Tales From the Trails

Friday, March 5, 2010

Verdugo's: Brand Park

Downtown Glendale and LA (above)

Burbank (above)

I took a hike this evening in the Vedugo's from Brand Park since my student was sick. We're expecting another storm to bring a weekend of rain again. There were lots of wildflowers blooming at the base of the mountain, and I noticed many winged insects for the first time today. Just two months to go before Dan and I hit the trail. I've got a ton to do still, although I'm just about finished with my resupply list which I feel good about.

Wildflowers: Verdugo's

Bush senecio (above)

lupine (above)

Coastal lotus (above)

Wishbone bush (above)

Blue dicks (above)

Suncups (above)

Monday, March 1, 2010

Griffith Park: March 1, 2010

Chia (above)

Climbing bedstraw (above)

Windmill pink (above)

Caterpillar phacelia (above)

I was feeling kind of sick today, but I thought I'd take a quick hike in Griffith Park this evening to get some fresh air (if that's possible in LA). I thought about leaving the camera behind but decided to bring it just in case. (My second or third time hiking in the Angeles National Forest last year I came face to face with a bear. We were probably about 30 yards apart and nothing separating us except a few small bushes and a little ravine. It was the perfect picture opportunity and of course I forgot my camera! I couldn't believe I was seeing a bear only 15 to 20 minutes from the second biggest city in the country! Anyways, I learned to always bring my camera.)

Although I did not cross paths with any bears in Griffith Park, I did stumble across some new wildflower specimens. I doubted I'd see anything new today, but I should know by now that all it takes is a week and new wildflowers join the party.

Wildflowers: Backbone Trail in Hondo Canyon

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Backbone Trail in Hondo Canyon

I took a hike up the Backbone Trail in Hondo Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains today. I was able to cover about 10 miles, but took almost 7 hours doing it. The trail was very muddy this morning. The mud literally stuck to the bottom of my shoes, pounds at a time it seemed. Each step would peel off another layer of trail until I had huge blocks of mud on each foot. There weren't many people on this trail today, and I was able to enjoy solitude for most of the day. There were nice views of the Pacific at the top, downtown LA was also visible, as well as views towards the San Gabriels.