Santa Monica Mtns in haze

bright lights

Paramount Ranch

 Paramount Ranch - as seen on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman!

Santa Susanna Pass

Looking towards the San Fernando Valley

Accidently found myself hiking in Santa Susanna State Historic Park yesterday when I found an opening in a gate whilst on a morning run. The park has many trails, but none are marked or labeled. Further, even though I'm still technically in Los Angeles, this is mountain lion territory, so I was a bit afraid to explore too much on my own without anyone knowing where I was (lest I get maimed and eaten). It had rained the day before, so the smog abated a bit, and I could see the snow-covered mountains in the distance and it was quite lovely. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera on hand.

I returned the next day, better prepared and with a partner in tow, but the smog had returned and the mountains in the distance were hardly visible.

Evidence of an old ranch that had burned.
(Fact: the ranch that the Manson family took over was around these hills)

"L.A. County Boundary Line"

Poison Oak  - the bane of my existence this spring.

A foggy day in Topanga Canyon State Park

Down Topanga Canyon lies Topanga State Park. A quiet foggy day in the park, I was ill prepared for any major hikes, so I largely just wandered through the fog for a few miles with the mule deer.

Off-trail I found an old tree swing

Couldn't help myself

Hummingbird Sage

driving down Topanga Canyon

Topanga Canyon Road runs through the San Fernando Valley, down into Malibu all the way to the Pacific Coast Highway (and the Pacific Ocean). A busy road cutting through many communities of LA, it quickly turns quiet and quirky as it winds slowly towards the Pacific.
This last trek down, it was strangely dreary and the filter used for most of these pictures seemed appropriate, if not a bit silly.
 

from the beaches of Malibu

Despite the fact that I hike to the beach with the kiddos every week for work,  I have surprisingly few pictures of the beach, and absolutely none of all the sweet things we see every week at the tide pools (star fish, octopus, whales, dolphins, seals, anenomes, sea slugs, etc)

Leo Carrillo State Beach

Leo Carrillo State Beach

Ventura/Los Angeles County Line

Zuma Beach

Coworker Dean waxin' his board on Zuma

coworker Ivy

Leo Carrillo State Beach

Looking south towards Malibu