weekends are for unplugging and working on real tans instead of catching fluorescent office rays and the glow of computer monitors. that’s why last weekend, i went on a hike to a waterfall.
it was friday night– my friend, karin, and i just got turned away from the wait list for a musical improv show at upright citizens brigade so we sped down sunset boulevard blasting the “guilt mix” on my ipod. basically we were screaming a bit of this and a lot of this at midnight. we stopped at brite spot and each ordered an irresponsible amount of dessert. maybe it was the sugar rush or the disappointment of the sold out show but the urge to go on a spontaneous adventure took over. we started researching our options and it turns out, hey– there are a lot around LA.
fields, waterfalls, and forests were on the top of the list. after karin left, i passed out fully clothed googling waterfalls and wildflower fields at 2am.
first choice was antelope valley’s poppy reserve because holy crap those photos are gorgeous. however, we let out a whimper when we saw a current photo of the field. basically, it looks like a barren desert when not in season.
all good though. we ended up hiking to sturtevant falls at angeles national forest on sunday. knowing that there was water and climbing involved, i knew better than to challenge my…uh…sub-par motor skills by carrying an SLR. thus, hello average iphone photos.
the drive only took about 20 minutes from east LA. you’d think you escaped the infuriating traffic once you’re up in the mountains but we circled the parking lot for half an hour before giving up and parking perilously on the side of the road further down on the mountain. guess it’s crowded on weekends. the park only charged $5 for a parking pass and there was no entry fee. make sure you still grab a pass though even if you park on the side of the road– we saw a lot of people with parking tickets.
there were these cute antique cabins tucked away on the hike. apparently they were built between 1907 and 1936. interestingly, they’re now private property and available for residential sale.
in retrospect, going on a hike mid-afternoon in the sweltering heat probably wasn’t the brightest idea but we were pleasantly surprised. with very minimal exceptions, ample trees surrounded the trail which provided much appreciated shade. once we got to the waterfall, there was even a very cooling breeze.
the good thing about going on a hike with another photographer is that you feel less guilty when you pause to take a bunch of photos since you’re both doing it. i caught karin taking photos of the waterfall. i also tried making a video on instagram but hooray it crashed once i got back with network signal and it deleted the video.
by the end of the hike, the trail was nearly straight uphill. i transitioned into full whine mode but i just thought about the cake i was going to reward myself with and kept going. my legs and glutes are still sore from the hike!
anyway, if you’re in southern california, you should definitely venture over to angeles national forest. i know there’s no wifi or cell phone signal in nature but the beauty of an occasional getaway is worth prying ourselves away from our social media addictions.
{ wei never sleeps } 