Travelin' Local » hiking

Exploring the Escondido Falls Trail

Lisa Newton — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:29:21 +0000

With the sun shining, cool breeze, and clear skies, this weekend I decided to explore the Escondido Falls Trail.

I love waterfalls—although I don’t think this pursuit has a psychiatric designation–nonetheless I’m always on the prowl to find “the next one.” After some research, I found the Escondido Falls Trail, which is close to where I live–it’s right off Pacific Coast Highway aka (“PCH”).

On the LAMountains.com site, it has a nice description of the hike, plus a map:

Following the directions, I had no trouble finding the trail’s head:

I followed the trail–which had clearly embedded footprints leftover from our recent rain showers—and crossed onto and into a small creek; where the first fork in the road appeared:

Hmmm……………………..Choices, choices, confusion.

Because I never met a problem I felt I couldn’t solve,I looked left, and then right; and back left again, and subsequently made my executive level decision—I decided to walk on the “right side.”

After a few minutes in the “lion’s den of confusion,” I came upon a picnic table and garbage can, the same that’s on the map provided above. Because it resembled the map’s trail of the Escondido Falls–that also passes by a picnic table, I felt reassured that I was headed in the right direction, as I continued on–surrounded by the area’s picturesque hills, trees, and fresh grass.

As I walked, I passed by a sign which had a painted arrow on a fallen tree:

I’m not sure you can see it, but it says, “Waterfall.” As I walked past this sign, I considered the thought that perhaps I was headed in the wrong direction. Nonetheless onward and forward I went. The trail narrowed some, crossed the creek again, and eventually I was at the backyards of private property on each side of the trail.

A few minutes later, I was at the end of the line–no waterfalls, no prize, no magical discovery, just a concrete private driveway.

Slightly disappointed and a bit disillusioned, I realized that I wasn’t at Escondido Falls — something went awry. So I turned around, retraced my footsteps, passed by the arrow again, and went in the in the correct direction, which meant not taking my original fork in the road as my initial starting point, and continued on.

This time, success!

Walking about a mile further, I came upon Escondido Falls:

Although it was much smaller than I thought—just sitting on a rock listening to the sound of the waterfall, my entire body became relaxed and was suddenly in a deep rest. If you’re interested in exploring Escondido Falls, please make sure you take the left fork at the start of the trail—as my map below shows.

Griffith Park on Black Friday

Lisa Newton — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:54:02 +0000

In the spirit of “Buy Nothing Day,” I went hiking on Black Friday. I did wake up early–not for the Early Bird Specials– my plan was to go to Griffith Park for a hike to the Hollywood Sign. Although I’ve been there before—and wrote about it extensively– Griffith Park never fails to amaze and mesmerize me.

This morning, the views, although not perfect, were much better than the last time I was here.

Although for many who live in major metropolitan cities throughout the world, not having visited a city’s landmarks, popular places, and attractions would seem odd.

In Los Angeles, though, we’re always doing what’s interesting for us and what we deem our passion. And in that, unfortunately, we do miss many of the great things that define Los Angeles. During my hike I briefly spoke with a fellow hiker–who was among the other 40 or so people hiking—who has lived in LA for over 10 years. Despite living here for over a decade, this was his first visit to Griffith Park. I’d hiked to the Hollywood Sign before, but obviously never took this particular route.

Park Ranger Ernie Ybarra led us on a vigorous; and mostly single-file trail hike of 5 miles in length. Done 2x, or in other parlance–up and down–the hike was ten miles long.

Although 10 miles doesn’t seem like a lot, it is. Especially when you’re going up an incline of 1,400 feet, which this scenic pathway does. I’ve already highlighted several of the amazing vistas on the trails to the Hollywood Sign, today I wanted to feature the Griffith Park Visitor’s Center, where today’s hike started.

Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. Its land mass consists of over 4,000 acres, and included within that is more than 50 miles of hiking and equestrian trails.

The entrance to Griffith Park’s Visitor’s Center greets you with an earnest festoon of artistic representations of the Park’s important, extensive, and culturally rich history:

Griffith Park–like many of our early land acquisitions–was essentially gifts, by early Los Angeles philanthropists; but sometimes I really think that they were visionaries.

In this particular case, Griffith Park is eponymous with the generous donation of over 3,000 acres by Colonel Griffith J. Griffith in 1896. According to Ranger Ybarra, it took the city of Los Angeles 6 years to accept the donation because they thought it was too far away from the city– 6 miles!

To truly understand just how valuable this land is, and to help you gleam the now laughable notion that Griffith Park was “too far” from City Hall, or should I say “how far” today’s current Metro Los Angeles is from Griffith Park, below is a map of Los Angeles County. Within the map, I’ve marked the approximate location of Griffith Park:

You can clearly see just how “far” Griffith Park is from downtown, but you can also see that Griffith Park is in the center of it all.

Ranger Ybarra told us he would be conducting more hikes during December; however I was unable to find a list, but if you’re interested in more information please email Ranger Ernie Ybarra at ernie.ybarra at lacity [dot] org.

It’s my pleasure to take this opportunity to thank Ranger Ybarra for the being a fantastic tour guide. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and look forward to the next hike. If you’re interested in the route we took and a few more pictures, below is the GPS of our hike:

Griffith Park

Griffith Park has plenty of opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, concerts, and a myriad of other things to do and places to go within its very own confines.

While Travelin’ Local, I hope you find time to make sure this holiday weekend to try and visit some of the places and areas of interest that we have here in the great city of Los Angeles.

A Different View of the Hollywood Sign

Lisa Newton — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:44:45 +0000

While researching my Mapping Swimming Pools in LA article, I discovered a new trail I wanted to hike–Bronson Canyon. The trail’s mount begins in Griffith Park, and twists and turns all the way up to the Hollywood Sign. What’s different about this hike than my previous treks to the Hollywood Sign is that I’m starting and ending up at two completely different points toward the Hollywood sign. In doing so I was interested in both having fun and exercising at the same time.

Often times, when I find myself hiking, I’m not always so sure where the trail will go or what I’ll see. The only information I had on this trail, was what the Los Angeles Parks and Recreation site told me:

Special Features: HIKING TRAIL

HOLLYWOOD SIGN

PARKING

TUNNEL/CAVE

As soon as I saw the words “HOLLYWOOD SIGN” and “TUNNEL/CAVE,”

Needless to say I was “All In!” Although I’ve hiked to the Hollywood Sign before, I never tire of seeing it, and as soon as I read the words tunnel and cave, the deal was sealed thrice over.

After grabbing my camera, my water bottle, and my determination, off I went.

Who knew I was going to find public art at the start of my hike. Judging by the looks of it, this patch of concrete is meant as some kind of water run-off system. Someone took their time in spray painting this big green guy.

This shot gives you an idea of what the trail looks like. With wide walkways, many hikers brought their friendly dogs out to get a bit of exercise with their masters. As you can see, I was on the way up, which didn’t surprise me.

What did surprise me is that this trail connects to the same trail I had previously taken to view the Hollywood sign. This time, however, I didn’t turn left when I approached the fire road. I went the other way trending right; I was headed toward the direction which I hoped would take me to Shangri-La—the place where I could actually touch the Hollywood Sign. Little did I know that as the trail goes up, it keeps going up and up, and then some.

Close to the top, the northern views were spectacular. Above is the world famous Forest Lawn Cemetery, where recently, Michael Jackson was buried.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect at the top of this mountain because I had never walked it before. Not armed with enough information to know what was at the top of this mountain hike, I did know that it had a steep inclined and was a long walk–it took 1.25 hours to reach my final destination.

If you haven’t guessed it already, at the top, I found myself at the Hollywood Sign, but in reverse. Yes, that’s the back of the Hollywood Sign’s letters. As I stood there, trying to snap a picture between the fence that prevent visitors from getting any closer, I thought about the people who have climbed the ladder only to jump to their deaths. What was going through their minds? We’ll never know.

If you’re thinking about trying to get around the fence, I’d think again. This gate with all of its camera security is the conclusion to this trail. I didn’t count the cameras, but just in this picture alone, you can see several pointing in all directions.

In case you didn’t know, that’s the Hollywood Reservoir. I can hardly wait to go back on a clear day.

After over two hours of hiking and with the trail behind me, I felt tired but good. Even though I didn’t know where the trail would lead, I left happy knowing a question I’ve had was answered.

To give you a photographic idea of the distance and elevation traversed, I took this shot less than half way up. I’m not sure why it says what it says, but you can clearly see the tower at the mountain’s top– which is the end– in the background.

As for the tunnel and cave mentioned above, I didn’t find it, which leads me to believe either I took a wrong turn, or I took the wrong trail, or both. This of course means that, in the pursuit of journalistic excellence, I’ll be going back. I’m sure that my staff won’t mind. J

This hike also allowed me to try out one of my new gadgets and toys. After searching long and hard for a GPS unit that did what I wanted it to do for Travelin’ Local’s mapping purposes, I finally found the right one to buy, after going through a few lemons:

Hollywood Sign and Bronson Canyon

This is a visual reproduction of my hike, and when you click a particular link, you’ll see a new photo. I’ll still be using Google maps, but I’ll also include some maps on this software as I keep on Travelin’ Local to bring you the best of what Los Angeles and environs has to offer.

For a true LA insider’s look at the Hollywood Hills, try the Hollywood/Highland Travelin’ Local Walking Tour. It’s 3 miles of total LA uniqueness.

[Update] Access for parking for this hike can be found at 3200 Canyon Dr, Los Angeles, California 90068. The lot is small, but if you get there early, you should have no trouble. Happy hiking.

The Hollywood Reservoir – LA’s Water Resource

Lisa Newton — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:40:01 +0000

After doing a bit of research, I found out that after a four year closure, the Hollywood Reservoir’s walking trail has reopened. Like many, anything with the word Hollywood preceding the sentence piques my interest. Especially one that’s next to my all time favorite—the Hollywood Sign.

Located off the beaten path, the Hollywood Reservoir is located literally in the shadows of the Hollywood Sign. Of the many people I encountered today—most were there to see the sign and needless to say, I also succumbed to the temptation to take another look at this Los Angeles icon.

Background and History of the Hollywood Reservoir

This vantage point is the northern view of the Hollywood Reservoir, a man-made lake built in 1924 to hold more than 2.5 billion gallons of water. With a maximum depth of 183 feet, the reservoir is part of the Owens River Aqueduct system.

The Mulholland Dam was built by engineer William Mulholland, who designed and built the system of aqueducts and reservoirs which provide Los Angeles with most of its water.

The Hollywood Reservoir’s Toyon Tanks

On the northern side of the Reservoir is the site of the Department of Water and Power’s Toyon Tanks facility. The largest of their type in the world, each Toyon Tank holds 30 million gallons and provides enough cubic feet of water for 250, 000 people.

The east side of the dam brings one into a totally new reality and it affords a piercing beauty seldom seen in the middle of Los Angeles:

This calm oasis amid a very large and busy city seems impossible to find, but at the top of the narrow and curvy Lake Hollywood Dr & Weidlake Dr, you’ll find this breathtaking view.

Mulholland Dam’s Masterful Engineering

Water is a very precious commodity, especially in Southern California–which is officially a desert. Water will soon eclipse all other natural resources in importance. Indeed, wars are fought over it; countries created because of it; and economies can’t function without it.

Due to Southern California’s long drought conditions, there have been mandatory changes in Los Angeles’ water usage. Restrictions via a Phased system are now being implemented, and Phase 1 has already been implemented with Phase 2 well under way. City of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is recommending the implementation of Phase III as soon as possible.

The Department of Water and Power’s Water Restriction Phased Program includes:

Phase I

Prohibits hosing sidewalks, driveways and parking areas unless permitted by law.
Prohibits using water to clean, fill or maintain levels in decorative fountains or ponds unless the water is part of a re-circulating system.
Restaurants cannot serve drinking water to people unless expressly requested.
Customers are required to repair leaking pipes and water fixtures in a timely manner.
Customers can wash cars only with hoses that have a self-closing water shut-off device.
Prohibits watering lawns and landscape when raining.
Prohibits watering lawns or landscape between 9am and 4pm
Customers can be fined if sprinklers allow excess water to flow onto sidewalks, driveways, streets or gutter.
Hotels and motels must give guests the choice not to have towels and linens laundered daily.

Phase II

Landscape irrigation allowed Monday, Thursday and Saturday only.
Using a hand-held hose to water lawns and landscape allowed any day between 9am and 4pm

Phae III

Landscape irrigation allowed Monday and Thursday only. Source: LA Times

Travelin’ Local celebrates our physical, cultural, historical, and Southern California Lifestyle. In order to maintain our great city, remember that having a sustainable future, means maintaining its present.

By working together, we can make a difference to conserve our precious water resources for future generations.

The Magical Cliffs of the Hollyridge Trail

Lisa Newton — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:07:10 +0000

During my recent hiking foray on the “Hollyridge Trail” to reach the Hollywood sign, I was intrigued by the indelible mark and beauty of the ever ever-present foliage, plants, and growths which garnered most of the hike up the Hollyridge Trail.

The raw power of nature should never be underestimated even as we occasionally ponder its beauty, and take the time to celebrate its impact upon our surroundings.

As these pictures are testimonial to and of–nature creates life where none existed before, even in the absence of an abundance of water or rainfall.

I know that the Hollywood sign and panoramic vistas are one of the main reason people tend to hike the Hollyridge trail; but all is not what it seems.

On top of the Hollywood Hills, city life breathes at the speed of light, but it’s now a million miles away, your latest worries are noticeably absent, and with an artist’s appreciation of texture, line, form, color, and awareness, it’s obvious that the deepest pleasures in life really are free—these wide-ranging, and multi-faceted speckled plants are distinct and beautiful.

Travelin’ Local often brings huge rewards in tiny packages.

Hiking to the Hollywood Sign

Lisa Newton — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:13:46 +0000

I’ve always been fascinated by the Hollywood sign. And even more important to me—I’ve always wanted to see it up-close.

This Saturday, I got pretty close. I went into the Hollywood Hills going north on Beachwood Drive, until it ends. There’s a very small dirt parking lot where I parked and followed a sign reading “Hollyridge Trail.”

Unsure if I was in the right place, I just got out of the car and started walking the trail. Within a few minutes, I realized I was and my vision was getting closer and closer.

Although time and weather prevented me from actually touching the sign, as you can see from the photo above, I nearly reached the Mountain’s peak and although I didn’t literally touch the Hollywood sign, this was as good as it gets!

The Hollywood Sign’s Early History

It was originally built in 1921 as a huge advertisement for a local real estate development company. The 50-foot high letters cost $21,000. Plus, the first sign read HOLLYWOODLAND, not Hollywood. Over the years, the sign has seen its share of history, from being used as part of a struggling actress’s suicide to almost falling down.

The Hollywood Sign’s Renaissance

By the early to mid 1970’s the sign was in shambles and in fact, it was literally falling down; however in 1978, Hugh Hefner, stepped in and organized and hosted a party at the Playboy Mansion in order to raise funds to revamp the sign. Using an “Adopt-a-Letter” campaign, the sign’s letters were “sold” for $28,000 each. Celebrities such as Gene Autry (who bought an ‘L’) and Alice Cooper (who bought an ‘O’), donated generously and the Hollywood sign was brought back to life.

The Hollywood sign now stands–literally and figuratively–as part of the history of Los Angeles, movies, and an iconic image known the world over.

What surprised me even more than seeing the Hollywood sign up close, were the stunning panoramic views of the city from the trail’s many perches, ledges, and vantage points.

From this vantage point downtown Los Angeles is a tad shy of being 8 miles away. Because today was such a clear day, it presented these majestic views.

Looking at the map below, you’ll see the little green hikers. That’s approximately where I shot this picture:

View Travelin’ Local Post Map in a larger map

If you thought hiking and Los Angeles don’t go together you’d be wrong.

With over 500 miles of hiking within the County of Los Angeles, I have a lot of trails to choose from while Travelin’ Local.

And everybody thinks Los Angeles is mostly concrete, and freeways— as people read more Travelin’ Local news, stories, and adventures, I’m positive that you’ll be amazed at the depth and breadth of the sheer physical beauty of Los Angeles, Southern California, and everything in between.

When you have the chance, be sure to visit, as the natives are friendly and local hiking is a year-round activity.

For a true LA insider’s look at the Hollywood Hills, try the Hollywood/Highland Travelin’ Local Walking Tour. It’s 3 miles of total LA uniqueness.

San Diego, Torrey Pines, and a Trail

Lisa Newton — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 09:38:12 +0000

A friend invited me to share Passover Seder at their house in beautiful San Diego.

Of course, I brought myself, my appetite, and my Nikon.

So I graciously accepted her invitation, and after the evening sunset, when the Seder began, and dinner had been served, I was already contemplating my next sojourn for Travelin’ Local.

Although I’ve been to San Diego a couple of times, I haven’t explored the city that much. However, I soon found myself high upon the mountain bluffs of the Torrey Pines State Reserve, with its splendorous views of both the ocean and the city.

And what a find it was–starting at the bottom:

I climbed up the hill to the

And around the first bend:

This picture is representative of the majestic and grandeur of the unblemished Pacific Ocean at Torrey Pines.

The Torrey Pines are trees that were planted over a hundred years ago and are prevalent and plentiful in this area—aptly named Torrey Pines.

The US Open Golf Tour also holds an annual world famous Golf Tournament.

As I stood on the trail on the right, overlooking the sights and sounds of the Pacific Ocean, I was anticipatory of what was coming next–but that still didn’t prepare me for the new sights yet to come my way.

As this path wound around the hill, nature had its way of reminding me of who’s boss:

After passing under this deadwood archway, I encountered this sight to behold:

La Jolla may be the Jewel of the World—literally—but Torrey Pines is a friend for life—every moment there was joyous and wondrous, and by the time I was finished with my visit, I snapped at least 200 pictures.

Again, my destination is foretold by the people standing on the platform above, but before we get to the peak, I thought that this was an interesting part of the area’s history and folklore:

“Dead Pines.” The tree skeletons are all that remains from a severe drought and bark beetle outbreak in the mid 1960’s.” Even in death, life begins anew.

Once I reached the vantage point, I took pictures in all different directions:

Looking to my left

Looking straight down

Off to my right.

As it’s literally impossible to capture all of Torrey Pines in one story, I’ll share the rest with you later this week.

I encountered dolphins, wildflowers, the Salt Marsh, and as mentioned above, the Torrey Pine trees–the most restricted and rarest pines in North America.

Do you have plans for Easter Sunday? No matter what your celebration may be, every day is special and a holiday, with new and exciting places to go and see while Travelin’ Local.

Wishing all of you a Happy Holiday.

A Vacation Day at Coldwater Canyon Park

Lisa Newton — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 11:23:10 +0000

Nestled tightly toward the top of Mulholland Dr, in the hills of Beverly Hills, is Coldwater Canyon Park.

“Set atop chaparral-covered canyons, it provides a haven of natural beauty in the midst of Los Angeles’ sprawling urban landscape. From this shady, quiet retreat you can enjoy panoramic views of the San Fernando Valley. Over 70,000 people a year visit Coldwater Canyon Park, confirming Los Angeles Magazine’s declaration that it is “one of the 300 best reasons to stay in Los Angeles.” Those who visit marvel at what they experience: a sanctuary for nature, for all who love nature, and in particular, for children, who come to love and learn how to nurture the natural world around them.”

Source: TreePeople. (More on TreePeople in another story).

It’s a stone’s throw from home, a place to get away during the day, and a treasure within the city.

Climbing to new heights to touch the sky

It’s a dog friendly park

where the dogs even have their own drinking fountain.

There are several trails in Coldwater Canyon Park. Some short and a few longer ones that all connect to Wilacre State Park, Fryman Canyon State Park and Franklin Canyon Park. They all have great views of the city:

After a great day of vacation in the middle of the big city, now it’s time to head home.

Coldwater Canyon Park is without a doubt unique and special, and at the end of today, I’m satisfied that I got to go Travelin’’ Local, and feel like I was on vacation at the same time. What about you? Did you take a vacation while Travelin’ Local this weekend?

Goin’ Down

Lisa Newton — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:25:53 +0000

I’m on my way back down to the base of Temescal Canyon. If you’ve been following me on my trek over the previous two posts, you were able to watch me as I made it to the waterfall, and then to the top of the mountain.

Going down a mountain, especially one that’s a little slick due to all of the recent rain required watching every step. One wrong move sometimes means you’ll fall down or find yourself in a tumbler–which isn’t nor can be a good thing.

And even though I was watching my steps, I was also watching the panoramic view. Probably not the greatest nor the latest news—but I still was basking in the glory of the moment and the bountiful California sunshine that the day afforded me.

People often say that hiking is boring–this particular hike is one in which “boringness” never entered the equation. In-between the initial steady uphill climb to slow dissent, I was totally captivated during the entirety of the 1+ hours I spent here. Indeed, afforded the opportunity I could and would spend even more time here, but such is life.

With the ocean on the left and multi-million dollar homes on the right, who could get bored? Temescal Gateway Park is located in one of the higher end real estate areas of the city, known as the Pacific Palisades.

Each and every home has a uniqueness all its own. I’m continually fascinated by houses that are built in and on hills. Part of my attraction to hillside houses, I’m sure, is because I grew up in Ohio, which isn’t known for its hills—because it’s mostly flat plains and farming country.

The other thing that Ohio isn’t known for is sailboats. There are some boats on Lake Erie; but my family was more into camping than boating.

As I said, we’ve recently had quite a bit of rain, but looking at this part of the trail, you wouldn’t have guessed that, being as its dirt brown. If you look closely, you can see the deep trenches made as the water flowed down hill; however, with the direct sun on it for most of the day, this part of the trail has already dried up.

I’ll leave Temescal Canyon and you with this thought:

Not too far from the end of the trail is a fallen tree spanning an even smaller creek. I’m sure many people have walked across the tree, maybe just to see if they could do it or to see what was on the other side, forging a new path.

Are there any trees you walk across in your neighborhood or parks you love to visit over and over again?

Whichever it is, Travelin’ Local, is all about what you like, where you want to go have fun, and hang out in your locales.

To strike that right balance only you know for sure but keep coming to check out what’s next here in our community.

Until then, please enjoy this video featuring Jeff Beck singing and playing “Goin’ Down”

On top of the Mountain

Lisa Newton — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:04:27 +0000

"I’ve Been to the Mountaintop"

By Martin Luther King, Jr.

“..I would move on by Greece and take my mind to Mount Olympus. And I would see Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Euripides and Aristophanes assembled around the Parthenon. And I would watch them around the Parthenon as they discussed the great and eternal issues of reality. But I wouldn’t stop there.

I would go on, even to the great heyday of the Roman Empire. And I would see developments around there, through various emperors and leaders. But I wouldn’t stop there.

I would even come up to the day of the Renaissance, and get a quick picture of all that the Renaissance did for the cultural and aesthetic life of man. But I wouldn’t stop there.

I would even go by the way that the man for whom I am named had his habitat. And I would watch Martin Luther as he tacked his ninety-five theses on the door at the church of Wittenberg. But I wouldn’t stop there.

I would come on up even to 1863, and watch a vacillating President by the name of Abraham Lincoln finally come to the conclusion that he had to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. But I wouldn’t stop there.

I would even come up to the early thirties, and see a man grappling with the problems of the bankruptcy of his nation. And come with an eloquent cry that we have nothing to fear but "fear itself."

But I wouldn’t stop there.”

Source: American Rhetoric: Delivered on April 3,1968 Mason Temple (Church of God in Christ Headquarters), Memphis, Tennessee

Well, I did it and I made it.

Yesterday I posted about my trip to Temescal Gateway Park and walking the Temescal Canyon Trail to the top.

Reaching the waterfall and being able to document it and experience its changes was great; but after that, I still had a half mile climb to the top, plus I still had to make my way back down. In total, the trail is about 2.5 miles, however it feels much longer because of the long up and then the long down.

Was the climb worth the effort?

Absolutely, making and setting goals, then executing and accomplishing them is both tremendous life lessons and enable us to move forward in life. How many times do we read an article, blog, and/or listen to somebody who reminds us of this daily?

I’ll be going back for more soon:

Here you can see the grandeur of the city, spreading for miles and miles, plus the beauty and depth of the Pacific Ocean.

I then turned my head to the right side, and was greeted with this shot:

Although the sun does detract a little, if you look closely over the horizon, you can see a small island out in the distance. No sooner did I snap this photograph, I was then told by a fellow hiker, that this island is only visible from the mountaintop a few days per year.

As I followed the trail a little further down, the views just kept getting a little better:

That’s downtown LA in the center frame–with Beverly Hills, Westwood, and the San Gabriel mountains off in the distance. In total, the view length of this is about 20 miles, which to me is just amazing and comprises the perfect way to be able to actually look and to use the camera to share.

Today’s post was the tip, and tomorrow’s post will be including the views and sights on the way down.

Keep Travelin’ Local both here and where you live, by keeping it real.

A Waterfall in my Backyard

Lisa Newton — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:49:38 +0000

It’s true. Temescal Gateway Park is a Los Angeles hiker’s dream. I hiked there a few months ago, but due to all the rain we’ve recently had, I was very curious to see if the park’s waterfall had managed to regenerate itself. At first blush, being that the last time I was here, the waterfall consisted of a trickle. (Bummer Dude!)

As its entrance is right off of Sunset Blvd, the park is easily accessible to both drivers and Metro bus users.

After parking at the park entrance, just follow the entrance road to the Temescal Canyon Trail head and that’s where the majestic canyon opens and starts. All you need to do is just go–it’s easy to find.

As always safety first! Be sure to bring along some water and a friend. Yesterday’s sojourn wasn’t firmly planned, so I hadn’t really prepared, however it wasn’t too hot (In fact, I was wearing a sweatshirt, which soon became sweaty), so water wasn’t an issue, but my shoes, which were an older pair were a menace. Due to several inches of rainfall in the past few weeks, the trail was a bit slick on the downside, and I did slip, luckily resulting in only a pair of dirty kneed jeans. I think my ego was definitely more damaged.

Although its chiming is labeled as “moderate,” I think that the Temescal Canyon Trail is a “little strenuous,” as the climb’s incline is about 1,000 feet in the first mile.

Since getting to the waterfall was my goal, the trip up seemed at times to take a while, but in reality, it’s was only about 20-25 minutes.

It felt so good to be outside hiking again—since I haven’t had too much time recently, this trail definitely got me “back in the saddle again” so to speak.

Temescal has long been a canyon that inspired nature lovers and enlightenment-seekers. During the 1920s and 1930s, the canyon hosted Chautauqua assemblies—large educational and recreational gatherings that features lectures, concerts and stage performances. The canyon was purchased by the Presbyterian Synod in 1943 and used as a retreat center until 1995 when the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy purchased the property.

After about a mile of hiking, I came upon the waterfall. As I said earlier, it was only a few short months ago that because of the drought conditions in Southern California, what was once a true waterfall had been reduced to a trickle.

Although a bit more than a trickle now—but not totally ground water satiated, it still has a ways to go before all the water is replenished at the fall; but be that as it may I could hear the waterfall before I approached it, and that made the ascent well worth the effort.

The waterfall is about ⅔ up the canyon wall, so I still had a ways to go to hit the peak and start on the trail down. About ½ a mile after the waterfall, I reach the Canyon Trail peak.

From here, you are able to see Beverly Hills and much of the Westside.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the views of the city as I started down. The last time I hiked this trail, it was fairly early in the morning on a not too clear day.

Today was the complete opposite.

So to keep things interesting, and because I took so many pictures, I’m going to save the trip down for tomorrow’s blog. So make sure that part of your online destination tomorrow is here.