view obscura

Last weekend we took a hike at Temescal Gateway Park and realized: Never go hiking in a popular place in the late morning on a weekend. The trails were a little more crowded than I would have liked (isn't the point of hiking to get away from the hectic-ness of the city?) and, to top it off, my camera battery died less than halfway into our hike. There was also fog hiding the ocean view that I was craving.

But enough of my whining--I'll share the photos I did capture in that first half hour or so. I really love this hike, so I'm sure I'll be back (it's actually pretty close to our home--just up Sunset Blvd.) so I can show you the real view and other pretty parts.

 The fog may have obscured our view of the ocean, but we could still see the multimillion dollar mansions of Pacific Palisades.

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

dry dry desert

oasis

We didn't know about this oasis until we were at the Salton Sea State Recreation Area, looking at one of those little four-sided map/wildlife poster pavilions. A flyer listed "Ten Things to Do In an Hour or Less" and the oasis hike was #4. It turned out to be one of the coolest parts of our day-- it was so unexpected to see a lush, tropical patch of palms in the middle of the desert!

It kind of felt like Jurassic Park. I also joked to Dane about how cool it would be to get married/elope in the middle of it (don't worry Mom, it was just a joke!).

renewed focus

You may have noticed that I haven't posted in quite some time, and I apologize! In December, besides rushing around trying to get it together for the holidays, I was working quite a lot while training for a half marathon. However, I finally have secured a full time job that I'm happy with and my race is on Sunday, so I feel like I have time to return to lionheart.

During my blogging hiatus, I took some time to think through how I wanted to blog in 2013. This online world can come with a lot of pressure sometimes--there are so many blogs out there that crank out one or more posts every single day, are always creating new recipes and crafts and outfits, and it can get exhausting trying to keep up. So I asked myself: what do I want to blog about? The question seems simple (and I asked myself this when I first started) but I arrived at a new answer this time. This is a not for profit blog (I don't have sponsors or ads), so I can write about anything without outside pressure. Yes, I want to share recipes and crafts with you, but only if they are something I will truly eat or use. After moving to LA, I don't exactly have the disposable income to be making daily trips to Michael's anymore! The posts I have loved writing and revisiting the most are focused on places I discover (near and far) and the adventures I find along the way. So in this new year, I plan to write more about where I'm going and I'm up to, with the occasional recipe/craft when they so arise. I'm aiming to post 2-3 times per week.

The design of the blog will be tweaked slightly to reflect my new focus. Don't worry, I don't know enough about graphic design and HTML to change it too much!

These are photos of the Love & Peace Spiral at Runyon Canyon, taken during a hike with some dear friends on New Year's Eve. I don't know who built it or maintains it, but it is a lovely and inspiring place.

It's great to see you again!

canyon hike

I had hoped that this hike through Big Santa Anita Canyon would have been more "fall color"-ful than it was, but that might be the only complaint about this absolutely beautiful hike (do the trees EVER turn in Southern California?). Since I had worked out near the beach that morning, I had one of those California moments: I can say, "I was on the beach in the morning and in the mountains the same afternoon."


I really love how hiking is so popular and available in Southern California. I've been on a few trails so far--one in Malibu, Topanga Forest, and Santa Anita Canyon--and all are different but gorgeous in their own way. Big Santa Anita Canyon feels like a world away from the hustle of LA, with mountain views, cool riverbeds, and isolated campgrounds.

This is not an easy hike by any means--crossing the river on logs and boulders, steep climbs, narrow trails around the edge of the mountain--and to top it all off, the shortest hike option is 5 miles. I would love to camp at the campground by this old hearth (this may be the only time I've ever used that word), a 3.5 mile hike from the pack station. No trailers, campers, or RVs here.

I'd love to visit more hiking trails, so if you know the area & have any suggestions, let me hear them!