In the second of our two Echo-Park-area walks, this Sunday afternoon of Secret Stairs (Walk #17) took us through Fellowship Park, a small wilderness area in the middle of L.A. City. One street in the civilized part of the hike has the official nickname of Stuck Truck Hill. Open this hike on Garmin Connect
Echo Park Lake Victorians
Beth and I took the first of the weekend’s two stair walks in the Echo Park area late on Saturday with Secret Stairs Walk #12, which goes past some wonderfully restored large Queen Anne and Victorian houses, including one used as Don Draper’s childhood home (Mad Men). We got to see plenty of turtles, ducks,…
Presidential Primary Election – March 5, 2024
Here are my thoughts on ballot items for this primary election: National Elections Presidential Primary Joseph R. Biden. Because, you know… Women’s reproductive rights, human rights, the Supreme Court, climate change, American workers, Russia, truth, dignity, the future of democracy in the US, …. United States Senator Adam B. Schiff. Longtime supporter of the San…
Glassell Park South – Taylor Yard
Amie and Amy joined Beth and me for a Sunday afternoon figure-8 hike through Secret Stairs Walk #4, wrapping up a beautiful weekend between winter storms. With few staircases but lots of stairs, this hike gets some great views of Los Angeles, and also a hidden glen. Good news: no poison oak or rattle snakes….
Fern and Brown Mountain Truck Trails
Beth and I met Spyros at the Upper Arroyo Seco parking lots near the east entrance to JPL to try our fat-tire eBikes on Fern Truck Trail and Brown Mountain Truck Trail, which hikers and – especially – mountain bikers enjoy. This route had a more friendly elevation profile than our Mount Lowe Railway Trail…
Glassell Park – York and Beyond
Beth and I got the chance to go out on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to hike Secret Stairs Walk #3. There were only three staircases (four if you count our descent of the same stairs we ascended to start). We got to see flowers, some fall colors here in Los Angeles County, and lots of…
Mount Lowe Railway Trail
Beth and I took our new fat-tire eBikes up to Altadena to meet Spyros and ride Rail Trail #35 from Best Rail Trails California. The combination of a warm day and steep climbs wore on my body’s thermal regulation and also took a toll on Beth’s electric assist. Spy met us at Loma Alta Drive…
Franklin Hills East – Lyric Loop
Megan is visiting town, so Beth and I brought her along on Secret Stairs Walk #30. All of the time spent talking about life made the steeper longer stair climbs a little shorter. We caught some nice hazy views of sunset to the west and got to see lots of city lights coming on at…
Sierra Pelona
With a few days’ break between Atmospheric Rivers 11 and 12 this storm season, Beth and I headed back out in the mountainous wilderness of the Angeles National Forest. This time, we drove for just over an hour to the trailhead of Hike 3 from Trails of the Angeles, “Sierra Pelona.” The chapter on this…
Silver Lake Court
For this Friday afternoon-into-evening stairway walk from Secret Stairs, Beth and I covered Walk #27. For this one, we got to pass a couple of Easter Island mo’ai (which I now know are called mo’ai), a muddy dirt road more in-place in a rural woodsy area of the country, and a house/exhibit reportedly with a…