Sunken City is a section of parkway just east of Point Fermin Park in San Pedro that nature has reclaimed for its own. In the early 1920s Sunken City was a collection of high-end beach bungalows, a section of Paseo Del Mar Street and a charming walking trail very similar to the Cliff Drive section…
Wild Rye has gone through a couple of phases, including a stint as a sort of adventure blog. There were trail notes, gear reviews, and survival tips. Well, Wild Rye isn’t really an adventure blog now. But some of these posts are still informative and if you’ve gotten this far, by all means take a…
NOTE: This post was written in 2018. Some trails have been reopened. Others are closed because of 2023’s high rainfall. To find out more about trail closures in the Los Padres Forest, visit the Los Padres Forest Trail Association’s News link. Along with the loss of life and property caused by 2017’s Thomas Fire, there…
We’ve gotten to the point where it’s hard to imagine going anywhere without our phones. And it just so happens that there is a great crop of apps to enhance your experience outdoors. But just so we’re clear on this, no app is going to take the place of basic woodcraft skills. Think about it…
Los Angeles is such a sprawling place that you have to plan carefully how to explore. Matador Network serves up nearly two dozen free or cheap things to do in the city of Angels that give you a real taste of the city – arguably much more so than a trip to Universal Studios. You…
White-tailed Kites are fairly common around here. You often see them hunting in freeway medians. They have a characteristic way of hovering in one spot like…well, like a kite. I saw this fellow hovering at the base of the Mount Cleff Ridge in Wildwood Park. Slowly, deliberately the kite dropped ten feet, fifteen, feet, and…
Tom Stienstra picks ten of his favorite San Francisco bay-area outdoor locations for travelers who want to experience California’s uncharacteristically lush spring this year. In this case “bay-area” is a metonymy for “Northern California”. Stienstra’s list includes: Yosemite Valley waterfalls Shasta Lake Tahoe, Heavenly’s Skyline Trail Santa Cruz Mountains, Silver Falls/Golden Cascade North Sierra foothills, Feather…
The Topatopa bluffs run from West to East, serving as a gigantic reflector for the Ojai valley. They are a numinous presence in much of the surrounding county. I can see them from my house in East Ventura. This weekend, however, is the first time I’ve hiked anywhere close to them. To hike the Sisar…
This particular track starts at Canwood Street just off the 101 Freeway at Liberty Canyon Road. It’s an easy hike over a spur trail out of Liberty Canyon through a shady oak grove and on to Cheseboro Canyon where the trail gets quite wide and flat. If you’re planning on biking then be advised that this first leg gets…
Note: This post was written before the Thomas fire which killed one of the trees. A replacement tree was planted. Both trees appear to be struggling now. The trees are being cared for by the Rancho Venture Trust. Hikers are being asked to stay off the land until it recovers from the fires. Perched on…
When I think of Pinterest I think about knitting. It wouldn’t be my go-to-destination for planning my next big adventure. And I’d be wrong – check out these pinboards listing the best hiking trails in the world. While you’re at it, check out the boards for outdoor gear, camping trailers, canyoneering and bushcraft. SEE ALSO…
Lesson to be learned – one shouldn’t go from zero adventure to 8 on the strenuous meter in a single day. I’ve always wanted to hike to the top of the TopaTopa bluffs because, you know, they are there. So when Jeff put out the invite and said the trail was 10 miles (which I…
If you hike then sooner or later you will have to deal with ticks. These cunning relatives of the spider wait on the ends of leaves and grasses for an unsuspecting mammal to brush past and then climb aboard for a free lunch. Alicia MacKleay provides a comprehensive guide to dealing with ticks on and…
Peter Strauss Ranch is a great place to explore, picnic and introduce kids to hiking. The 0.6 mile Peter Strauss Trail is one of the best places in the Santa Monica Mountains to hike with children who are at that awkward age – too big to lug in a backpack carrier but not quite ready…
I’ve been running in Vibram Five Fingers off and on for three years now and they are not the miracle shoes that some would have you believe. For one thing, you won’t win any fashion awards. My college-age daughter won’t be seen with my in public when I’m wearing my Five Fingers. And for another…
