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Around L.A.! 7.6 mi (12.2 km) |
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Don’t walk; Runyon, everyone!
I do a lot of hiking, but Los Angeles is pretty far from the nearest mountains. That’s why anyone who’s anyone in the City of Angels keeps their hiking momentum up with regular trips to Runyon Canyon!
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The canyon gets its name from coal magnate, Carman Runyon, who owned the canyon from 1919 to 1930, but before that, it had a stint in the hands of landmark-level camel driver, “Greek George” Caralambo! Today, it’s the place to be for people-watching, but especially for dog watching!
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Hiking Runyon Canyon, it’s not always obvious that it’s even a canyon! It’s kind of U-shaped with trails running up either side and a paved path running down the middle, only the western trail has been closed since January because of the record-breaking wildfires that struck Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and of course, these Hollywood Hills! The western side is the one I usually take because it’s more challenging, but I don’t foresee going back up there any time soon. Projects of any kind take a long time to complete in L.A.!
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The first uphill passes a tennis court then pauses at Inspiration Point, which is normally swarming with photo takers, but this was WeHo Pride weekend! That meant most of the neighborhood was elsewhere this afternoon, and I could take my time enjoying the sprawling views of this huge city I’ve called home for all these years. Heck, I could see my house from here!
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And you know what else I could see? A familiar face! Like I said, Runyon Canyon is a great place for dog watching, and I knew this dog, but it’s been a long, long time. Her name is Zaida the Rescue Poohuahua!
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I met Zaida back in 2018 when she rescued me from Gor stone demons in the Valley of Fire, near Las Vegas! Gosh, that was 49 dog years ago! I wonder if she still remembers me. Wait up!
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The most challenging part of this trail are the stairs, my old enemies from Bukhansan National Park and Petra, but thankfully much shorter! I was super impressed by how easily Zaida rocketed up these stairs, pausing only to look out over the canyon for the view!
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And she kept rocketing! I was huffing and puffing to catch my breath after the stairs, but those were nothing for Zaida, who leapt and bounded like a desert bighorn sheep! Runyon Canyon is pretty exposed, so on summer days, it can get pretty hot. Since it isn’t the longest hike, I’ll consider the heat to be the extra challenge I need to prepare for my next adventure in two weeks!
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I paused to catch my breath at the Locks of Love Fence, which started filling up sometime in the mid 2010s as part of a global craze in which couples attached padlocks to bridges and fences to show their unbreakable love. I haven’t had a reason to attach a lock of my own, but I do have a few spares at home. That’s not a bad idea… Wait, I’m getting distracted!
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Hooray! At last, I reached the peak and found Zaida waiting at the park’s most famous bench, panting just as much as I was! All around us was the clutter of a haphazard city with zigzag streets, but up here, it’s just high enough to get a break from big city chaos. I think that’s why I came up here for my 18th birthday back when I was just starting my adventures.
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Unlike that visit, this time, I had a bench buddy, and I was glad for it. Zaida was happy to have a friend too. Too often, she gets sidetracked by her high-demand job running a real estate ponzi scheme, she said. She licked me on the face and said we should get ice cream. Her breath sure has gotten smellier than when I saw her last, but that didn’t take away from my overpowering interest in a cool treat!
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With one last look out from the summit, marker, I took a deep breath in and out. The music festival way down on Santa Monica and San Vicente was so loud that I could hear it all the way up here! I didn’t mind not being jostled by crowds though.
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So, Zaida and I boogied our way back down to the trailhead and went for ice cream at Mashti Malone’s down the street. It’s a storied Persian ice cream shop that has lovely rosewater faloodeh with fun crunchy rice noodles. It’s truly the perfect way to conclude a training hike. Zaida did not use a spoon. I decided not to either. Sometimes, a beaver’s gotta beav.
Catch you on the trail!
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Total Ground Covered: 7.6 mi (12.2 km) |
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