All my weekday bike workouts combined with the weekend rides around Sullivan Canyon have gotten me to the point where I think I am prepared to handle a long ride out and back from the Westridge Fire Road to Topanga State Park. This Reseda Backbone Area and Topanga State Park map gives a good general idea of the the route we’ll be taking; I think we will aim for Eagle Rock and then see how far we feel like pedaling after that.

The great thing about my CamelBak backpack is that it is roomy enough to carry a nice sized lunch for two people (or even a six pack of beer if you really wanted ), in addition to a 70 oz. hydration bladder, so I have yet to run out of fuel on a ride. The down side is that it weighs a little bit more when it is all loaded up, and sometimes heavy items get lost at the bottom of that roominess–like the bike lock I rode around Sullivan Canyon with a few weeks ago. Grrrr. But I guess the extra weight helps make my legs stronger…hopefully strong enough for the ride to Topanga and back!

At any rate, Topanga State Park is a great destination for hiking and biking, so here are some links for more information:

• Bike Map Dude: Topanga State Park Featured Rides
• Modern Hiker: Hiking Eagle Rock and Temescal Peak
• Topanga Nature/Wildlife
• GORP: Sullivan Ridge/Backbone Trail

I’ve been avoiding anything coastal for the past few weeks because it has been really hot and it seems like everyone and their brother has been heading to the beach. However, I just read about the California Coastal Trail and now I am feeling ambitious enough to brave the crowds for this great hike. One of the coolest things about the hike is that it is more like a project, since it runs the entire length of the state and would be impossible to do in a day or even a week. I like the fact that I can hike it in sections, eventually completing each section so that one day I can say, “I hiked the entire California Coastal Trail!” For now, though, I will be content with checking out the Los Angeles and Ventura County sections. Especially with all the wildfires raging up north.

I would love to take Big Old Dog, because I am totally inspired by this article about Hiking with Dogs on HikingForums.net, but I am not sure if he is actually allowed on the trail. I wouldn’t even mind if they required dog leashes for the trail (although I am sure Big Old Dog would be a little disappointed!) I guess I will research that a little more before heading out.

Here are some more great links about the California Coastal Trail:

GORP: Hiking California Coastal Trail

California Coastal Commission: The California Coast Trail

Hike on the California Coastal Trail in Southern Marin County

The California Coastal Trail

The Memorial Day weekend actually worked out fantastically for fun close to home activities. We hiked the Gardenland Trail to the overlook at San Vicente Mountain Park, which was a great variation to our usual Sullivan Canyon routine. The Garden Land Trail is a lot steeper than the fire road, so I was very happy in my last minute decision to change out of flip flops and into hiking shoes. I was also quite happy to be hiking it rather than biking it on my first visit. The climb is quite a workout! The Gardenland Trail isn’t as popular as the fire road so it gets a lot less traffic, which is great if you want to feel like your outside of the city for a few moments.

Here’s some more info for hiking in the Santa Monica area:

• Trail Map from Canyon Back Alliance
• Info from the Mandeville Canyon Association

We headed up to Ventura County yesterday to scope out Echo Cliffs. Partner-in-Climb (PIC) wanted to see how Big Old Dog would handle the trail before committing to a full day of climbing, and frankly, I am not quite ready to shove my nail-less toe back into climbing shoes just yet. (Yes, I know, that is not very hard-core outdoor-sy of me, but whatever. Unless I’m in some kind of competition, I don’t engage in personal discomfort unless it is an absolute emergency. :P)

But I was really up for a hike, and we had the perfect day for it. We parked at the Mishe Mokwa trail head parking lot and headed up the connector trail, then down into the canyon. The view from the trail is amazing. There were a couple of climbing parties set up on along the large wall, and another party on Balance Rock. I found this close up of Balance Rock online:

You can see it above Echo Cliffs in the first picture, but this close up gives a better idea of the kind of precarious perch the rock balances on.

PIC has climbed at Echo Cliffs before, but usually turned down a side trail to head straight to the climbing spots. We attempted to take the side trail, but Big Old Dog was struggling to keep his footing, so we returned to the main trail and followed it down to Split Rock. The main trail is incredibly accessible and easy to hike. There were a few trail runners, and we encountered several groups of older hikers who were doing fine with just a little help from trekking poles. After some scrambling on Split Rock and a quick snack, we headed back to the car. Big Old Dog seemed to make it back with no problems and was moving around pretty well today, so I think we’ll be heading back to Echo Cliffs in the very near future.

I also found a couple of cool sites while I was looking for info on Echo Cliffs and the Mishe Mokwa Trail, which I will be adding to my blogroll, but you can check them out here in the meantime:

• Rockgrrl.com
• GetBeta.com
• The (Single) GeekHiker

Here’s an ingenious way to keep your beer cold and refreshing during a long hike: a backpack cooler! Check out the whole story at Gizmodo.

It’s been weeks since I have been out in the wild, partially due to a very rainy winter (I know, I should not complain, we desperately need it), an arthritic dog and general laziness on everyone’s part. However, before this long hibernation set in, we took an amazing Thanksgiving trip to Bishop, CA, and passed Vasquez Rocks along the way. I have been really fascinated by these beautiful rocks for a while, but I haven’t yet had the chance to visit them. Perhaps this weekend, if the weather holds like it is supposed to…

Although Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park is reportedly a great place for hiking, climbing, and general outdoor fun, they are best known as the backdrop for TONS of films and TV shows, from Dracula (1931) to Cars (2006); Trekkies will no doubt recognize the rocks from both the original Star Trek series and TNG.

The rocks are formed by the San Andreas fault, so I am really anxious for a chance to scramble around and explore, but I totally need a camera upgrade. I am still carrying around my Canon PowerShot from 2004; I think it’s the PowerShot S60. It does the job but it totally looks like it’s been through a war. It’s partially my fault; I took for granted that it was rugged enough to survive me. For my next camera, I am totally getting a good camera case from day one. It’s worth it.

Santa Clarita Guide to Vasquez Rocks

Vasquez Rocks Official Site

I just found out a local astronomy club has Star Parties there, and I think that sounds like a lot of fun, since it provides an opportunity to be at the rocks after dark (the park usually closes at sunset.)

Directions from Los Angeles: take the I-5 North to the 14 East (Antelope Valley Freeway.) Exit Agua Dulce Canyon Road and turn left, continue to Escondido Canyon Rd. and make a right. The park is on the right.