Liz has been doing some training hikes with a Westside group. One of those was in Baldwin Hills where I posted that pic of downtown L.A. with the snowy Mt. Baldy backdrop.
This Sunday was in Pacific Palisades. The Leacock Trail ascends from Bienveneda Ave., a small enclave mostly spared from the fires. I've done many hikes through burn areas in the San Gabriel Mts. but I've never seen anything this lush, especially just one year after the Palisades Fire.
The charred skeleton in the foreground confirms we are hiking in the burn area. Those skeletons were the only plants higher than 3 feet or so, and they were only in scattered locations, which means most of this hillside burnt to the ground. As for all of that new growth, it has probably rained 20 inches here since the first of November. The small white flowers were extra abundant according to the local hikers.
View east over Century City:
View south over the still intact houses we drove by on the way to the trailhead.
The full length of Catalina is on the horizon. One of the hikers looked at the lush hills around us and said it looked more like Ireland than SoCal.
In this SW view you can see most lots in the foreground are empty from where houses burned down.
That's Santa Barbara Island, 50 miles distant, on the horizon.
Palisades Highlands was completely spared from the fire.
Here we view Skull Rock, where the Lachman Fire started Jan. 1 and revived in the wind a week later.
Zoomed view past downtown L.A. to San Jacinto, 110 miles away.
This is the infamous Santa Ynez Reservoir, empty during the fire..
Its cover is damaged and
will be replaced this year.
At our turnaround point after 3 miles and 1,200 vertical, Liz appreciates this Lab/Pyrenee mix.
On the way down Liz wanted to check out Skull Rock more closely.
Background view is south over Santa Monica Bay to Palos Verdes and Catalina.
Liz at Skull Rock:
We took an alternate path farther down.
This was one of three trail sections needing repair.
We drove out Lachman Lane and Akron St. Here's a rebuild in progress.
A local woman side that the prior house was only 6 years old and the plans were still around to expedite it.
This lot must have needed deep excavation and so now has a pool after November/December.
Commercial district of Pacific Palisades on the way out:
www.hotshotmovie.com
www.nytimes.com