First published in the Nov. 26 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
By Andres de Ocampo
Outlook Valley Sun
The La Cañada Flintridge annual Mayor’s Hike returned from a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and brought 50 community members together for a 1-mile hike on Saturday morning, Nov. 19. This year was Mayor Keith Eich’s first community hike after being elected to the City Council in March 2020, during the beginning of the pandemic.
“We are so blessed in our community with our trails. It was an honor to have such a great turnout on Saturday,” Eich said.
State Sen. Anthony Portantino and State Assemblyman Chris Holden joined the LCF community hike which began at 8 a.m. in front of a fire road trail head at the end of Forest Hills Drive. This is the first time the Mayor’s Hike used the trail for the community event.
“[The trail] is a county fire road and that’s where we started,” Eich said. “We started on that and the conservancy trail veers off and we hiked through that and looped back. Staff was awesome. They found three scenic views where you can see fall foliage or different parts of the city and put markers so people could check those out. … We hope this event raises awareness of one of our city’s greatest outdoor assets.”
Tom Reynolds, president of the La Cañada Flintridge Trails Council, attended the hike and spoke, alongside the mayor, before the event kicked off.
“Our trials are in excellent condition because of our unique partnership with the city and county, with extra support from grants, as needed,” Reynolds said. “The La Cañada Flintridge Trails Council is appreciative of the support it receives from the community members to help us in our stewardship of the trails. We look forward to opportunities like the Mayor’s Hike to showcase this one-of-a-kind treasure.”
