The Obligatory
"Play safe. Ski only in clockwise direction. Let's all have fun together."
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Improved Vision
On Saturday it "rained." And by "rain," of course, I am referring to the Los Angeles definition of rain. The kind of rain no one anywhere else in the country would even bother talking about, but the kind we here in the 'SouthLand!' feel the need to devote news breaks to.
So on Saturday, it drizzled.
Unremarkable, except for the usual chaos that happens here when it even looks like it might get cloudy - lots of traffic accidents, people running for cover, etc.
The benefit of rain in L.A., beyond sheer comedic value, is that it usually clears up the air for a day or two afterward. I remember one day, about four or five months after I first moved out here, when it rained - and the next day I saw a mountain I never knew was there before. No shit. An actual mountain.
Smog. Gotta love it.
So on Sunday, when I awoke to unusually blue skies, I remembered seeing that mountain for the first time and thought to myself - "hey, why don't I go check those mountains out?"
And so I suited up and drove the forty miles up to the Angeles National Forest, and the Angeles Crest Highway.
Mainly it was for a simple relaxing, solitary drive, with a few short hikes and vistas thrown in. The hiking part of it was cut significantly shorter when I discovered it was 30 degrees up on the mountains, and windy as hell. I'll have to remember my winter clothes next time I head up. But the views were amazing.
This is a view I usually don't get unless I drive at least a hundred miles outside of the city, here right in my (relative) backyard! To give you a more accurate view of my actual backyard, here is a labelled version of this beatiful vista.
As you can see, visibility was incredible. I have never even SEEN Catalina before. And the mountains even have a wonderful lack of palm trees, the most bullshit of all trees.
So good times. Maybe I don't have to spend so much on gas to get to nature-y type hiking places from where I live anymore.
On Monday, I further improved my eyesight by visiting the final day of the Pissarro / Cezanne dual exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, one of my favorite places in all of Los Angeles.
I am very happy to report that I am now able to add "Being Able to Differentiate a Pissarro From a Cezanne" to my long list of amazing but wholly useless personal abilities. Thanks, LACMA!
So on Saturday, it drizzled.
Unremarkable, except for the usual chaos that happens here when it even looks like it might get cloudy - lots of traffic accidents, people running for cover, etc.
The benefit of rain in L.A., beyond sheer comedic value, is that it usually clears up the air for a day or two afterward. I remember one day, about four or five months after I first moved out here, when it rained - and the next day I saw a mountain I never knew was there before. No shit. An actual mountain.
Smog. Gotta love it.
So on Sunday, when I awoke to unusually blue skies, I remembered seeing that mountain for the first time and thought to myself - "hey, why don't I go check those mountains out?"
And so I suited up and drove the forty miles up to the Angeles National Forest, and the Angeles Crest Highway.
Mainly it was for a simple relaxing, solitary drive, with a few short hikes and vistas thrown in. The hiking part of it was cut significantly shorter when I discovered it was 30 degrees up on the mountains, and windy as hell. I'll have to remember my winter clothes next time I head up. But the views were amazing.
This is a view I usually don't get unless I drive at least a hundred miles outside of the city, here right in my (relative) backyard! To give you a more accurate view of my actual backyard, here is a labelled version of this beatiful vista.
As you can see, visibility was incredible. I have never even SEEN Catalina before. And the mountains even have a wonderful lack of palm trees, the most bullshit of all trees.So good times. Maybe I don't have to spend so much on gas to get to nature-y type hiking places from where I live anymore.
On Monday, I further improved my eyesight by visiting the final day of the Pissarro / Cezanne dual exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, one of my favorite places in all of Los Angeles.
I am very happy to report that I am now able to add "Being Able to Differentiate a Pissarro From a Cezanne" to my long list of amazing but wholly useless personal abilities. Thanks, LACMA!
that one guy you know, 10:53 PM
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5 Comments:
People here refer to the skyline as a man-made mountain range. I call those people idiots. The closest non-landfill "hills" to Chicago are a minimum 4 hours in any direction, and more like 8 hours if you want a "mountain." But, I guess at least our air is surprisingly clear. Not having mountains, and therefore no valleys, our pollution just gets blown down to Indiana. Suckers.
To get away from the midwest's chronic flatness, in May I'm going to Death Valley to hopefully hike from the lowest point in North America up to the second highest peak in the lower forty-eight (Telescope Peak). Like rain in Seattle, endless prairies can become rather depressing after a while. But then again, you don't often hear of people dying hiking through a grass field.
Enjoy your mountains, before they put a gift shop at the top.
To get away from the midwest's chronic flatness, in May I'm going to Death Valley to hopefully hike from the lowest point in North America up to the second highest peak in the lower forty-eight (Telescope Peak). Like rain in Seattle, endless prairies can become rather depressing after a while. But then again, you don't often hear of people dying hiking through a grass field.
Enjoy your mountains, before they put a gift shop at the top.
Pete,
Death Valley is one of my favorite places ever. It is beautiful, and you will love it ... just know it's gonna be hella hot in May, and probably pretty cold up on Telescope Peak.
That said, enjoy it. I'm going to try to get out there in a few weeks. Can't wait to here what you think.
Death Valley is one of my favorite places ever. It is beautiful, and you will love it ... just know it's gonna be hella hot in May, and probably pretty cold up on Telescope Peak.
That said, enjoy it. I'm going to try to get out there in a few weeks. Can't wait to here what you think.
I've never been before, but I'm doing my research. So that's why I am going in May. From what I understand, it's the brief window where the temperatures in the valley aren't quite at their deadliest, and the peaks aren't still under 16 feet of snow.
The varying temperature extremes should make for some interesting packing decisions... But I'm looking forward to it.
The varying temperature extremes should make for some interesting packing decisions... But I'm looking forward to it.
What a beautiful picture. It makes me want to go out for a drive, in spite of the fact that it's well after midnight. Actually, that's probably a good idea. Less traffic, and I can get where I'm going faster.
Piękny (beautiful) widok (view)! Zazdroszczę Ci. Ja (I) mam (have)własnie głęboką (deep) zimę (winter) i (and) raczej żadnej (no) szansy (chance) na (for) ciepłe (warm) słońce (sun) przez (for) najbliższe (next) 5 miesięcy (months). Now it's cold - 22C - and snowy.
What are your other amazing but wholly useless abilities? :>
What are your other amazing but wholly useless abilities? :>
