Between El Niño and a sore foot, my 2016 hiking season got off to a later start than the past couple of years. But now things are really rolling along. After taking my old Saturn out for one last adventure, two weeks ago it was time to take my new Prius out on its first trip into the Angeles Forest.




I was heading back to Magic Mountain - the real one that the theme park is named for - to get another look at the old Marquardt facility where they tested the reaction control thrusters on the Apollo spacecraft. As I had done at San Vicente Mountain Park, I wanted to get some video for a presentation I'm doing this summer. I also wanted to get a look at some areas of the facility I'd skipped before, especially downhill below the test stands.



When I got back to Bear Divide, I found a bunch of "muscle car" guys showing off their macho sports cars to each other. They didn't seem very interested in my Prius.

This weekend's hike was something different. My friend Emma is visiting Los Angeles from London. I've known her online for many years - met her on LiveJournal back in its glory days, in fact - but this was the first time we met in person. She asked me to take her hiking, so we went up to one of my favorite areas, exploring San Gabriel Peak, Mount Disappointment and Mount Lowe.





I don't normally hike with other people, so this was kind of a new experience. Emma notices different things from me. I could tell that already from her writing, but it was fun to be out there and see what she was seeing. It gave me a new way to see trails that I'd already hiked and places I'd already visited. I tend to read about the history of the places I go to, and then look for what I've read about, to see them for myself. I also look at the geology and the wildlife. Meanwhile, Emma was fascinated by all the plant life, which was different from what she's used to in Europe. Unfortunately, I was no help telling her what any of it was (except for the yucca plants), but we did find some information when we stopped at the nearby Native American cultural center on our way back.


My next available weekend is in two weeks, and that will probably be my last hike before my annual July 4 Indiana trip. I've got something pretty ambitious in mind - perhaps too ambitious. I'll have to see what the weather looks like. If I decide not to try that one, there are plenty of other places to explore.