Death Valley National Park, Surprise Canyon, Panamint City

Surprise Canyon

This past weekend Brandon, Mihai, Albert, Trewdge, Lea and I drove up to Death Valley for a casual visit. We drove up to Novak camp at the base of the hike to Panamint City, passed out then got up the next morning for a good long hike. This time it was 5 miles but a strenuous 4,000 ft climb starting at 2,000 ft elevation. The hike was great!
We walked through a stream that flowed through most of the trail. Parts of the trail were actually on top of the stream and most of it was through the valley. Being close to fresh water was really refreshing. The water came from a spring and we would stop to refill our bottles. This part of Death Valley used to be a small city with a road leading up there, but long ago floods washed out the road and people abandonded the town. We came upon lots of abandonded trucks, mining equiment, and eventually homes and trailers. It took us about 5 hours to get to Panamint City and we stopped at this makeshift bench and firepit to have a well deserved lunch. The house by the pit had already been claimed by two campers that weren't around. There was another pitched tent across the way but no one else around. We guessed they had been there for a night already since there were other cars at the trailhead.

After lunch and a nap we found a good spot for all of us to set up and it got COLD. We were anticipating 50 degree weather but got low 40s or so. So when dinner time came around we scarfed down our food and jumped into our sleeping bags for the night which I didn't mind because we got time to enjoy the stars. Probably the best starfilled night I've had in a long time.

Devil's Golf Course

The next day we hiked out this time taking 4 hrs and was pretty good since we had eaten away lots of weight and were going downhill the whole way. We got to the cars around 1pm and then drove through the desert to Death Valley National Park and visited all the sights like the Devil's Golf Course and the lowest elevation in the world at 230 ft below sea level.

All in all a fun time and lots of cool things to see in one of the hotest places on Earth.

Backpacking Solo

While reading LA mag's issue of The Best of LA, I came across a blurb talking about the Angeles National Forest. Intrigued I did more research, went to the information center and planned a one night backpacking trip.

Distance driven: West LA to Arcadia - 35 miles
The trail head was ~5 miles from Arcadia. That's nuts! It's literally in the backyard of LA.

I parked in Chantry Flats, proudly displayed my new, shiny annual parking pass on the rear view mirror and strapped on my pack. The trail was the Big Santa Anita Canyon Trail.

Pack contents: Tent (2 lbs), Sleeping bag (3 lbs), Sleeping pad (1 lb), Hammock (1 lb), Backpack (4 lbs), Misc stuff like first aid, glasses etc (3 lbs), Food (2 lbs), Water 2 Liters (4.5 lbs)
Total weight: Roughly 20 lbs.

Spruce Grove Camp

I hiked to Hermit Falls then double backed to Sturtevant Falls and Spruce Grove Camp. In total I covered about 5 miles from 12:30pm to 3:00pm and then thought about hiking some more for about 5 mins before deciding "no thanks". Despite being the middle of the week, there were plenty of people for the first 3 miles of my hike. Luckily it thinned out significantly about 4 miles in. Then when I was about 1/2 a mile away from camp I ran into a family. A FAMILY. Never in my life have I met a family of backpackers. Keep in mind that backpacking means that you carry all your stuff with you into your camp. There's no driving up to the camp site and then unloading your cast iron dutch oven. This camp was 4 miles from the parking lot and a total of 900 ft of elevation gain.

Also this family was Mom, Dad, and 3 kids aging from 6 yrs to 11 yrs old. So mom and dad were carrying majority of the gear. But when I saw them I thought to myself, "Wow there's hope for me and having a family that loves to do this sort of thing." I said hi too them, found out we were heading for the same camp ground and bid them adieu for now.

The family and I were the only ones at camp which made it nice. Probably the most secluded I've ever been in LA. I love the fact that you can do so much here, but sometimes the density can be overwhelming. Anyway I spent the rest of the day wandering around the campsite, reading in my hammock, napping in my hammock and trying to start a fire. After giving up on the fire I decided to crawl into my sleeping bag and read with my headlamp. That's when mom (Angie) came over to ask if I wanted to join her family for smores. Hell yes. I got to meet dad (Grant) and kids (Natalie, Mandy, and Ben). They were so friendly and welcoming I was really heartened. They were the kind of family that cuddles up when it's cold and tells stories around the campfire. The kids told me all the things they found and saw that day. I told them I was from Texas and am trying to start a new career. It's days like these that remind me why I love people.

LA is just beyond that mountain behind me

The next morning I got up around 730am, packed up, ate then said goodbye to the family of backpackers and headed out to a different trail that would take me back to my car. I hit Mt. Zion, a 3500ft peak and then headed back down through the Upper Winter Creek Trail. By 11am I was eating nuts and stripping off my hiking boots. I had half a liter of water left too. I think the whole trip took 24 hours.

Why did I go? Because I can. Because I wanted to explore LA. Because I wanted to try hiking by myself with all my gear. Because I wanted to be alone and without the internet for a little while. I spent a lot of time thinking and talking to myself. I read The Book of Secrets and Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking. Did I come to any amazing revelations? Not really, just better understanding of things I guess.

On Motivation

Do you ever go on a trip and when you get back you feel changed? Your perspective has widened or your ideas have turned a different direction. I took a week and drove up the PCH, hiked the Pine Ridge Trail, saw wild cormorants, and breathed the fresh Bay air. Somehow, someone, something along the trip gave me the motivation I have now to finish my medical school applications and work on the list of things I've been wanting to do. Before the trip, June for me was quite stagnant. I would stare at my personal essay and not write a word. I would wake up at 10am and read fiction until dinner time. I watched 2 seasons of Game of Thrones. Only small things in my life changed like getting a new crank set for Frankenstein or finally replacing the passport that I lost. I was bored, and I didn't know how to get out of the funk. 

Luckily Dan stopped by LA and he let me hop into his TDI Volkswagon for a spontaneous trip up the PCH. Funk discarded and self-reflection commenced. Four days on the road listening to metal will definitely hone your skills for tuning things out and spending time looking inward. Just kidding. I only did that 80% of the time. Anyway there was plenty of quiet time and talks about who we are and what we think that I started to unravel some parts of my life I previously tabled. Like religion. 

In San Jose I hung out with my Aunt for a whole day. Man is she a talker. But she definitely changed my perspective about who she is and what she’s doing with her life. She quit her job and went back to school because she wants a better life for herself. Proof that it’s never too late to change.

The whole week was about family and friends. There was plenty of time for long talks and just hanging out. I guess I don’t really get that in LA. But it’s funny how I feel that this trip changed me more than the last one to Havasu. Maybe it was the timing in my life or having more chill time to think or do nothing. Either way I'm different, and I've found some motivation. Thanks friends and family. 
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En español - gracias a Gen por su ayuda. =)
Alguna vez cuándo hayas vuelto de una vacación,  ¿sentiste cambiado? ¿Que tu perspectiva esté ampliada o tus ideas hayan girado hacia una dirección diferente? Tomé una semana para subir la costa pacífica por autopista. Durante el camino subí por Pine Ridge, vi cormoranes salvajes, y respiré el aire fresco del área de la bahía. De alguna manera, alguien, o algo del viaje me dio la motivación para terminar mis solicitudes para la Universidad Médica y para trabajar en la lista de cosas que quería hacer. Antes del viaje, el mes de junio fue un mes muy inactivo. Miraba fijamente a la redacción personal que tenía que escribir, y no escribía nada. Me despertaba a las diez de la mañana y leía ficción hasta la hora de la cena.  Miré dos temporadas de Game of Thrones. Pocas cosas en mi vida habían cambiado, por ejemplo compré bielas nuevas para Frankenstein o finalmente solicité el pasaporte que había perdido. Estaba aburrida y no sabía salir de la mala racha.  

Por suerte Dan pasó por Los Ángeles y me dejó ir consigo en el auto por el PCH. Durante cuatro días nosotros manejábamos por la costa. Tuve tiempo de pensar y reflejar sobre mi vida. Hablabamos sobre quiénes éramos y sobre como pensábamos. Empecé a desenredar partes de mi vida que había archivado. La religión, por ejemplo.

En San José pasé tiempo con mi tía Anna. ¡Ella hablaba mucho! Pero cambió mi punto de vista sobre quien era ella y qué está haciendo con su vida. Dejó su trabajo para volver a la escuela porque quería mejorar su vida. Una prueba que nunca es demasiado tarde para cambiar.

El resto de la semana estuve con familia y amigos. Tenía mucho tiempo para tener conversaciones largas y para pasar los ratos. Es interesante el sentir que esta vacación me cambió más que el último viaje que hice. Quizás fue el ritmo de mi vida o que estuve utilizando  mi tiempo para pensar o hacer nada. De cualquier manera soy diferente y he encontrado la motivación. Doy las gracias a mi familia y a mis amigos.   

Brazos Bend "Hike"

Today I went with Caitlin and Adam to visit Brazos Bend State Park. It was pretty nice. Great weather except for the 10 mph gusts. Saw plenty of gator and birds. Adam and Caitlin were pretty impressed by the gators we saw.


It was a 5 mile hike around two lakes, and admittedly, it was really flat and not challenging. Caitlin said it well, this is not a "hike" even though its a hiking trail; it's more of a walk. We walked around Brazos Bend. heh. It was a good change of pace from just running. I brought my awesome orange North Face hiking pack and stuck 6 lbs of Epsom salt in it for a little more of a work out, but since we weren't really going up an down, I don't think it made a big difference. Next time I'll do 15 lbs. haha.




The flat terrain of Houston has been worrying me since half the MS 150 is hills. I need more hill training, and it'll be hard finding it. I can get up to 16 mph on flats but getting through those hills in Bastrop are another beast altogether. I don't want to be falling on my new bike. Agh why are bikes so expensive?


And yes I know about spin class, but those are only good for flats too. Getting up out of your seat is nothing like actually going up a hill. It's like getting up on flats. grr. Stupid Houston...