Simple Knit Beanie

It's getting a little bit chilly here in Southern California so it was time to break out the knitting needles and do something I've been wanting to for a long time: knit a beanie! I don't have a good beanie for backpacking, skiing and other general outdoors activities, so this was a perfect rainy day project. The beanie is very simple, with a k2 p2 around for the brim and a straight stockinette stitch for the rest. I knit it on circular needles, which are my new favorite thing.

Simple Knit Beanie

Here's what you will need:

-1 pair of US size 8 circular needles (16")
-3.5 ounces of medium weight yarn (something soft and warm so it won't make your forehead itchy)
-1 set of US size 8 DPNs

I used this pattern with a few of my own adjustments. I found that subtracting 2" from the brim wasn't quite enough for a nice, tight fit. I have started subtracting 2.5"-3", depending on the bulkiness of the yarn. I also make the brim 5"-6" thick. Luckily, this is a forgiving pattern and it doesn't take long to churn one out. It's easy to develop a feel for sizing the beanie after you make one or two.

After knitting a few of these for myself, my boyfriend and my sister, I got to try them out in Joshua Tree. It got down to right around freezing both times I have used it and I am very satisfied. The tight knit kept my head warm through the day and all night. My only takeaway is to use a VERY soft yarn, as a little bit of wear can make the beanie scratchy and itchier than initially anticipated.

Happy knitting!

Bushwhacking near Ryan Mountain

What started out as a hike to Lost Horse Mine via Ryan campground turned into an off-trail bushwhacking adventure south of Ryan mountain and east of Keys View road. After setting up camp at Ryan campground, we headed east down the California Riding and Hiking Trail (CRHT). After missing the 90 degree right turn, we turned around and headed west on CRHT, but missed the turn again! Finally, on the third try we were able to spot it. For your own notes, the turn is east of Ryan campground and right next to a National Park Service sign noting that the you are in a fragile burn recovery area. It's just after the CRHT makes a sharp(ish) left turn heading East.

South of CRHT & Ryan Mountain, Looking West

It was clear that this trail is not actively maintained and you should be confident in your backcountry navigation skills if you're going to head in this direction. Sections of the trail appear to be a long abandoned access road. Other sections will make you wonder if you are on any sort of trail at all! We wound up between a few small hills directly South of the CHRT turn off. This area was absolutely perfect for some backcountry camping so we will be back soon.

After passing through the hills, we started to turn slightly southeast and down into a wash. We hit what appeared to be a junction, consulted the map and made a left turn. There were plenty of footprints in this area, and the left turn appeared to be more heavily traveled. Post-hike analysis of the GPS trek and the trail map have indicated we should have continued straight, so this must have been the beginning of our backcountry bushwhacking adventure. We wound up eastward through a wash that had clearly been traveled by many before us. The scenery started to change as we gained a little bit of elevation. There was more shade and even a few pine trees as the trail narrowed and continued along a fold in between the hills.

Heading Through the Wash

We finally traveled far enough up the wash to where there was no longer a clear path forward. It was getting late in the afternoon as well, so we decided to turn around and bushwhack our way back to the trail junction. The hike back was smooth with one small exception: I walked straight into a cactus. When you have to really concentrate on finding the trail, punting a small cactus is easier than you might think. After continuing skin irritation and a little research, it turns out I bumped into a silver cholla cactus. They are native to the region and left mosquito-bite looking bumps on my legs for a few weeks. Luckily, it's all healed up now and the marks are barely noticeable.

Overall, this was a beautiful area of Joshua Tree and we noted a few great looking backcountry camping locations. We were disappointed about not making it to Lost Horse Mine, but I am really looking forward to the backcountry camping areas we scoped out. Another great thing about exploring roads less traveled is the opportunity for solitude. We didn't spot a single soul (except the bunnies of course)!

Willow Hole via Boy Scout Trailhead South

Joshua Tree National Park at long last! I have been looking forward to this trip since the government shutdown forced us to cancel our first trip. We arrived at the park around 10:00 AM Saturday morning, planning to car camp and do a few 7-9 mile hikes but every campground was already full. Lesson learned: call ahead next time, and plan to camp on the trail. Due to an unfortunate series of events, we didn't have our tent and sleeping bags on us and we had planned to sleep in a campsite in the back of the truck. So, long story short, we called an audible and turned an overnight trip into a longer, one day trip. Looking for campsites had already killed over an hour, and noon was approaching so we needed to get on a trail. We settled on Willow Hole via the Boy Scout Trailhead South. Given the amount of time we had, and the fact that we would be driving home that night, a 7 mile hike was just what we were looking for.

Boy Scout Trailhead South

View Northeast From BST

The fastest way to access the Boy Scout Trail is through the West Entrance in Joshua Tree (the city). Head south on Park Boulevard and you will eventually see the trail markers on your left. There was plenty of parking, even though we arrived at noon and the park was packed. There is a back country registration board at this trail head, in case you plan on spending the night. Just be sure to camp on the West side of the trail, the East side is Day Use Only area.

Willow Hole Junction

Travel about 1.25 miles north on the Boy Scout trail and you will come to the Willow Hole junction. The first 1.25 miles is mostly flat and takes you through a forest of incredible Joshua Trees. It's very well marked and both trails are well-traveled. Bear right to head into the Wonderland of Rocks and on to Willow Hole!

I'll put a short disclaimer here: while the trail is very well marked, it's crucial to pay attention to your surroundings. The Wonderland of Rocks is a famously disorienting and confusing place. Having a reliable compass and an accurate topo trail map is an absolute MUST for heading off this way. We also brought our Garmin Oregon 450t with pre-programmed waypoints. Pay attention to trail markers and don't wander too far off the trail without confidence that you can navigate back with your map and compass - visual landmarks are not reliable for navigation here.

The Wonderland of Rocks

Willow Hole is about 2.5 miles from the junction. The terrain stays much the same for the first mile, but then begins to change as you head deeper into the Wonderland of Rocks. You will pass by a small trail marker pointing north to Outer Mongolia, and might be lucky enough to see some rock climbers scaling it's face. Keep heading northeast into the Wonderland, and you will start to encounter some new scenery and terrain. The rock formations start towering above you and the plant life starts to change slightly. While the beginning portion of the trail offers no shade at all, there are plenty of large rock formations and bushes right next to the trail that provide some shade and resting points if necessary.

The Wash

The last portion of the trail follows a large wash, so expect your progress to be slowed. Be careful to follow the posted signs and other not-so-natural looking trail markers to stay on the trail. Occasionally it leaves and re-joins the wash, which could be confusing and disorienting for someone not paying close attention to the trail. Take note of the small flowers and other plants that would not survive outside of the cooler wash area. We also heard a lot more birds singing on this part of the trail than at earlier points.

Willow Hole

Keep traveling through the wash as it bends slightly south, and then back to the north. Enjoy the magnificence and beauty of this complicated environment. The boulders and rock formation tower above, providing shade and relief for some of the smallest flowers. Stop and enjoy a break and the abundant shade at Willow Hole before either heading back to the Boy Scout Trail.

This was a wonderful hike and a perfect representation of what Joshua Tree has to offer. In just 7 miles, you can experience the vast forests of Joshua Trees and the diversity of the Wonderland of Rocks. I highly recommend this trail for a half-day excursion in Joshua Tree.

Bottle Cap Coasters

I can't help but save all of our bottle caps. Maybe it's from playing a little bit too much Fallout, but I just can't bring myself to throw them all away. The last couple of weeks I've been on a mission to find something to do with them, and this is what I came up with. Well, I take that back. It's not really fair to say I came up with them, it was actually my sister's idea and I'll be shipping these six to her tomorrow. 

These coasters are a great way to recycle extra bottle caps and cork board and I love the unique feel they add to our apartment. Here's what you will need:

-Bottle Caps (9 per coaster)
-Cork (1/4" thick)
-Glue Gun
-Hot Glue Sticks (~1 per coaster)

Line up your bottle caps on the cork, three caps wide by three caps tall. Then add a generous glob of glue to the underside of each cap, and place it on the cork. Be careful, the caps will get really hot. You will have a little bit of time to adjust the positioning of the caps, but not much, so I find it helpful to lay them out beforehand. Wait for the glue to cool and harden, then cut the coasters out of the cork board with a sharp knife or sturdy scissors. I like to cut the four corners at an angle to finish it off. And there you go! A nice new set of bottle cap drink coasters!

*Update: A few of my bottle caps have been popping right off the hot glue because of the smooth plastic coating on the inside of the bottle cap. If the glue remains attached to the cork (which I have found is always the case), just add a dab of craft glue or superglue to the top of the hot glue glob, and stick the cork right back on. This has been working perfectly for me and it's a quicker fix than hauling out the hot glue gun.

Happy bottle capping!

Mugu Peak Trail (Malibu, CA)

Ray Miller Trailhead

Mugu Peak at last! My hip was finally feeling well enough for a longer hike so we decided to head to Santa Monica State Park in Malibu. We combined the La Jolla Canyon Trail with the Mugu Peak Trail for a nice 6.5 mile (round trip) trek to Mugu Peak. It was about 20 minutes farther up Pacific Coast Highway than the Escondido Falls trailhead, but it was definitely worth the drive.

We started the hike at the Ray Miller Trailhead and headed straight onto the La Jolla Canyon Trail toward the La Jolla waterfall. The trail is very well-maintained, but it was evident that a large fire had just recently routed the area. We headed past the remains of a pubic bathroom into the canyon area. Our first waypoint was the seasonal La Jolla canyon waterfall. It's about 6-7 feet high, and if we had been here in the spring, we would have needed to ford the small creek to continue along the trail.

La Jolla Canyon Waterfall

Just after the seasonal falls was a very small set of switchbacks (there were only two or three). We gained a little altitude and kept heading back into the canyon. This was a nice part of the trail because it is heavily shaded as you hug the hillside. Soon after we hit the main elbow in the trail. Head right to continue on the La Jolla Canyon Loop Trail, but veer left like we did to head to Mugu Peak. Both trails will get you to the top, but the Mugu Peak trail is a bit shorter.

Ocean View

We wound around the hillside and came out of the canyon and were met by sweeping views of the ocean and surrounding mountains. It was an interesting time to be hiking in the area because of the recent fire. The landscape was barren, charred and seemingly lifeless but still beautiful in a very unique way.

We wound through the valley like area down toward a dry creek bed. This creek bed is a good marker for the final stretch up the mountain. Unfortunately, we picked a day with extremely high winds (we didn't notice the weather advisory before we headed out) and were unable to make it to the top of the mountain. Yeah, the winds were that strong! The view from the trail near the peak was incredible though. We could see for miles in every direction. I can't wait to go back when the winds aren't so bad and there is a little more green in the hills.

Looking Toward Mugu Peak

Overall, this was a wonderful hike and only moderately strenuous. It took us just about 2 hours factoring in the winds and a couple of picture breaks. I would strongly recommend it. The views from the top are well worth the thousand feet of elevation gain. We will post a .gpx file of the trek from our new Garmin very soon! And once again, another shout out to hikepeak.com for helping us map out this hike!

Government Shutdown

Well it looks like we are going to have to shelf our backpacking trip to Joshua Tree in a couple weeks unless the government can get itself together. I would encourage everyone to start writing their respective congressmen and women. Get involved because this is just downright silly.

Seascape Trail (Palos Verdes, CA)

I hurt my hip in the gym this week, so we had to cancel our plans to head to Point Mugu, opting for a nice stroll along the coast instead. We settled on Seascape Trail on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. It's short, level and very well-maintained. It's also wheelchair accessible and dog-friendly. We started at the South end of the trail and headed North along the cliffs. The unobstructed views of the ocean and tide pools below were breathtaking. It was a perfect 75 degrees with a slight ocean breeze. There are also benches all along the trail where you can just sit and soak in the view (in our case, sit and play with the new Garmin). 

There are also some less traditional trails that break off from Seascape and head down to the rocky beaches below. I've read wonderful things about the tide pools down there, but we decided not to risk my hip since the trail is a little bit steep with some loose dirt and gravel. 

If you're looking for an hour to spend outside, I would definitely recommend this trail. It's very accessible for people of all ages and abilities and the views are totally worth it. Keep in mind that the trail is heavily trafficked by families, runners and pets (and not everyone is nice enough to pick up after their puppies), so I wouldn't head here on the weekend for some real peace and quiet. It's also not a remote or civilization-free trail by any means. Just don't make the same mistake I did by looking up those beautiful houses behind the trail on Zillow, it just made me sad that I will never be able to own one! Last, but definitely not least, there is ample parking all along the trail and nature reserve area, and best of all it's free!

Backpacking Tech: Garmin Oregon 450t

We got our Garmin Oregon 450t today! We bought it off Amazon in preparation for our upcoming Joshua Tree trip. In the past we haven't taken any navigational helpers other than a detailed topo map and a compass, but we decided to invest in a Garmin for our trips into the desert. We went ahead and got the 450t, which has the 100k topo maps pre-loaded. The plan is to put in our waypoints and use it periodically to make sure we are on the right track. And in case we get lost, to point us in the right direction. It's important to not screw around in the desert, especially with no viable water supplies.

UPDATE: We didn't end up going to Point Mugu because I hurt my hip at the gym. Instead, we settled on trying out our Garmin on Seascape Trail on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. More about this trail to come. As for the Garmin, it doesn't have the most user-friendly interface and I would strongly advise spending some serious time with it before you go on any real trips. It does give you a lot of options for planning out your trip though. You can manually add waypoints, and then turn them into a custom route. You can also download .gpx files from the internet, and load them into tracks. We tried both on our little hike and it worked out great. Since the waypoints can make it tough to gauge the actual trail distance, I think I prefer to use the track feature. We were also able to record our own hike on the GPS, and my survival expert hiking buddy (also boyfriend) is working on extracting a .gpx file to post here.

On the whole, it seems to acquire a signal quickly and it never drops out. We had it out and were playing with it for several hours (on maximum brightness) and the battery was still full by the time we left. So far, I am satisfied with our purchase, but I will be spending some more time with it to learn how to navigate through some of the otherwise confusing functions and interface.

Point Mugu is on the agenda for next week and we will have to see how it handles a longer, more remote hike through the Santa Monica mountains.

Escondido Falls (Malibu, CA)

My boyfriend and I are training for an overnight trip to Joshua Tree. It's been a little while since we have been out on the trail so we wanted to start easy and not very remote. After spending some serious time on Google, we settled on the Santa Monica mountains. Being South Bay locals, it was reasonably close but also far enough away from home to feel like we were getting out and doing something. We settled on the Escondido Falls. For the most part, it's an easy 4 mile hike straight out to the falls and back.

Looking behind us on Winding Way

The first part of the trail runs adjacent to a residential road, winding back in to the canyon. To be honest, I was a little disappointed that we had to spend so much time on the blacktop. After all, it was some good old dirt, rocks and bushes that I was really craving. This road provides sweeping views of the ocean and some very expensive homes. We went on a pretty clear day and could see all the way to the Palos Verdes peninsula, as well as the Channel Islands.

As you can see, we definitely weren't alone on the way up Winding Way. This seems to be a popular and heavily trafficked trail, so keep that in mind if you are looking for some real solitude.

As we hit the end of the blacktop portion of the trail, I was excited to get off the road and head into the hills. Everything was brown, dry and dusty but I can't complain. If you're native to SoCal like me, you'll know there isn't much green left by this time of year.

The best part of hitting the trail was the heavy shade. The trail follows a creek bed for most of the way, so there were plenty of trees and high bushes to keep us cool in the middle of the day. The only downside was that the creek was dry. From what I could tell, it's definitely a seasonal creek, but that just means we will have to go back in the spring!

Creek at the Lower Falls

After following the creek bed for awhile, we finally made it to the lower section of the falls. Since it was mid-September, there wasn't any water flowing, which made the small puddles of water at the bottom a little bit stinky. It was also pretty crowded down at the base, so we decided not to stay for too long. We headed to the right, where a steeper, rope-guided portion of the hike awaited.

To get to the upper section of the falls you have to be a little limber, and willing to do some basic rock climbing. It was worth the effort though. It was less crowded and more interesting. Still no water at the top of the falls, but I enjoyed the extra hike. Just keep in mind that going this extra distance requires relying on a slightly sketchy rope and some precariously placed branches. The waterfall was brown and dry, but still a neat sight. We could see where the water flows by the dried out moss. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the falls when they're green and wet.

The top of the falls

Overall, this was an okay hike. I will probably go back, but just so I can see it when water is coming over the hill. It was pretty crowded and there wasn't much of an opportunity for peace and solitude. The other downside of it being a popular, short and easy hike is the amount of trash near the falls. It looks like a popular spot for a picnic, and some people don't pack out their trash. Either way, I would recommend it if you're looking for a couple of hours to spend outside. Definitely go in the spring and early in the morning if you can. You will get to see water coming over the falls and might get to skip out on the crowds.

Last but not least I have to give a shout out to hikespeak.com for helping us find and map out this hike. If you have some time, I would recommend perusing their website for some great local hikes.

So, what did you think of Escondido Falls?