Hiking to the Tree

The tree above has loomed large in my life over the last few years. It was the ninth hike that I took here in SoCal of so many years ago to Cahuenga Peak and I didn't event know HOW to pronounce Cahuenga, such a newbie I was.  It is also a tree that you can see from most freeways as you go around LA, look up and there it is on the solitary West shoulder of the ridge that leads to the Hollywood Sign.

Life has been getting in the way of me getting outdoors but with the schedule clear and the temps low for SoCal, I had no excuses other than my own apathy to get back on the trail.

Of course, looking at the vertical climb awaiting me to Cahuenga Peak, part of me wanted to turn back to the couch. Its 900+ feet over about a mile and half and while not terrible, it certainly is for someone like me whose hiking muscles have atrophied into a slightly thicker consistency than pudding.

On I trundled though gentle reader taking many a rest break on the rough and tumble trail.

Seriously though, I don't remember the trail being so worn down and steep from the last time I hiked this puppy. I think this is partly due to how popular the trail has become. I certainly saw a lot of hikers and dogs on the trail which can contribute to a trail's erosion.

As you hike higher up the trail, the beauty of LA surrounds you. The infamous Hollywoodland Dam:

LA in all of its smoggy goodness.

and the rest of the mountains that surround this town (its not just beaches and swimming pools), this hike gets you above it all in a hurry.

As the weather turns cooler, I am going to be turning up the heat on hitting the trails. I have a trip to Hawaii coming up that will great in checking out some trails on the other-other coast. I hiked almost 52 weeks during one year and was completely burned out. I haven't hiked in 2 months and felt lazy. I thinking about landing somewhere in the middle and cutting some dust!