Trail Review - Dirt Mulholland Trail

TRAIL REVIEW - DIRT MULHOLLAND

You can see the single track and fireroad.

Difficulty: easy

Distance:1.5 miles roundtrip

Dog : off leash

Solitude: depends when you go

Best Seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring

Directions: Exit 405 Northbound at Mulholland Blvd., Turn left on Mulholland Blvd heading West. Travel approximately .75 miles past Bel-Air Presbyterian Church until Mullholland slopes downward. There is a dirt area that you need to turn left into. Upon turning left take the fire road until you see a chain link fence surrounding a small building and a yellow trail gate. You can park in front of the chain link fence.

Trail Review - Franklin Canyon Ranch Trail

RANCH TRAIL FRANKLIN CANYON:

Upper Franklin Reservoir October '10

Difficulty: easy

Distance:1.5- 2.0 miles

Dog : must be on leash

Solitude: very little

Directions: Take Sunset Blvd East from 405, turn left at Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. Take left to stay on Beverly Drive. Head straight and Beverly Drive will turn into Franklin Canyon Drive. Enter park at Gates. Drive to junction where Franklin Canyon Drive meets Lake Drive. Park there at the base of the Ranch Trail.

Yes on Proposition 21

Do you live in California? Have you ever been annoyed at how high day use and parking fees are at State Parks & Beaches? Then you need to vote yes on Proposition 21. 

We here at Outdoors Los Angeles have already voted yes for Proposition 21. What you need to know about this proposition is that it would allow all Californians with a registered vehicle to access all California State Parks for free. The proposition would add an $18 fee to everyone's vehicle registration.


$18 is a bargain for unlimited access to every California State Park. Currently many of the State Parks Charge as much as $12 for single day parking. That means if you use two of these State Parks a year you come out ahead by $6.


The folks at Yes for State Parks created a $5,000 contest for videos in support of proposition 21.
Below is our favorite user created Yes om 21 video created by Christopher Grant Ward of Folk4Parks.org. LAist actually picked up the Folk4Parks story.





Make up Your own Mind. Below are some resources to help you make an informed decision.

click here to download the Iniative Text.

click here to view the state voter guide for and against arguments

click here to visit the official YES on 21 website
click here to visit  a  NO on 21 website

Free Mountain Biking Skills Clinic

To all those who would like to take some actual instruction on basic mountain biking techniques there is a free class that you need to know about. CORBA - the concerned offroad bikers association holds monthly free beginning mountain biking clinics the first saturday of every month at Malibu Creek State Park.

NEXT CLASS Saturday November 6, 2010 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

We here at Outdoors Los Angeles took the class over a year ago and learned quite a lot. That was before we had clip in petals. We just might take the class again with pedals to see if we can avoid falling while going down the stairs this time.

The instruction was top notch and they even provided us with air and lube for our bikes.

Imbibing Outdoors - How to Drink on the Trail

friend enjoying a cold one while soaking in a hotspring

A Recent Backpacking trip I organized to Sykes Hot Springs got me interested in how to drink in the backcountry. Although we at Outdoors Los Angeles believe in everything in moderation we have been known to get our drink on while on the trail.

Unlike Car Camping, when you're lugging everything you need for the weekend on your back, weight becomes a serious issue. We at Outdoors Los Angeles are also into leaving no trace so the weight and size of the container which has to be carried out have to be taken into consideration.

There are essentially three main types of alcohol we've taken into the backcountry: (1) Beer (2) Wine and (3) straight Spirits.

Climb Smart 2010

Friends Of Joshua Tree and longtime sponsors Black Diamond, Adventure 16 and other supporting organizations invite everyone to their annual climbfest aptly named Climb Smart 2010 from October 22-24,  2010.

The event invites you to "kick off the climbing season in Joshua Tree right with skills clinics, pro athlete presentations, swag giveaways, costume contests, a new festival format and much more!"

As totally novice climbers we at Outdoors Los Angeles are not sure we would find the event interesting. But we're sure if we were climb enthusiast this event would make us mess our pants from excitement.

CamelBak Cleaning Kit Review

Well here at Outdoors Los Angeles we like reviewing our gear to let others know the pros and cons of various items. There always seem to be lots of options for the same product function. For Reservoir's there are Camelbak, MSR , and Platypus and countless other less visible brands. 

With that in mind here is my review of the Camelbak cleaning Kit

Originally submitted at REI

This kit contains all the cleaning accessories needed to keep a reservoir in optimal condition.

CamelBak Cleaning Kit

Useful but not essential

By Chris from Los Angeles, CA on 10/15/2010

4out of 5

Pros: Easy to Use
Best Uses: Hydration Packs
Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer
Was this a gift?: No

The camelbak reservoir cleaning kit comes with four items:

• a big brush for inside the reservoir body
• a small brush for inside the tube
• a yellow two piece reservoir drying rack
• 2 camelbak cleaning tablets

Its fairly easy to use once you get the hang of it.
I am sure there are many other cheap ways to dry your camelbak reservoir. If the money isn't a big deal this is a nice kit to have. I wish it came with more cleaning tablets but seriously each of my three reservoirs get fully cleaned with a tablet like once a year at most. But with the brushes and the drying rack its fairly easy to clean it out with water and soap and then let it fully dry before putting it away.

As for the drying rack its in two pieces. The first piece holds the tube and allows you to hang the reservoir upside down. The second piece keeps the large hole open so the inside can dry out.

drying rack in use

The drying rack in use.

The second piece of the drying rack holding it open to air out the inside.

Although we soon hope to be able to create our own Youtube product review videos we are not quite at that stage yet. But I did find the following video on Youtube that I agree with for the most part. 

I wish my cleaning kit had come with the nifty pouch this guy got. Since its not needed that much in the field its really not a big deal. I just store my cleaning kit in a gallon zip loc bag. 

The Adventure Blog: Himalaya Fall 2010: Eric Larsen In Camp 4, Summit ...

The Adventure Blog: Himalaya Fall 2010: Eric Larsen In Camp 4, Summit ...: "We've got a very brief update this morning on Eric Larsen's progress on Everest. In fact, as of this writing, he hasn't even posted an updat..."

Sierra Club Wilderness Travel Course

Ever wondered where an LA outdoor newb could learn all those outdoor skills related to hiking and backpacking in a classroom and hands on setting?

Well one place is the annual tradition of the Angeles Chapter's Wilderness Travel Course ( called the WTC course for short). The Los Angeles chapter has been teaching this class for over 40 years.

Its being offered again in 2011. Classes will be held in 4 locations: the San Gabriel Valley, West Los Angeles, Orange County, and Long Beach.

I have many acquaintances who have taken this course. They basically stated that although a lot of the material is not new to anyone with any backpacking experience that a few things were extremely useful. They recommended taking the class despite this.

I am currently considering taking the West LA class. But I am trying to decide if its really worth the money. It appears to be $320 early registration for Sierra Club Members.
However, I was a Boy Scout who already took classes in using a compass and navigating in the wilderness, and wilderness survival etc. I also used to have an EMT license so I am kind of doubtful that I will acquire too many new first aid skills. Additionally, I have felt comfortable enough to organize and host several backpacking trips over the summer and this fall with the Los Angeles Backpacker's Club.

The one part of the class that would be new to me would be the snow camping section. I have never actually snowshoed (to be remedied this year with LABC) or camped in the snow. Unfortunately, I was recently disaapointed to read on the WTC website that

This course does not include instruction in the use of ropes, ice axes, crampons or other climbing aids for rock climbing and snow travel, nor is the use of such aids by students permitted during the course.

I was hoping to learn how to use an ice axe and crampons as I thought this was essential in most snow camping experiences. I mean my only real desire to camp in the snow would be to be able to summit various snowy peaks such as Mt. Whitney in the Winter, or Mt. McKinley, Mt. Shasta, Mt. Rainer etc. I am not that enticed by the idea of camping in the snow just for the hech of it.
And I can certainly learn to snowshoe with my backpacking meetup group as they will have several snowshoe trips throughout the winter.

If I were more of a newbie it would be a no-brainer and I would take the class. As a pretty experienced backpacker and hiker I am still on the fence. If I do take the class I will try and document it here on the Outdoor Los Angeles Blog.

Launch of Blog

Hello to anyone who may be reading this!

I am launching the Outdoors Los Angeles blog to highlight all things outdoors in Los Angeles. I am an avid backpacker and hiker and will be detailing various trips taken. I will also be reviewing outdoor equipment, products, and books. Eventually I hope to post videos as well when I get around to getting a decent video camera.

First of all I want to give a shout out to my friends at the Los Angeles Backpacker's Club Meetup Group.

You can also see my most recent trip to Sykes HotSprings on the meetup website.

I will also be reviewing outdoor products from REI, Adventure16, and Amazon.com.