Miss American Green Cross Trail & Seven Trees Trail (Library Trail) - Brand Park/Glendale, CA

March 29, 2017

Ditch the crowd in Griffith Park! Brand Park offers a great hike with fantastic views and it's less crowded. The trail is steep, however, and you can choose moderate or extreme. The reward from the top is a Wow! It's part of Verdugo Crest Loop with great views of LA cities and mountain ranges far and near. The park also has some interesting local history, so it's fun to spend extra time to explore....Brand Library/Art Center, Miss American Green Cross statue, Japanese garden and Doctors House museum. Brand Park is really beautiful and peaceful with flowers and trees.

Miss American Green Cross trail and Seven Trees trail (aka Library Trail) are located behind the library. Miss American Green Cross trail gets extremely steep, so be warned. Most people choose to hike Seven Trees trail in/out, and those who want extreme workout or challenge may hike Miss American Green Cross trail to ascend and Seven Trees trail for descending. Once you reach Seven Trees Plateau (1,520 ft), take in a great view before you...wow! From there, if you wish, the trail continues up to the radio towers at Mt. Thom (2,440 ft) where some of the Verdugo mountain roads also intersect. The trail is super steep and a bit slippery, so respect your ability and a hiking pole would be useful particularly when descending. At the top, the reward is sweeping vistas in all directions.

The statue of Miss American Green Cross is a monument of American Green Cross reforestation history which is historically rooted in Glendale back in 1928. Brand Park is truly a hidden gem....two thumbs up!

Hiking distance: Approx. 2.5 - 3.5 miles RT depending on routes.
Gain: Approx. 715 ft to Seven Trees Plateau; 1,640 ft to Mt. Thom.
Ample parking and restroom available.

Video by Lifeisamt

Golden Canyon & Badlands - Death Valley NP, CA/NV

March 23, 2017

It's one of the most popular hikes in Death Valley....Golden Canyon and Badlands. Hiking through breathtaking vistas of the golden colored canyons and badlands is mesmerizing, and yet, awe-struck experience that leaves you unforgettable views and memory.

For a side trip along this route, Red Cathedral and Zibriskie Point are also worth the effort. The reward is a panoramic view of stunning beauties of Badlands. Two thumbs up!!

Be warned and well prepared for the heat with this hike. Carry enough water and a map. No camels available for a lift! :) Check weather and road conditions before your trip.

Trailhead: Golden Canyon trailhead on Badwater Road. Restroom available.
Distance: 7.2 miles round trip (Golden Canyon - Red Cathedral - Badlands - Zibriskie Point)

Video by Lifeisamt

Anza-Borrego Super Bloom Wildflowers & Bighorn Sheep 2017 - Anza Borrego Desert SP, CA

March 17, 2017

It's a super bloom! Anza Borrego Desert is exploding with wildflowers! I've never seen such beautiful desert flowers blooming so many.....I mean acres and miles! Thanks to Mother Nature....RAIN!!!...after several years of dry winter causing drought. Anza Borrego Desert State Park is California's largest state park (600,000 acres) and the second largest in the contiguous US after New York's Adirondack Park.

There are three main locations where wildflowers are spectacular in Anza-Borrego right now....Visitor Center Camp Ground Trail, Coyote Canyon and Henderson Canyon Rd. Stop by Visitor Center and get wildflower updates, map and directions to save time. The rangers are very helpful there.

Palm Canyon trail.....it's a 3 mile round trip hike featuring a native palm oasis. Wildflowers are abundant all along the trail. Also, the area is known for bighorn sheep. We saw some on top of a craggy ridge....they were climbing and hopping boulders! Binoculars are handy if you spot them in distance. Stay on trail and leave no trace behind!

Enjoy the wonderful display of wildflowers and beauties of Anza Borrego Desert! :)

 Video by Lifeisamt

Joshua Tree NP Desert Wildflowers 2017 - Joshua Tree National Park, CA

March 14, 2017

"Super bloom"...Desert wildflowers are bursting gorgeously in the south side of Joshua Tree National Park. At this point the best display of the flowers is seen in the desert along Cottonwood Springs Road just north of Bajada Nature Trail. Park your car carefully off the road where there is enough room to park, and make sure not to block the traffic.

Bajada Trail is also a good place for a little trek as it is a short loop trail displaying different kinds of flowers and vegetation to illustrate a variety of plants to grow in the area of "Bajada". It provides educational information about desert vegetations and ecosystem.

Barker Dam in Hidden Valley is very interesting as there is actually WATER...a reservoir....in the middle of a desert! This is a good time to go there so you can see the water in the dam as a result of the wettest winter's precipitation in CA. There is a short loop trail and you can hike and explore the area....bouldering, Native American petroglyphs, and sighting of Desert Bighorn Sheep if you are lucky! It's an oasis of Joshua Tree NP!

 Video by Lifeisamt

Super Bloom Walker Canyon Poppy Fields 2017 - Riverside County, CA

Attention!!! Please DO NOT CRUSH THE FLOWERS!....don't sit on, walk all over, stomp all over or pick the poppies! Once they are destroyed, there will be no seeds to produce for next bloom. Let's help conserve the beautiful wildflowers and ecosystem so that generations to come can also appreciate them. Respect, Preserve, Appreciate, Share and Enjoy!

Hiked on March 12, 2017

Wow! Wildflowers galore! California poppies are blooming in full swing!! It's like orange color carpets covering mountain hillsides everywhere!....spectacular wildflowers show case.

This is, as reported, one of the best years for wildflowers display due to the wettest winter CA had in years. It's a "super bloom" of wildflowers. Spectacular display of CA poppies illuminates Walker Canyon hillsides in Riverside County!

Main trail is wide and well maintained....easy to follow. There are also side trails that are a little steep, but views are spectacular from higher vantage points.

Watch out for rattlesnakes! We encountered one along the trail.

Have a great spring hike and enjoy the amazing display of wildflowers - California poppies! Stay on trail and DON"T DESTROY THE FLOWERS! And...leave no trace behind. HAPPY SPRING!!! :)

Urban Hike Griffith Observatory to Mt. Hollywood - Griffith Park/Los Angeles, CA

March 9, 2017

Griffith Observatory and Mt. Hollywood are, perhaps, two of the most popular hikes in the heart of Los Angeles. Besides tourists, trails to/from Griffith Observatory is no doubt LA locals favorite hiking/workout spot. There are many trails you can choose from and interconnecting one another within Griffith Park which is the world's largest wildland within the boundaries of a major city. Trekking up to Mt. Hollywood from the observatory is fun and one of the popular routes in Griffith....and views on the way and from the top are fantastic. Enjoy sweeping views of the greater LA in all directions, and city lights at night are spectacular!

 Video by Lifeisamt