‘On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross’

BY

In May 1975, members of Canyon Lake Community Church, which was meeting at the Lodge, were pictured erecting a cross on the newly graded church site (not to be confused with the cross at the top of the hill). Lighthouse magazine

Linus, of Peanuts fame, was famous for saying, “There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin.”

Easter weekend for most people represents a blend of traditions that may include a religious element of church attendance along with the Easter Bunny, colorful eggs and Peeps. Thanks to the Jr. Women’s Club, an Easter Egg Hunt is a longstanding tradition in the community that has grown into the annual Easter Carnival; which, this year, is scheduled for tomorrow, April 4, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Holiday Harbor. (See details on Page A-3.)

Every year when Easter rolls around, The Friday Flyer runs an article that explains the religious and pagan origins of Easter traditions and why Easter is the one holiday that falls on a different date each year.

For devout Christians, Good Friday and Easter are the most holy of all holi-days, with the cross being central to their belief system. Put simply, they believe Jesus Christ died on the cross on Good Friday and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.

Most Canyon Lakers have noticed at least one of three crosses that crown hillsides surrounding the community, but most don’t know how those crosses got to be where they are and why.

The cross above CLCC

In the early years of Canyon Lake’s development, the Corona Land Company set aside a parcel of land for the future use of a community church. A group of believers had begun holding church services at the Lodge and decided in 1973 to hold an Easter sunrise service on the empty lot that would later be the site of Canyon Lake Community Church. Area pioneers Don and Elinor Martin were among those founding members.

Elinor, historian and author of “Images of America: Canyon Lake,” recalls the first cross on the church property was wooden, later to be replaced by a metal cross fabricated by Canyon Laker Paul Mickel. Also at that time, a group of men decided to erect a 20-foot by 12-foot cross high on the hill above the church property. Rae Simonson, Hal Skinner, Don Martin, Steve Aime and Bruce Lord were among those involved in that endeavor.

That cross is still there, where, in addition to providing a sense of comfort to many who see it from homes and roadways in the community, it has become a destination for hikers, bicyclists and, most recently, a drone photographer.

Five other crosses have been placed on hills around the lake in recent years, three of them lasting only a matter of days or weeks before they were removed by the Bureau of Land Management. Two still stand.

Crosses that didn’t last

Canyon Laker Corrie Tutt and her son Landon were responsible for one of the crosses removed from BLM land – a cross dedicated to Corrie’s older son

Corrie and Landon Tutt stand with the cross they erected on BLM land above the North Ski Area in June 2010. It was in memory of son/brother Landon Tutt. The BLM ranger ordered it removed. Photos provided by Corrie Tutt

Lincoln, who died suddenly in August 2009 at the age of 22.

On Father’s Day the following year, Corrie and Landon and one of Lincoln’s friends erected a wooden cross on a hill where the young men had ridden their off-road vehicles so often, and which could be seen from the Tutts’ home on the East Bay.

Prior to installing their cross, Corrie had met a young man from Canyon Lake named Lucas who also had put a cross on the hill in the same general location above the North Ski Area. She says that, on the day before Lincoln’s celebration of life, on one of her regular early morning runs to the North Gate, she noticed a wooden cross lying on the hillside. She says seeing the cross provided much needed comfort in her grief. In the days that followed, Lucas approached her to tell her he was the one putting up the cross. She noticed it had been placed upright and painted. And then it disappeared.

After the wooden cross disappeared, Corrie saw Lucas putting rocks on the hillside in the shape of a cross and painting them white. She could see the cross from her house, but that too disappeared and she didn’t know why.

When the day came for Lincoln’s cross to go up, she put a note on it that said in part, “Please do not remove this cross. It is in memory of our son and friend of many . . . Please respect this. There are several crosses throughout the hills and this should not be offensive to anyone. Please let it stand here in honor.”

Nevertheless, on their next visit to the cross, the BLM ranger told them it was illegal and they had 15 minutes to remove it, or he would do so. So that’s the story of three crosses on BLM land above the North Ski Area that didn’t survive.

Cross above the East Bay

This was the view from Landon Tutt’s cross, looking toward the North Causeway. Photos provided by Corrie Tutt

But that wasn’t the end of the story for “Lincoln’s cross.” On the day of Lincoln’s celebration of life, Corrie met a new couple moving into the house next door. In time she learned from the husband that they had lost their young son in a tragic accident the previous year. She told him about Lincoln and about his cross that had to be taken down.

Within a few months, the neighbor had obtained permission of the owner of the tallest hill overlooking the East Bay to put a cross at the top of the hill in memory of his son and of Corrie’s son. That cross can be seen to this day and Corrie has a clear view of it across the East Bay. Corrie says the neighbors no longer live next door, but she still looks across at the cross and thinks of it as “Lincoln’s cross.”

Asked why the cross is important to her, Corrie says, “It’s a symbol of faith and hope. It’s a promise. I know I’ll see Lincoln and my mom and dad again, and we’ll all be together. It’s a promise God made to us that it’s not over. That’s what’s kept me going.”

Cross above the North Ski Area

Yet another cross was erected above the North Ski Area on Memorial Day 2012. This one was placed on a hill on the opposite shore, on land that doesn’t belong to BLM. The simple, 10-foot-tall symbol can be seen from the Slalom Course and by anyone driving westbound across the North Causeway.

It was placed by the Mike Shroyer family and friends. Mike, known for his DJ work at Canyon Lake events and for being a “Volunteer of the Year,” doesn’t say specifically why his family decided to put up the cross, but they can be seen holding hands and praying around it in the photo at the beginning of this article.

Mike says, “There is a trail leading to the hilltop, most likely made from motorcycles. The only comments we have heard regarding the cross were made from a family’s home inside Canyon Lake on Vacation. They yelled out after we put it up, ‘Thank you for putting that cross there. We love it!’”

Mike adds, “The cross is a symbol of God’s love, grace, and compassion for us. I know when I am driving around and see a cross on a hill, it brightens my day no matter what I may be going through at that moment.”

Another resident wrote under a cross photo The Friday Flyer posted on Facebook, “In this crazy world, we need to be reminded of who’s really in charge – and the cross says it perfectly.”

And so, even though the subject of “religion” is off limits in many polite conversations, there aren’t many who openly object to the symbol of hope standing on hilltops. Caught up in the fun of eating chocolate, dying eggs and taking pictures with the Easter Bunny, some people like to be reminded that, of all holidays, this one has a deeper meaning.

As one person who’ll be right there with all the other kids and kids-at-heart at the JWC Easter Carnival, Mike Shroyer says, “Easter is all about Jesus. Without him being crucified and rising on the third day, our faith would be meaningless . . . The cross is an anchor, it does not move, nor fade in distress. It’s a reminder that Jesus Christ has promised us eternal life for whoever chooses to follow him. The cross gives us hope, it gives us love, it gives us life. This life is temporary but Heaven is for eternity.”