Exploring the American Wilderness and Other Adventures

Brush Canyon Trail and Mount Bell Loop, Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California

The boys and I have been to nearly every state in the continental United States, with the exception of the entire southwest. Go figure Barbarian Scientist is from southern Cali! As I have said before, when I went to Las Vegas, I run Spartan Races. So, when we had the opportunity for me to participate in SoCal Spartan events and we landed great prices for plane tickets (and a convertible Fiat rental that made Barbarian Scientist weak in the knees), we ran (flew) away from cold cold cold North Idaho to sunny California! It was a blast and unlike what seems like the majority of the country, I love California! Before we even left the airport I was told by a stranger that I am beautiful, and it was just as warm and sunny as it always appears on the screen. It was magic.

My events were the Spartan Sprint and the Spartan Super. The Sprint is a 5k run with 20 obstacles. The Super is a 10k run with 25 obstacles. In all, I think I have done 10 Spartans, with 2 trifectas. A trifecta is won when you complete three Spartans in one year – 1 Sprint, 1 Super, and 1 Beast or Ultra. I have raced in Las Vegas, Seattle, and Big Fork, Montana. Las Vegas was a blast, being in the desert and running with tarantulas in sand dunes. Seattle is Seattle – gray, wet, muddy. So unbelievably muddy. Montana is just pure perfection. The Montana races there are nothing to flinch at – it is through the mountains and you literally are running with wild moose and bear. Someday I will write more about them, but not today because I am hopeful I have more Spartan days ahead of me.

After my previous Spartan experiences, the SoCal events were hilariously easy. The events were in Prado Regional Park, in Chino, California. The park was beautiful. And flat. So so flat. It was honestly shocking for those of us that were from more rugged areas. It made for fast races and spending more time on challenges that are typically harder for me instead of giving in to the burpee penalties as soon as I earned them.

If you have ever thought about Spartan Races, I say you should go for it. Like any race, it is probably not what you think it is. It is as hard core as you want it to be, and if you don’t want it to be, then it isn’t. Either way, it is so much fun to push yourself to try new things or to do old things differently or better. You do not need to be one of the pictures of pure athleticism that are portrayed in advertisements – I am just a girlladywomanperson who likes to do ridiculous things and I think most racers are more like me than they are like the advertisements.

But this post is about hiking the Brush Canyon Trail. If you have one weekend in SoCal, and two of the days are for Spartan events, but you are me, you squeeze in a dusty trail somewhere. Where? The Hollywood sign, obviously. We drove through Beverley Hills and arrived to the trailhead of Brush Canyon Trail. It was kind of like the trailheads in southern Idaho or even central Washington, with civilized parking and signage. The trail is well-established and there were many people around us, including individuals on horseback. The trail provided a steady incline with a little over 1,000′ of elevation gain. We wandered around and found the Bronson Caves, where Invasion of the Body Snatchers was filmed.

Exploring the caves was really fun – who would have thought that such a place was right there? It was a surprise for me and I appreciated the side quest. We also hiked to Burbank Peak, which is the highest point in Griffith Park. It is the home to the Wisdom Tree, of which I somehow managed to not get any photos. It was quite busy there. There were other people who looked like they were just out for a simple day hike, there were people very involved with recording themselves there, and then there were people participating in professional photo shoots. I understand why – not only was the Wisdom Tree beautiful, but this was an incredible spot to view the Hollywood sign.

We spent some time while there with Barbarian Scientist’s mother and the man she is living with. He is a really likeable person and if it weren’t for the fact that he was one of the men she cheated on Barbarian Scientists’ dad with, I would go on with great things to say about him. His mother, on the other hand, is a difficult person. She is a raging alcoholic and demands a lot of energy all the while not trying to repair herself or any of the damage she has extended on those who have cared for her. The time with her honestly explained a lot of things about Barbarian Scientist and my heart broke for him. But, that is often how family goes and there is no denying that same thing (not alcoholism, but obviously I have my own crazy) might apply to my own boys and me. One weekend in California brought me closer to Barbarian Scientist, increased my compassion, and also fed my need for adventure. I really am excited about going back – it is a huge state with loads of possibility!