Besides my love of hiking, I also have a passion for space, particularly crewed capsules. In fact, I also run American-spacecraft.org, which catalogs the locations of the various spacecraft. Recently, the three capsules on display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles were temporarily moved to a new gallery and shown without their usual protective enclosures. I wanted to drive up and photograph them for the site.
Since I was in the LA area, I also decided to do a hike. I opted to hike up Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, which was not too far away from the museum. I arrived near the Trails Café and found parking along the street. I gathered my waist pack and poles and set off up the East Observatory Trail. This moderately steep trail works its way up toward, as you might guess, the Griffith Observatory. (FYI, no relation to that Griffith).
From there, I walked across the parking area to the Charlie Turner Trailhead to begin the second portion of the climb. I could see the summit from the parking lot. Tourists milled about, snapping photos with the Hollywood sign behind them, or next to the memorial for James Dean. Carefully crossing the road, I took the trail to start the second portion of this climb. Following the wide trail, it worked its way around the mountain with a gentler grade than the first section. Along the way, I quickly stopped at the Tiffany & Co. Foundation Overlook for a nice view of that famous sign. From there, I continued upward, passing Captain’s Roost, one of three folk gardens in Griffith Park, before reaching the actual summit (aka the Tom LaBonge Panorama). I snapped a few photos, but the west side of LA was still pretty fogged in, and the rest of LA had a bit of haze as well. I need to come up here on a good Santa Ana day.
I retraced my route down to the Observatory. I wanted to pop in and see if a friend was working, but they are closed on Monday. Instead of taking the East Observatory trail back to the car, I opted to take the West Observatory trail instead. Both rejoin right where I parked, so it was not an issue. I stopped off at the Trails Café and enjoyed a cold iced tea and part of a delicious chocolate chip cookie. With another peak crossed off the Lower Peaks Committee list, I changed my shirt and shoes and made the 30-minute drive to the museum to see those capsules. The actual hike was 5.31 miles with 1087 feet of gain that I covered in 1:45. There is one more LPC peak in Griffith Park, so I will be back soon.
I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and Arizona-Winter). Beyond attempting the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list a second time, I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.