temescal canyon

Today I forced my roommate Diana to drive up to Pacific Palisades with me ... so we could hike Temescal Canyon. Now, this is a hike I have done a handful of times before, however, by the time we got moving and made our way through the PCH traffic it was nearly 1:30pm before we got started. Couple this with the fact that it was pushing 90 degrees today and well ... yeah ... not good hiking weather.

With a few stops along the way, we made the 2.6 mile loop down the canyon, to the Temescal Waterfall (more of a trickle this time of year), up to Skull Rock, and back down Temescal Ridge. At the top, we were rewarded with gorgeous, albeit smoggy, views of Malibu to Venice and the Westside to downtown LA. We stopped again to pose for the obligatory pictures:

All in all, it was a great hike and one I highly recommend. It is a steep climb and there are long stretches without shade, but the view is SO worth it. Just bring lots of water, sunscreen, and maybe start out before the peak sun hours!!