Solstice Canyon: A Substitute for Fall Foliage

Aren’t leaves supposed to change color in the fall? Where are those burnt reds, those deep oranges and golden yellows? You’re right, we exempt ourselves from the changing of the seasons here in LA, and though it would be nice to see some fall foliage, I’ll gladly take a lack of seasons over those nasty east coast winters.

But then again, I’m from San Francisco so I’m pretty biased.

So in discussing this sentiment as I always do with my east coast friends—they really fight hard for their love of the snow “but we get to sit on our cafeteria trays and sled down the hills!” Yeah, but you also have to bundle up for a five minute walk to class and you are sweating by the time you get there.

I decided to interview an east-coaster about what a real autumn is like and any actions he has taken recently to fulfill this lack of sun-colored leaves.  Coincidentally, my interviewee is currently applying to med school so I asked his opinion on the nature-deficit disorder I discussed in earlier blogs.

So KP, what is a real fall like?

Starting at the end of September, so right now, and through October, October is the main thrust, the leaves start changing.  You never notice the first ten leaves that change on the tree, but all of a sudden you look up to an orange tree that just yesterday was green.

It’s comforting when they start to change, things are moving, life is going.

In LA, there’s no kind of change, everything stays the same…this signals progression like you are moving toward something. I miss that.

So since you couldn’t get that authentic taste of fall you decided to venture out in the LA area?

Yeah we went to Solstice Canyon in the Malibu, it isn’t too far from my house (downtown), maybe a twenty minute drive without traffic.  It’s right next to the Getty.

How did you choose this particular hike?

My friend and I chose it because it’s an off-leash park and we wanted somewhere to bring our dog Jack. There aren’t many places where dogs can roam free—he was so excite dthe second we got there.  We took him off the leash and he darted off the second we got there, into the bushes then would end up back on the trail with us.

Did you enjoy the hike?

Of course. Any activity outdoors and with friends is a great experience.  This particular hike was beautiful-really nice reveals at the top of the mountain-lined with wild flowers and huge oak trees.

So you would definitely recommend the hike?

Absolutely. But there is a bit of a degree of difficulty. There were quite a few forks where you can choose to go up the hill or you can just go around it. If you are looking for a more strenuous hike you can just go straight up the mountain.   We did more of a round-a-bout and it only took a couple hours.

There weren’t that many people on the trail either. That is another thing I love about hikes—the people you do meet on the trail are so friendly and looking to explore just like you are.  We met some great people from London..our dogs started smelling each other.

(For amore detailed description and some wonderful photos check out Nancy Orozco’s blog or  Nobody Hikes in LA website which links to other helpful hiking blogs.)

As a pre-med student, what do you think of Richard Louv’s new phenomenon, nature deficit disorder?

I think it is important, really important, though a bit of a vague idea. I think kids’ lack of nature is a big problem in our societ—people are not getting out into nature anymore, me included. I think most would agree, there are a number of ways and health benefits from getting into the wilderness-It gets kids to be active in an arena other than their living room or even the soccer field.

One problem is that people don’t even think to hike as an activity.  An activity for me is going to lunch somewhere, or lying on the beach, but a hike is such a good way to get out.  I do though think it depends on where you live.  For people in norcal, or in Boulder for instance, they have many opportunities to hike as opposed to kids in Los Angeles.

Hikes too are also hard to publicize, I don’t think its in our thought process. Our culture now is going to the gym and running on treadmills, that’s a sad thing.

Do you think your move to Los Angeles was affected by this gym-mentality?

Yes, though I do come from a place with harsh winters so treadmills are big during those months.  But further, I think the idea of nature in shifting in our society. There is now more ubran “artificial nature” if you will. People are fascinated by buildings, structures, concrete-not losing their appreciation of the outdoors necessarily but more losing the old idea of what “Nature” or natural is.

And in this shift, without realizing it, people are literally forgetting that wilderness exists.

Begging question now, what is natural. How do you define natural, what if I make a park, a man made park, is that natural, is that nature?

(Tangent- The idea of Urban Wilderness though is gaining popularity.

A blurb about it: "wilderness" is not a concept that is exclusive to remote, pristine protected areas…recognizing wilderness value in the urban, human-dominated landscape can help make our cities more livable and its citizens healthier…”-I will discuss this in my next blog)

Any last thoughts on your hike or nature deficit disorder?

I HIGHLY recommend the Solstice Canyon hike. I mean after I hike, I get pumped up, excited…to complete something is always a good feeling.  I had no idea they were doing research on these affects of wilderness too, I think that is great. 

I mean there is definitely something to be said about Henry David Thoreau's ideals-nature can be peaceful and calming; a place where I can reflect.  So I get both physical and mental health benefits from nature. And I feel lucky to have this appreciation.  I just hope future generations are lucky enough find this in nature too.  There is nothing else like getting “into the wild” if you will. 

Back to you Angeleans-I know the weather is heating up, but we aren't living in a New England blizzard here.  Get up, get out, get wild. 

Planet Earth on Earth

Today was a lazy Sunday—discussed the upcoming LA concerts with my roommates, scarfed down a plate of fish tacos with extra guac, and then watched four episodes of Planet Earth. 


Roommate #1: This nature stuff is CAH-RAYZEE


Roommate #2: I know. I can’t believe this actually exists.


Roommate #3: Yeah, it’s all in like ridiculous places—
—No! Wait, no you can find it…


Unfortunately I was in too much of a food coma to actually refute my roommates’ claims, so I will type it out instead. But, before writing my spiel about getting out into the wild, I did some web surfing about this issue and I found something shocking: there is now an official name for the current lack of wilderness in our lives— Nature-Deficit Disorder


Coined by Richard Louv in his bestselling novel, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder,he discusses the lack of “direct exposure to nature which is “essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional healthy of children and adults.” Is this too bold a statement?   I think not.  Nature provides a place to explore, to wander, to discover that which can’t be found within the four walls of the classroom or office building. 


In an article in Psychology Today, they discuss this issue and stress it’s importance, “A growing movement will continue to make the case that a meaningful human relationship with nature, shaped in children’s formative years, is crucial to our society’s practice of stewardship, its sense of community, and the strength of family bonds.” He goes on to further discuss the growing rate of obesity—we’ll save this fitness issue for another blog. 


Why is it that parents will readily drive their children to a soccer game, or buy the new “educational”  video game—what happened to the wild game?  And trips to amusement parks don’t count.  Yes you are getting in your daily thirty minutes of walking from one rollercoaster to the next, but Magic Mountain’s metal structures don’t exactly compare to the natural beauty of Mother Nature’s household.


In an interview with NPR host Steve Inskeep, Richard Louv discusses his novel: parents’ fear of letting their kids in nature, the benefits of getting kids into the wilderness, and a few small things parents can do to get their kids off the couch and into the wild.


So let’s take Louv’s advice and find some nature in the backyard of Los Angeles. Where else to begin but the big, blazing white Hollywood sign tacked into the side of Mount Lee? According to Guidespot's blog on Mt. Lee and Griffith Park, this is the largest publicly owned park in the United States, spanning over 4,000 acres.  There are over thirty hikes and fifty miles of trail one can take in this natural treasure but the one I recommend for LA lovers is the trek up Mt. Lee; it’s a solid workout which provides an up-close view of the Hollywood sign and a stunning panoramic view of Los Angeles county. 


So let's start slow as Angeleans...we'll take a walk to that Big White sign and start curing that Nature disease.  

TRIO: Your Voice is Your Choice

TinNiE drew me in immediately simply with the title of her blog, “Half the fun of the travel is the esthetic of lostness~” Not to mention her interesting use of small and lowercase letters in her blog name—this simple act of funky flavor follows throughout her writing. 

In the first several lines of her “About me” post, she immediately establishes a strong, spunky personality while exhibiting her ability to express her thoughts clearly.  In the writing world, if one sounds educated, people will be much more likely to respect his/her opinions and further, to read one’s blog posts.

In her introduction, she establishes her current mental state, age, and reason for traveling through her use of catchy vocabulary, parentheses, and ellipses. In the first instance, she pulls the reader in—we enjoy reading new innovative ways of using words and creating fun phrases. Dull word-choice is an instant turn off.

In her use of parentheses, she gives us a glimpse into her personal life “(and gloomy heart)” establishing trust with her readers.  This honesty, though a sad truth, is charming.  I am now a little more intimate with her as she tells her story.

Finally the ellipses-not my favorite technique in the English language, but I understand her use (though I think she overuses it a bit).  These “…’s” can be a cop out, a way to avoid having to express an entire thought clearly.  I think she uses it though, to wordlessly express her “feeling of lostness-(also a word she creates)” These ellipses show us she gets lost in thought and invites us to go along for the ride.  She offers her experience, but then calls us to complete the sentence.  And while this is a good technique, at times I think it is too fragmented, too distant.

In the end of her “About me” post, she quotes Mark Twain.  While a bit of an overused quote, I think this can be beneficial in that it gives the reader another opportunity to connect—possibly through a mutual love for Mark Twain or expressing her need for exploration by use of someone else’s words (who is conveniently a fantastic writer and phenomenal creator of voice).

In her blog post, It's okay to get lost (if you're not alone), she pulls in the reader with a quote—a thought she had while traveling.  She italicizes the quote inside quotation marks (which I’m not sure is grammatically correct?)  letting the reader know we are inside her head, once again inviting us into her experience.

She furthers this quoting by introducing a dialogue between herself and her friend while they are hiking on an unknown trail, giving us more personal insight into the adventure she is trying to convey. 

She also uses a technique in this story I have seen before, but mainly in poetry.  She repeats the three word phrase “we went on” three times before ending the story with “we were lost.”  The rhythm of this repetition establishes a distinct flow and feel to her writing.

Unfortunately, though, a few of the promising observations I made from her writing don’t necessarily continue throughout the rest of her blog post.  Though I appreciate her detailed descriptions, I get lost a little in her long sentences.  I am brought back in though, occasionally with her use of exclamation points-conveying both wilderness and excitement. However, her “about me” post, I believe, was a bit more inviting.

Likewise, she doesn’t link nor use metaphors which can seriously enrich the journaling of a travel log, bringing the reader closer to the source of adventure. When a reader can “see” and “hear” what the writer is experiencing, the blogger has mastered his/her voice.

Let's Get Physical

I currently attend one of the fittest schools in the country. If you are coming to campus you better be sportin’ a Greek T, a sports bra, or both.  This just might go for the entirety of Los Angeles as well—we like to look good. Can you blame us though? It’s a healthy (usually) lifestyle we live—gettin’ our thirty minutes of cardio daily and munchin’ on greens.  Unfortunately, though we are toning our quads, abs, and biceps, we are simultaneously polluting our lungs.

When I was a freshman someone told me, “running outside in LA is like smoking cigarettes daily.”  While this statistic may be false, there is some truth in this rumor.  So as I ask myself, is there any space in this town to exercise outside this thick blanket of smog? There is, most just don’t know about it.

This year, our gym extended its hours until midnight, the track is consistently packed until closing, and just about every one of my friends knows the exact distance of the campus circumference.  Further, the marathon and triathalon teams have a solid number of participants.

But unfortunately, the last time the “Outdoors Club” website was updated was in the Spring of 2006.

It appears that the campus community is concerned with getting in shape and looking fit solely through mile runs and regimented workouts.  But these on campus, in Los Angeles activities can be detrimental to your physical and mental health.  Running on concrete and treadmills puts tremendous strain on your ligaments, the polluted air is slowly infiltrating your lungs, and working out indoors or in circles hinders your body’s ability to wander, to relieve stress.

My campus though is not alone in these exercise constraints. In researching the Los Angeles exercise community online, my campus’ exercise routines rang even truer. Websites about gym memberships and fitness classes flood my Net searches while very few discussed exercising through hiking or non-machine and classroom activities.

What happened to “getting outdoors”?

This responsibility was taken on by only a few Los Angeles bloggers, one by the name of Hugo Martin, a former travel writer for the Los Angeles Times. Beginning his blog in 2009, Martin posts up to several times a month on a variety of activities one can partake in if seeking Mother Nature’s paradise—yes, there actually is an abundance of beautiful, idyllic escapes preserved in Los Angeles County.

How many can you name?

Don’t worry, Mr. Martin gives us the low-down, on each location. He even makes it easy for you to jot down notes for adventure proposals to your kids, dog, or in my case, gym-obsessed roommates.

He offers directions, best times to go, things to look out for, and even offers geological facts about each site.  In his outdoor adventures, there is something for everybody:

• For the more idle gazer, check out his blog, "It's not too late to see Bald Eagles," he even tells you exactly where the eagles nest.
• For the more adventurous (and a little crazy) type, his post "Mountain Biking on the Cheese!" he explains the trail and the wild life along the way.

His posts have been dwindling in past months but I hope to pick up at a similar location to where he left off. I want to visit hiking trails just as he did, but provide a more sensory description of the landscape.  And along with his geological facts, I will provide some historical background to give a better feel for the people and creatures that once populated the land.

Once in awhile, I’ll throw an interview in there to give an idea of what other visitors have to say about the site. And while these physical aspects are important, we can’t forget about the mental. So, I will continue to post about the health benefits of getting outdoors.

So check out Hugo Martin’s advice if you are looking for adventure, a wilderness marathon, or a breath of smog-free air. Let’s get those gym gurus, technology attached kids and stressed out every-bodys off the madness machines and into the wild.

Getting Into The Wild Isn't Just for Emile Hirsch

Calling all active Angelenos—

--marathon runners, power walkers, pet chasers, and even all you fist-pumpers. I think it is time to make like Princess Fiona and escape this concrete kingdom you call home (well, at least for a few hours). Take a look around the LaLa Land that surrounds you—that black asphalt tears up your knees, dogs don’t stand a chance against mobile machines, and is there really any room for fist-pumping? So I say hop on that horse with the white knight, or Shrek, if ogres are your preference, and take a ride into the natural wild side of this Megalopolis. I promise it exists and is calling your name.

I know it is tough to respond though, tough to break free of that trusty treadmill and routine walk around the block.  But believe me, exercising and exploring in a natural environment will improve your health, both in body and mind. So try. Alleviate the restriction of those four walls that surround you daily; escape the smog that blackens your lungs.  Breathe fresh, and easy.

A fairly recent resident of Los Angeles, I will be discovering with you for I came from a big city too, just one with a few more hints of grassy greens and forest groves.  I am a native of San Francisco (by native I mean born and raised);  I was spoiled there, for the first 18 years of my life and I’m not talking because I went to a private school.  This hometown of mine created spaces for shades of green, for natural lakes and wildlife, even a buffalo herd. And, venturing just outside its borders I could cross that big red bridge they call golden for a reason—it’s the pathway to the beautiful Marin Headlands and John Muir’s heavenly woods.

While it was difficult to wave goodbye to the coastline trails and goose families in the ponds of Golden Gate Park, in 2007 I made the move in down to Southern California to begin my freshman year of college.

So it has been three years now, and I still have yet to venture outside this rock-hard world of jackhammers and cement lanes. But I’m taking a stand now; no longer will I let those skyscrapers block my sunshine. So I begin my quest: to find some gems of nature in this concrete county as well as huge treasure troves just outside it. 

Want to join me?

Let’s start with a blast from the past: back in the 1900’s when the LA Baby was learning to walk, his size palm-tree feet stomped out the lush landscape and oak trees that once dominated the scene. 

Fortunately for us, he missed a few spots.

And fortunately for me, because I’m going a little stir-crazy and I think I know why—since I moved to Los Angeles, I was self-diagnosed with Nature Deficit Disorder.  My mind and body got muddled when I entered LaLa Land and I’m just now beginning my recovery phase. Watch out, you and your children may be suffering from this illness as well and I think I can help. 

Here are my credentials:

• My parents did everything in their power to get me out into the wild—going on weekend hikes and spending at least a week in a national park every summer.
• I have hiked and backpacked many parks on the west coast including Sequoia National Park in California, Olympic National Park in Washington, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Glacier National Park in northern Montana and Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
• I ventured to Europe and while I made sure to see the Hagia Sophia, I also traversed the wilderness in lands of abroad—Plitvicka National Park in Croatia, the Samaria Gorge in the Greek island of Crete, and the glacial cut fjords in the Jostedalsbreen National Park in Norway.   
• I love to breathe the fresh air of the redwood forests.
• John Muir is a friend of mine, or so I’d like to think and thus I follow his advice to keep nature close, “and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash (my) spirit clean.”   

As you know, one does not have to fly halfway across the globe to find nature’s magnificent mansions.  So, as I search for a cure to my Nature Deficit Disorder, I hope you will press the off-button on your elliptical, walk out of that stress box of a cubicle, and come with me to “explore our own backyard.”   I’ll let you bring that iPhone just in case we need a navigation tool, but know that Nature is always watching you. For as Emerson said, “Nature hates calculators,” so I’m sure it hates cell phones.