeling the affects of their third successive days of extreme heat with temperatures ranging from 105 to 118.

From the altitude a 4000 feet at Pioneertown the proposed road, which is now little more than a well-defined trail (passable but not recommended to a greenhorn) –the cars steadily client to higher and cooler altitudes. Three or four of the cars and some of the jeeps had to resorts to dry-portages over the steeper grades. The rugged, rough and rocky road wends through undeveloped and scenic mountains.

Jun. 16, 1955 - Desert Sentinel