The View to There: September 2020

Monday, September 21, 2020

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Hike: Mesa Peak (and beyond), Santa Monica Mountains / September2020

Hike: Mesa Peak (and beyond) / Santa Monica Mountains / September2020

As many activities are off limits or shuttered because of the pandemic, much of our weekend (and extended weekend when applicable) plans consist of hiking in the amazing outdoor lands that nature provides us all over California. And as those options are even further limited as ALL national forests are currently shut down due to the unprecedented wildfires, we are temporarily forced to stay close to home... which in this case means, hiking around LA - not a bad thing of course!

So it's time for a trip to Mesa Peak hike, Santa Monica Mountains.

One of the only wilderness areas in California - at least the greater LA area - that is not closed. This is 6 miles, not 4.3. I would add the views are great - except with the recent fires all over southern, central and northern CA, the blanket of lazy ochre-colored haze that is covering the area most certainly hinders the views you would get - in any direction. I can only imagine how nice and distant they would be if we weren't getting an awful lot of that smoke from the east and north. Regardless the hike itself is a good leg burner. Not too strenuous, but it definitely makes you work for those 3 miles up (and down.) At the top (at the picnic bench) you can extend the hike in numerous directions if you are feeling adventurous (which I was.) Definitely worth doing at least once.

Length: 9.6 miles / Elevation gain: 1,500' / Highest Elevation Point: 2,250'