It wasn't raining at 6:30am so I drove west on US 101 down to the coast to hike the Zuma Ridge trail, a part of the Santa Monica Mountains. Dogs are allowed here. I took a south turn too early and ended up on Reseda Blvd, which took me to the Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park. The road came to a dead end here, right next to a gated community. Parking is $5 a car. The trails looked nice, but this was not my destination. I had to backtrack back on US101 and drive a bit further east.
Once I was redirected, it was a fast drive west on US101, then south on CA27, Topanga Canyon Boulevard, to the intersection with the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). This winding road meandered past nice homes, then through Topanga state park. These are some pretty canyons!
Traffic was more congested once I reached the PCH, but most of that traffic was heading east toward the big city. Busch Drive, my turnoff to the trailhead, was still 23 miles west. Just my luck that a vanload of hikers pulled up next to me and lingered in the parking lot before heading out. I was anxious to get started, but now I had to divert from my original peak hike and hit the canyon to avoid the crowd. Unfortunately, it got foggier at the coast, so that my entire hike in and around the pretty canyon was damp. The trail was very muddy and badly rutted from nearby equestrians. My shoes were heavily caked with mud, and sweat soaked me under the raincoat. The remoteness added a beauty to these hills, though. I only regret that I didn't have an entire day to devote to this area, so close to the ocean and surrounded by expansive hillside homes! It was my first hike on this trip with wildflowers off the trail.
The trails were all very well marked. I tracked the course using my app. We went toward the dry creekbed, along the "Scenic Trail," then back up toward the parking area to continue along the peak. We were alone, surrounded by oaks, chapparal, and singing birds. My only complaint was the heavy mud on my shoes.
The bus and hikers were gone as we continued on our uphill climb but the fog got denser. I couldn't see the ocean anymore. I had done three miles before starting toward the peak. There was no one around. We only saw one woman on the final half mile as she was heading up a steep side trail toward the peak. This would be a lovely hike on a clear, overcast day, with both ocean and mountain views.
All the cars were gone when I got back from my 4.5-mile hike. The fog was clearing up and I could finally see the Pacific Ocean, but now I needed to find a place to change into some dry clothes. I was wet and smelled. My app had stopped tracking my mileage and only gave me credit for 1.5 miles. My legs definitely felt like they got a workout!
s My next stop was Escondido Falls, a few miles on the PCH to the west. But once I got to the small trailhead parking lot, I didn't feel comfortable. A large equipment truck was taking up five spots, another group of teens was lingering, and the hike was on a paved road into a housing area. A sign warned users to not keep valuables in the car. I decided then to scrap this hike and get back toward the city, where the skies were clearing, to hike to the Hollywood sign.
But first I needed to warm up and change into dryer clothes. I couldn't do much about my wet hair, but I did have plenty of clean clothes to change into.
More later
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