Brand Sunset Scramble & 'Doddering'

An 8-strong contingent of the Brand Ramblers returned to the ridge trails behind the Brand Library (in Brand Park, Glendale) for a leisurely sunset hillwalk and scramble. Unfortunately not all were able to complete the 1.5 mile /1500 ft. change-in-elevation circuit but it was still a pleasant outing as weather was mild and the hillsides were green and bright with blooming flowers.

Noteworthy was the chaparral dodder aka cuscuta californica the wirey vine that dotted the landscape with its tangle of bright orange and yellow stems.

"California dodder is a leafless, parasitic, viney plant with slender orange to yellowy stems which are each fastened to their host organism by means of a knobby root-like structure called a haustoria, which allows it to draw its nourishment from the host. If any leaves are present, they are minute and scale-like. The flowers are small, white, squat, urn-shaped, and arranged in loose cymose or paniculate clusters... Species californica, seems to be mostly partial to the buckwheats, sages, deerweed and Haplopappus. California dodder inhabits many plant communities from sea level to 8200' in most of cismontane California and occasionally on the deserts, and blooms from May to July"

- Source: Wildflowers and Other Plants of Southern California

Stay tuned for details of this Sunday's (April 13) Verdugo Traverse hike!

Brand Park Sunset Hike - Tuesday 4/8, 5:30 PM

We're headed back to Brand Park in Glendale for a short sunset climb up the foot path trail behind the Brand Library (see image above and map link below). We did the same hike last August and the weather this time promises to be much better!

The trail gets steep at several points (it follows a ridge leading up towards Mt Thom) but there are great views along the way and plenty of chances to stop and rest.

Meet at 5:30 PM at the Miss America Green Cross statue adjacent to the parking lot next to the Brand Library & Art Center inside Brand Park (1601 West Mountain Street, Glendale CA).

The entire hike up and back should take about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. There's a little bit of 'scrambling' at a few of the steeper parts of the trail but overall this is not a difficult trail if you are reasonably in shape.

Here's a Google map for the hike... see you there!

Driving Directions
To get to Brand Park from Brand Blvd - the simplest route is a 10-minute drive

1. Go west on Doran towards Central Avenue


2. Turn right heading north on N. Central Avenue crossing the 134 freeway and continuing 3 blocks until W. Glenoaks Blvd [.5 miles]


3. Turn Left (left 2-lanes) onto W. Glenoaks Blvd and continue west [1.5 miles]


4. Turn right on Grandview and head north until you come to Brand Park. [1.1 miles]


5. Enter the park and park in the upper parking lot across from the Brand Library & Art Center