On to business:
This morning I woke up at a jolly hour with intentions of hiking one of my old haunts, which is a lovely, leisurely trail affectionately titled by the local forest service, "Poop Out".
Yeah, it goes straight up.
More accurately, it starts up the foothills above LA at about a 45-degree-angle. Aptly named. All the same, it brings you to a few lovely lookouts over the LA basin, and I hiked it often as a kid.
Started up, and noticed almost right off the bat how much greener everything is here right now. In the LA area, everything is dead in the summer, and green in the winter because we're actually getting rain. Pretty much opposite of how Indiana looks right now. But I thought this little drainage was interesting looking, so I snapped a pic.
As I made my way up the hill, looking to the east the sun began to light the sky...'twas lovely.
But once I reached the top, perhaps a quarter mile as the bird flies, a mile and a half actual footpath distance, the sun had sufficiently risen and I noticed something I've not spent much time seeing in the past.
As a kid, I always got to the top and turned around, looking over my shoulder, so to speak, at the view of the LA basin that I had come from. This one:
But I'm kinda tired of looking back. Literally AND figuratively. The view behind is nice, but I've been there. Done that. Heck, that picture is my hometown. The proverbial "I can see my house from here" moment. And I'm kinda over it. There's so much more interesting stuff happening out in front. To prove my point...
Far over the misty mountains cold...
...to dungeons deep, and caverns old.
Yes, it is entirely possible that a good portion of Middle Earth still exists in Los Angeles county.
And, to the south...Gondor.
You'll have to pardon the lack of kit, but this trip reminded me how excellent the terrain was so near to where I first fell in love with Tolkien...the woods that practically drove me to seek out Rangering.
This trail actually can cross the Angeles National Forest to the north, passing through those snow-cappped peaks (of which there are many more than you see here), and wind up on the Palm Springs side. As of today, I intend to return with my full kit and hike it in the next couple of years, as a re-created crossing of the Misty Mountains. Probably in December. Ernildir...I'd love company
Cheers, and thanks for joining me on my little mini-adventure.
-Greg
I helped build a couple of them when I was a senior in high school. Oh well, I have the memories. Great pics Greg.