Mt Baldy hike

My friend and I have been hiking all summer and she is training for a hike up a small mountain in Africa with her husband. We decided we should get up to some elevation. I thought that would be difficult while living at the beach! Sure enough we were able to hike to 10,500 feet within an hour drive! Right outside of LA. My geography stinks! Before moving out here, I had no idea that LA was surrounded by mountains but I guess that explains the smog not moving far! : )


The view on the way up.





Odd sight out here. I haven't seen a thundercloud since I moved to CA over a year ago!!






Hiking on the Devil's Backbone! Agh!!! Well it could have been a little narrower. Not as bad as I was picturing!

Snow in CA in July!

Reaching the top! after 11.5 miles we were most of the way down the mountain.. so we took the ski lift the last 3 miles. We were planning on an 8 mile hike that turned into 11.5, we weren't about to make it 15 miles! And I have decided I need new boots! It's only been 8 years.







Really getting lazy!
Sorry guys! Here are the rest of the pics.


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2066482&id=1520514194&l=1b77398e8f

Fourth of July weekend I went hiking down in the Santa Monica mountains after a quick trip to REI! Then went out contra dancing Sat night in the Brentwood area of LA. I spent the fourth walking the beaches from Santa Monica Pier and Venice beach after a parade in Santa Monica.









Apparently it is a hill if it is below 3000 feet. Therefore we were hiking in the mtns not the hills of Santa Monica.

I liked the way this compass was set up with the saying on it!

A lunch truck in a parade? Never seen that before!

Watching the surfers on Venice Beach

The canals in Venice (Venice beach CA of course!)

Venice Beach was.... very colorful! So were the houses by the canals!

Lunch with a view of the Venice Beach pier

Santa Monica pier

dinosaurs and planes on the plaza?

Who would get in a kayak that comes apart?

I have posted pics on facebook if you are interested. Here they are!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2064391&id=1520514194&l=2b49e0c96e

Fourth of July Parade and beaches.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2064394&id=1520514194&l=b10fd00918

The Old Waterin' Hole

I went up into the mountains of Santa Barbara on Friday night with my coworkers for some live music. One of my coworkers has a friend in a band. Fun 80's music night! The venue was interesting to say the least! It was an old Stagecoach stop. Still has a few of the old buildings. Cold springs Tavern http://www.coldspringtavern.com/aboutus.html

So of course with dinner we had to be tourists too and we walked around a bit. There is also an engineering marvel down the road. A Huge bridge spanning the valley we were in. Once built, it avoided all the windy roads into and out of the valley.

Really? The Joy of Microwaving here?

Yum! BBQ ribs!

The infamous bridge everyone was talking about. So famous I don't know it's name!!

Dancing the night away