Up Across & Down - 'Bramblers' Boast Traverse

6-hardy 'Bramblers' today inaugurated the Brand Ramblers annual Verdugo Traverse, enjoying gorgeous weather despite above average temperatures. While a higher attendance was anticipated no doubt distance (7-miles plus), elevation (1300 feet) and unexpected weekend heatwave helped suppress turnout.

The 3.4 mile ascent on the Hostetter Motorway was pleasantly gentle with only the last part more of a challenge as the heat of the day kicked in. Resting at the Plantation Lateral which borders the Warden's Grove was especially delightful as we shared oranges, chocolate, jerky and sour cherries.

The north slope's thick, lush landscape was breath taking. Explosive clumps of sage, buckwheat, dodder, mustard, and smatterings of California poppies (as well as enormous stands of poison oak) abounded at every turn. Blackened stumps from previous brush fires were visible but were being rapidly overtaken by new verdant growth.

Views from along the Verdugo Motorway, the fire road that runs along the spine and is used to service the antenna farms. were also a surprise as the air quality was much better than one would expect given the mini-heatwave. The ocean was visible to the south west and one could look far into the Valley. Downtown Los Angeles stood out as an island to the south east and the now-drained Silver Lake reservoir was a surprise to see (beige instead of blue!).

The descent on the Vital Trail was harder than expected - it's a short, steep trail composed of numerous switchbacks with no opportunities to rest and water in shade. This was a bit of a grind but thankfully brief.

Since this was a longer trek than usual we had time to kick around ideas for future hikes and started initial planning for the Bramblers' Fall itinerary.



Catching a bit of shade after descending Vital Link - ready for the last leg into Wildwood Canyon.

Next Hike: Eaton Canyon, Sunday 4/20, 8 AM

1st Annual Verdugo Tranverse - Sunday 4/13

Join the Brand Ramblers on Sunday as we make our first annual crossing of the Verdugos, starting from La Tuna Canyon in Tujunga Canyon, ascending up the Hostetter Motorway fire road to its junction with the Verdugo Motorway, leisurely strolling west along the spine and enjoying a rest stop at the Plantation Lateral before beginning a descent along the Vital Link trail into Wildwood Canyon where the trek ends and we pick up the assembled cars.

This should be a wonderful hike as we'll be spending time on the north slopes of the Verdugos where the landscape is much greener and the vegetation relatively lush compared to the north face. Weather permitting there should be some great views north and south as we move along across the spine between the clusters of aerials and rest near the Warden Grove.


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Overall hike is approximately 7 miles with an elevation gain of 1300 feet in the 3.4 mile ascent. This is a one-way trek so we'll meet at the Wildwood Canyon trail end at 8 AM to park the vehicles and then carpool to the La Tuna Canyon trailhead. We're expecting this to be a 3-4 hour hike depending on how quickly we assemble and kick-off and how much 'exploring' takes place along the way.

The weekend temperatures will be above season average so bring plenty of water, use sunscreen and wear protection from the sun. Bring some 'trail food' to eat and share when we rest at the Plantation Lateral.