Explore: Mishe Mokwa Trail

My aunts and I went for a hike in late March, it was right after some heavy rains and everything was green and lush (our shoes were muddy, but the hike was gorgeous).  And with the rain we've been having the past few days, I'm betting there will be some pretty hiking available to SoCal residents in the near future.

We did the Mishe Mokwa Trail in the Santa Monica mountains.  I chose this hike solely because of Casey Schreiner's recommendation on his blog, Modern Hiker.  Um, he is really good about having things like directions and maps, so go over to his site if you want information that will actually get you to this place.  We didn't do the Sandstone or Tri-Peak trails because I didn't fully warn my aunts about the length of our hike and they vetoed any additions.

What I loved most about this trail is that it goes around a peak, it's not just 'go to the top, see a pretty view and go back down'.  You get a new view at every turn of the trail.

The trail was about 6 miles and it's never too steep (it's a hike so there are obviously some steep parts) and large sections of the trail are relatively flat.

We got to see Balanced Rock from a few angles, and there were some awesome formations that remind me of Easter Island statues.

There were trees over part of the trail, a few flowers and some mossy rocks to look at.

And since it was a beautiful, clear day we could see quite a ways.

This was the highest point that we got to, there was another trail up to Sandstone Peak (I believe it's the tallest in the range) but this was high enough for us.

Then it was back down the trail and off to Marix for some Tex-Mex (we're all from San Antonio, chips and salsa are like Mother's milk).

So, I encourage everyone to get out and hike before it gets too hot and all the green gets burned away by the SoCal sunshine.  Your feet might get muddy, but the air will be clear and the views will be green.

Explore: Griffith Park

My friend, Hale, and I headed up to Griffith Park Sunday evening for a night hike.  We met at the bear statue at the corner of Los Feliz and Fern Dell.

I believe the handiwork above is the work of the Knotty Girls?

I just liked the bark on this tree, it looks like most of it had been removed in some way and all that was left was this patch of bark that looks like a topographical model.

We hiked up to the observatory and made sure to check the view periodically along the way up.  I love pink and purple sunsets, so painterly.

Then we followed the ridge line up to the top of Mt. Hollywood.

You could see to the water, downtown, Burbank, Glendale and many more places.  It gets a bit cold at night, but it was a beautiful hike and a nice workout.

And since Griffith Park is surrounded by urban areas, we walked a few blocks over to Thai Town for some noodles to warm us up.

Explore: Abalone Cove

I don't know why I never wrote about this, but T and I went with my cousin and his family to Abalone Cove in Rancho Palos Verdes this summer.  If you're going to visit you just have to check the tide schedule and make sure you make it there at low tide to get a glimpse of all the sea life.  You park on top of the cliff, take in this view...

as you begin your hike down.  Then you catch a glimpse of your goal.

After the descent you make your way along a rocky beach

And then you get there, get your feet wet (definitely wear water friendly shoes), and start to look around.

Lovely, vibrant sea urchins that can sting you.  They're everywhere, but they can be avoided.

The dry stone is pretty interesting also.

It looks so structured.

The starfish are fun too.

I definitely recommend a day trip if you haven't been.