It's a Pittie-full Life
  • Home
  • Travels with Tucker
  • Is it Tucker-Tough?
  • Precious Cargo
  • Renovating Rover
  • Tucker's Favorite Folks

Travels with Tucker

I'm not John Steinbeck and Tucker is certainly no Charley. But after our first year together travelling over 14,000 miles, criss-crossing America, hitting 17 states, I thought it was about time we started documenting our adventures.

After the Rains, Comes the Water(Fall)

3/31/2018

0 Comments

 
Southern California winters are a bit wet. Unlike Vancouver, where if Tucker and I didn't hike in the rain, we'd simply never hike, we could wait out the storms here in Los Angeles. After a year of fires, mudslides were imminent, and being in a canyon during a possible flash flood wasn't advisable. So, sadly, we had to take a couple weeks off from our quests for Mother Nature until she'd be more welcoming to our presence.

​Pete and his mom Nicole have joined Tucker and me on our mission to find Mother Nature here in the city. Once the sun shown again, our first venture was only fifteen miles from home at Ernest E Debs Park. There, we were treated to a lake atop a mountain.
Picture
​On occasion the hills secluded us from the surrounding urban environs,
Picture
But we were still reminded that in the distance, towering skyscrapers pierced the sky, and a city like Gotham was still within sight.
Picture
​So, the next weekend we decided to go just ten miles further away. Still within Los Angeles County, and only a forty minute drive on a Sunday morning, we found a place where Mother Nature still ruled.
Picture
“Why doesn’t LA look like this where I live?” Nicole asked.
​
Even she, with her backyard retreat to Griffith Park, was envious of those who lived in the surrounding neighborhood to this:
Picture
Technically we were no longer in Los Angeles City proper, but we were still in LA County. Monrovia Canyon Park is run by the city of Monrovia and is situated in the San Gabriel Mountains. We parked in a quaint neighborhood and walked the three quarters of a mile to the park entrance. There weren’t any spots available in the tiny lot in the park, but it saved us a $6 parking fee and gave the boys and us another mile and a half of walking in the wilderness.

Our main destination was the 30 foot waterfall, but when we climbed the Bill Cull Trail and came to a fork in the road, we took the road less travelled and not on my map: the overlook.
Picture
​Far, far into the distance, like Dorothy spying the Emerald City when she first begins her journey, the City of Angeles could be seen.
Picture
​At least, we speculated it was Los Angeles. It might have been Pasadena. It didn’t matter. From where we stood, the urban jungle was worlds away.
Picture
Here, ​Tucker knighted Pete into the Order of Backyard Brindles, naming him Sir Peter of the San Gabriels.
Picture
After the ceremony concluded, we turned around and climbed back down the 500 feet of elevation to the crossroads. There we headed in the opposite direction toward the water and the wild.
Picture
There was even a proper stream to cross.
Picture
The boys took sips from the stream,
Picture
Picture
​But afterward Pete cleansed his palette with his own LA city water from home. You can take the boy out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the boy.
Picture
​After venturing through forest lands, we came upon the waterfall that had been recently fed by the rains.
Picture
One thing for me to get used to is that there is very little privacy in the woods here. Vancouver’s forests were always busy, but the crowds of people always appeared to belong. With their backpacking gear, sturdy footwear, and layers of waterproof clothing, they seemed to have simply sprouted from the forest floor.  While there are some naturally outdoorsy people in Los Angeles, many visitors are obviously just that: visitors to this strange land of nature. They come wearing fashion footwear, carry no water reserves, and talk loudly, blare music (have you not heard of headphones?), and harbor no respect for the sacredness and power of nature.

The first portion of our hike to the overlook had been quiet and peaceful. Few people ventured that way, so when we arrived at the waterfall even Pete and Tucker were a little thrown off by the crowds. We hadn’t seen many people on the trail, so they speculated that they had all magically appeared at this precise spot.
Picture
Due to the line of people and throngs of families, I didn’t foresee us being able to snag a photo where everyone else had, so this photo of Tucker would have to suffice.
Picture
​After hanging out for a brief spell, enjoying the water and trying to block out all the people in this serene landscape, we headed back on the trail...
Picture
Passing along a stream...
Picture
​Filling our view with visions of green and wild.
Picture
We walked back to our vehicles, happy to have found another oasis of Nature within the urban landscape. Hiking has always been a spiritual venture for me: my church. Now that I’m in the city, I have to get used to the fact that since there are fewer churches, the congregations will be bigger and visits from non-members will be more frequent. Instead of missing my solitude, I need to embrace my kindred spirits. Tucker and Pete always welcome new visitors to their pack. As always, dogs are leaps and bounds ahead of humans in emotional evolution. As a smart human, I'll follow close behind and never let go of the leash for they always lead me in the right direction.
Picture
0 Comments

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    January 2021
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    May 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014

    Posts

    All
    2016.01.03 Home For The Holidays
    2016.01.04 A Hike On Another Planet
    2016.03.25 Equality Is For Everyone
    2016.03.27 Our Easter Weekend Services
    2016.04.15 Just Des(s)erts
    2016.05.29 Max Patch
    2016.05.29 Rising To The Peak
    2016.05.29 Spring Adventures
    2016.06.11 The Best Of The Unexpected
    2016.06.25 The Ghostly Tale Of Greybeard Trail
    2016.07.03 Escape...to Storyteller Rock
    2016.07.05 A Salute To Asheville From Chimney Rock
    2016.08.15 Up
    2016.10.01 Since You've Been Gone
    2016.12.09 How We Spent Our Summer Vacation
    2016.12.10 Let The Sun Shine In
    2016.12.11 Eyes To The Skies
    2016.12.11 Where The Rainy Day Takes You
    2016.12.18 Waiting For Whistler
    2016.12.31 Only In Canada
    2017.01.10 Christmas On The Coast
    2017.01.11 Christmas On The Coast
    2017.04.22 Out Of The Desert And Into The Land Of Enchantment
    2017.05.05 Someplace To Be; Not Somewhere To Go
    2017.05.20 New Canada
    2017.05.28 Rise To The Challenge
    2017.06.18 Exploring The 'Hood
    2017.06.24 Bishop's Lodge: Anything But Heavenly
    2017.07.01 Finding Your Church
    2017.07.08 Mother Nature's Springs
    2017.07.22 Beside Every Great Woman
    2017.10.15 Finding (Water)Fall(s)
    2017.10.28 This Is 40... Part I
    2017.10.29 This Is 40... Part II
    2017.11.18 Battle Amidst Beauty
    2017.11.25 To The Looking Glass
    2018.02.25 Where The Dog Takes You
    2018.03.31 After The Rains
    2018.04.14 Truly Home Again
    2018.06.02 Just A Walk On The Beach
    2018.07.21 Ready? On Set!
    2018.08.04 Return To The Redwoods
    2018.08.11 Return To The Redwoods
    2018.10.27 The Forty-First
    2018.12.15 The End Of The Tour
    2018.12.30 Santa Cruz
    2019.01.05 Chasing Mavericks
    2019.01.20 Finding Your Soulspace
    2019.02.09 Muir Magic
    2019.02.23 The Point Of Point Reyes
    2019.02.25 From Muir To Mori
    2019.03.02 Our Own Monterey
    2019.03.09 An Irish Escape
    2019.03.16 Hidden Vistas
    2019.04.06 Our Life: The Carnival
    2019.04.20 One Man's Trash Is Another Dog's Art
    2019.05.04 Black Rock And Blue Skies
    2019.06.08 Water
    2019.06.15 In Conversation... With Nature
    2019.06.29 Go Tell It On The Mountain
    2019.07.06 Not So Yosemite
    2019.07.07 Magic Chimneys
    2019.07.20 The Long Way Around
    2019.11.23 All Trails Lead Here
    2019.11.30 Seeking Solitude In All Directions
    2019.12.14 Forest Friends And Soul-Places
    2019.12.21 The San Franciscan Canine
    2019.12.26 An Unexpected Christmas
    2020.01.11 Kicking Off The New Year On The Coast: Part I
    2020.01.12 Kicking Off The New Year On The Coast: Part II
    2020.01.12 Kicking Off The New Year On The Coast: Part III
    2020.01.19 From The Beach To The Bay... Almost
    2020.03.01 Livin' La Vida Local (SF Style)
    2020.03.20 A Place In Which To Shelter
    2020.03.23 Socially Distant
    2020.03.26 Shelter Of Majestic Beauty
    2020.03.28 Follow Your Heart
    2020.04.04 South For The Spring
    2020.04.21 Finding The Way Back
    2020.05.11 First Rate Second Choice
    2020.05.30 Trails Worth Taking
    2020.07.15 A Reflection Of The Bay
    2020.07.22 A Quarter Of The Way To Half Moon Bay
    2020.10.10 Mountain Air
    2020.11.21 The Great Donut Drive
    2020.11.26 Holiday Special
    2020.12.21 The Great Conjunction
    2020.12.25 The Magic In Every Day
    2020.12.31 Some Other Beginning's End
    2021.09.12 The Oregon Trail
    2021.09.18 Reaching The Summit
    2021.09.26 In Light Of Grey Skies
    2021.10.03 Adventures Need Not Be Far
    20211010-from-the-sea-to-the-mountain
    2021.10.10 From The Sea To The Mountains
    2021.10.16 One Beaut Of A Butte
    2021.10.23 Birthday Falls
    2021.10.31 Where Angels Rest
    2021.11.07 Where Falcons Soar
    2021.11.14 To The End Of The Road... Or Island
    2021.11.20 Reflections
    2021.11.28 Giving Thanks To Mother Nature
    2021.12.05 The Journey Of The Falls
    2021.12.18 Right Here
    2021.12.26 The Magic Of Any Day
    2022.01.03 Taking Our Leave... Maybe
    2022.01.04 Beaches And Bluffs To The Redwood Forest
    2022.01.06 The City By The Bay... And Beyond
    2022.02.28 Chasing Waterfalls Again
    2022.04.06 The Beauty Along The Way
    2022.04.07 The Endless Coast
    2022.04.18 Eostre's Art
    2022.06.06 Near
    2022.06.14 Climbing A Mountain To Reach The Sea
    2022.07.11 Go South To Be North
    2022.07.18 Discovering Terranea
    2022.07.25 The Tee Off Trail
    2022.07.31 Farewell To The Westside
    2022.09.25 Fleeing The Heat For Fall
    2022.10.27 Return To The Redwoods
    2022.10.28 Commit To Adventure
    2022.10.29 Unexpected Turns
    2022.10.31 The Day After
    2022.12.26 The Mountain Temple
    2023.01.03 Back To The Bay
    And Away
    And The Day After...
    But Not Far Away
    Comes The (Water)Fall
    Everywhere
    Maximum Wind Speed
    Nose To The Wind
    Not Out There
    Not The Map
    Part I
    Part II
    Santa Clause
    Santa Paws
    The Look Of Discrimination
    The South's Answer To The Southwest
    Tucker Wescott: Interior Designer
    Up
    Water
    Yet Far

    RSS Feed

About    Contact   
c 2014 August Nights Press