My Ma calls me Sunshine and my Pops calls me Goose, I’m not sure what that says about me, but you can tell a lot about a person by what their parents call them. I’m an east coast transplant living in sunny SoCal. I walked 500+ miles in a month, so I like to think I’m an experienced walker. My heroes are Jane Goodall and David Bowie and I live by the motto “one direction, many ways.”
Rivas Canyon TrailLos Angeles CA
My favorite LA hike is Rivas Canyon trail. It’s normally a quiet hike, with not too many people, which I love. It starts as a shaded trail with dense vegetation, and as you climb, it opens up to ocean views. Where I start this hike is a bit of a secret- it’s at the end of a private road and the street is filled with magical homes. You can also reach the hike from the nearby national parks.
My pre-hike is focused on getting out the door. I love a morning hike to get the day started or a nice late afternoon to wind down the day. I usually put on a fanny pack -- I’m a fan! I have a really fun one from Cotopaxi. I put a few odds and ends in so I have free hands. My pack normally has face sunscreen (I use elta MD), chapstick, hand sanitizer (Honestly, Elyptol is the best), and sometimes I’ll grab some headphones if I feel like hiking to music, a podcast, or audio book. Post-hike, I always stop for a smoothie or salad at the Erehwon in the Palisades after my hike. My belief is that if we nourish the body, nourish the soul.
I try to get outside every day, even if it’s a walk around the neighborhood or to the beach. I listen to the birds and always stop to smell the roses. Nature for me, is a spiritual experience. It’s a teacher, and I’m always learning something new or being reminded of a lesson. My most recent lesson in nature is everything is connected. I’m also a big believer in tree hugging. Trees can actually communicate with one another, and even just putting my hand on a trunk roots me into the greater world around me.
