hiking griffith park: an unrebellious cause

it rained on friday and we thought that because saturday was relatively dry, it would have been very clear on sunday. little did we know that more rain was on the way. so, on sunday, instead of the clear blue skies i have come to expect after the rain, we got dramatic views of los angeles with storm clouds hovering over the megalopolis during our hike.

we didn't want to go too far so the default hiking spot was griffith park, and particularly the trail that started right off the observatory, called the charlie turner trailhead. the trail itself was short (probably less than two miles one way) but the trail was fairly steep. we definitely got a short but good workout.

the trail led up to mt. hollywood but not the hollywood sign itself. we had views of it along the trail though.

below is a picture of mt. hollywood peak:

from the trail, we were greeted by a beautiful view of the observatory with downtown los angeles in the background.

our hike, to and from the peak, lasted one hour. it included a few stops along the way and at the top.

i always look forward to a post hike meal. and the fact that this hike itself was not grueling did not change my routine. thus, we had brunch at the larchmont bungalow.

i had a fantastic meal, which was a bit pricey at around $24 with tip. it included a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and two mini slider omelets (basically half a regular size omelet) with fruit and toast. one omelet was called the meat sensation omelet stuffed with chicken sausage, bacon and tenderloin steak. the other omelet was the seafood lover's omelet stuffed with lobster, shrimp, blue crab and spinach. one can choose other types of omelets when ordering the mini slider omelet option.

this was the seafood omelet:

this was the meat omelet:

the food was not only fresh but also generous. i waddled out of larchmont bungalow.

i suppose it was just as well that i stocked up on calories. i needed it to insulate me from future cold weather. the rain clouds above los angeles made it seem like it was going to be a cold night. or at least i would like to think so to justify all the food i ate.

san diego and my new hiking buddy

i decided to visit friends in san diego last weekend. it really was a spur of the moment trip (as in planned in less than a week), which i really should do more often. anyway, i went on a hike with my friends in carmel valley. the hike was a bit weird in that the trail started behind this apartment complex:

the trail head goes up this ramp:

the initial part of the hike was fairly steep. the ascent came in about three stages. the entire elevation increase lasts for maybe a quarter of a mile. no biggie.

once you reach the top, it's all flat. like hiking on a mesa.

here's franklin, one of my hiking buddies. ain't he adorable?

on top of the mesa is what they call a vernal pool...

where you can see tadpoles.

here are some views of the urban sprawl.

the recent rain left weird black sand (or maybe it's something else?) on the trail.

this sign cracked me up. it just identified a civil code. that was it.

...and i killed another shoe.

this was the post-hike meal at nico's in carmel valley. i wish i could say great things about it. but i can't. i am a sweet lover but this taco was drenched in some sweet cream sauce. even the horchata was too sweet. after i diluted it in more water, it was still too sweet.

luckily, dinner at an izakaya place in kearny mesa, called oton, more than made up for the not-so-good lunch. this was fabulous. i highly recommend making reservations because this place is tiny.

we started off with tuna belly, which portion was generous for $14.

next, we had monkfish liver. it was prepared cold with a bit of vinegar, which was fine. although i prefer mine served warm.

this black cod was fresh, had natural sweetness and delicate.

the final meal was a hot pot cooked in front of us. it was a miso based soup with chicken, shrimp, finely sliced pork belly, pork dumplings and mushrooms.

i think the pot is ready.

the finished product.

dinner at oton was more than satisfactory. the ambience was nice. we were in a small private room (all of the booths were private) with a curtain to shield us from other prying diners. we happened to be sat in the elevated booths where one had to take off one's shoes and go up the private booth. they then arranged our shoes so that we didn't have to turn around to put them on after we descended the short stairs. the service was also top notch. very polite, very prompt with refilling our water and tea. and very talented in walking backwards without falling off the stairs.

the next day, i headed home. but not before breakfast. introducing, the bacon cheddar pancake.

my friend j really adores this. i found it more of a novelty more than anything. the bacon, because it was cooked in the batter, wasn't crisp as i like them to be. glad i tried it but i was not enamored by it.

but before i leave san diego, here's another picture of my buddy franklin.

with a hiking buddy like franklin, i'll probably go back to san diego and go on more hikes.

sandstone peak: the first hike of 2010

it has been a while since i last posted primarily because of life. that being said, i haven't stopped hiking or traveling or caring about ucla (despite ucla's recent issues in BOTH football and basketball -- ugh!).

life has been manageable again so here goes....

this past week saw torrential downpour in southern california. while the rain is usually a welcome respite for drought plagued california, i hate it when it rains. there are many reasons to cite - from drivers who insist on driving fast so they can splash pedestrians and/or fellow motorists to looking like a wet dog.

however, i do like the day after. especially for angelenos, the day after means the smog has been washed away, albeit temporarily. it also means great views of the freshly snow-capped mountains. perfect time to hike.

this time, we chose sandstone peak near the border of los angeles and ventura counties off pacific coast highway.

to get there, from the pacific coast highway, turn onto yerba buena road (right next to neptune's restaurant) and follow it for a few miles. once you pass circle x ranch, go about maybe .2 miles more. you will then see this sign:

turn onto the dirt road, which will lead to a parking lot. the trailhead starts here:

when we got there, the trail was, remarkably, not as muddy as one would expect after a week-long continuous pounding rain.

at some point, the trail split. we chose to just go straight to sandstone peak.

the snow capped mountains in the distance were stunning.

the lushness was also remarkable. who knew urban sprawl was just around the corner?

finally, we were almost to the top. while 3111 feet may not be that high, put in perspective, the tallest peak in the entire united kingdom is only about 4000 something feet.

finally, at the top of mt. allen (aka sandstone peak). sure enough, the views were stunning and the air so crisp and clean.

the compass in the picture below was on top of the mt. allen sign i was hanging on to in the picture above. the compass points to the "true north," which i found interesting because, if i didn't know better, it looked like it was pointing northeast.

after a leisurely two hour hike (3 miles roundtrip), we were famished and below was my salmon and egg scramble at the 17th street cafe.

the weather man reports that los angeles is bracing for more rain during the week. perhaps it will be a good hiking weekend next week too. bring it on, rain.