Nov 17, 2009

Intermission


I started hiking in June. I'm not keen on most popular forms of workout, gyms bore me to death, but I always liked walking and the outdoors. I most often hike in Griffith Park, because I live close by, so it's incredibly convenient - especially at this time of year.


For those who are not from around LA: Griffith Park is five times as big as New York's Central Park, but also much more rugged, wild. It's also full of hiking trails of all sorts. The biggest elevation difference between the lowest and highest point must be around 12-1400 ft.

There is a considerable amount of wildlife around. Coyotes are a common sight, but deer, rabbit, lizards, bats, an wide variety of birds can be observed. At one point during the summer a large rattle snake was taking up residence in Amir's Garden, but I didn't actually see it.


Another common sight in the park is film crews. These pictures are caps from a music video parts of which were shot at the 'view point', aka heli spot. In the background is the Observatory. That spot provides a great view of half of LA. When you are up there it really looks like just the picture: The city bellow is laid out like a shimmering carpet.

10 comments:

Emma J said...

nice . . .

Margaret said...

shimmering carpet. I like that.

dive said...

Wow! I always wanted to visit LA for the architecture but now it looks like I'm going to have to pack hiking boots, too.
Wonderful, Vanda.

Vanda said...

Architecture, what architecture?

dive said...

Hee hee hee!
Vanda, as an architect I adore 'twentieth century tacky'. You do still have some fabulous stuff left over from the 1920s.
Plus of course I used to spend way to much time reading James Ellroy and playing Grand Theft Auto San Andreas so I have a kind of pervy love for the place.

Anonymous said...

I like the trail that starts up behind the zoo and makes it's way over to Forest Lawn. Your right about the coyotes. They are v-e-r-y common. I left the park once after dark and it was if they were lining up to jump the barricades and enter into the neighborhood. Lock your cats up.

btw: What trail do you favor?

Vanda said...

When I go with a group, it's whatever Bob, our leader choses, but we start from the Merrygoround parking lot. When I hike alone, I usually take a little traveled route around the Toyon Cyn land reclamation area. It's nice 4.5 mile hike, and the first 3 are a steady, but not steep uphill.

Petrea Burchard said...

I haven't hiked Griffith in ages, not since I moved to Pasadena. It's endless there, you can go all day. I have a soft spot for Bee Rock.

Emma J said...

Hey - isn't this

http://www.copenhagenize.com/2009/11/important-music-video.html

your music video? Thought you might be interested how it turned out.

Emma J said...

. . . or rather (sorry, I'm a bit sleep-deprived) interesting reactions to the video you highlighted.