I'll Take the High Road

A Scenic Walk on the Palos Verdes Peninsula

One of the great pleasures of living here on the Peninsula is the abundance of hiking and walking trails with spectacular views. A favorite of mine is the Mc Bride trail which can be reached at the end of Ocean Terrace Drive The trail is located in the Filiorum Reserve which is the newest piece of land acquired by its 2009 by the Palos Verdes Land Conservancy. It links the Three Sisters and the Portuguese Bend preserves to make one larger area.

In Spring it is a blanket of color, the mustard, although not native and regarded as invasive, turns the hillsides and golden yellow. As you hike through you will discover purple lupine, sage, milkweed and down in canyons I have even found nasturtium! Preserve Rules ask that we do not take anything from the land, that would include flowers.

Let’s get started on our photographic journey. A little uphill climb to get your heart rate going! The reward will be the view at the top.

Remember to breathe and hydrate. Wear sturdy shoes as the trail is quite uneven.

What a view! Stunning in Winter. Magical on the days when you are above the clouds and a riot of color in the spring. In this photo you can see all the way across Portuguese Bend and almost to San Pedro. This is still the beginning of the trail and you will continue one or about a mile just taking in this magnificent view. Just look at the color of that water, it rivals the beauty of the Caribbean Sea. No plane ride required!

Another shot taken in much the same location but in November. The previous photo was taken just a week ago. The bougainvillea always makes me smile.

Hiking with friends is always a good idea, in the unlikely event of a fall or some kind of emergency it’s always comforting to have help at hand. As you walk along the don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers.

You never know who you will meet along the way! Goats are brought in, usually in early Summer, to eat the vegetation and cut down on the fire risk. Don’t worry, they are fenced in.

At around three quarters of a mile you will find Zote’s Cutacross trail on your right. Here you can choose to stay on your current trail which will bring you out on Crest road, or return the way you came. If you are feeling adventurous and you have friends with you, take the Cut Across trail.

It will take you down through three canyons and on to Burma road eventually. You’ll feel like you walked a long way but at The Burma Road trail you have only done about 2 miles, I am continually surprised by this. Of course you still have to get back to your starting point. Take a short, but scenic, detour along the Eucalyptus trail and you’ll feel like you have gone to another world. You’ll pass by the edge of the famed Vanderlip Estate as you walk through the woods.

There are plenty of ups and downs as you traverse across to the Burma Road trail, don’t be daunted. You’re not in a race. Enjoy every moment of this treasure on our doorstep. The Burma Road trail will bring you out at Del Cerro Park at the very end of Crenshaw. However your car is still on Ocean Terrace drive, so you have another mile or so to go. You’ll need to walk back along Crest Road. You might just be able to see downtown LA and the Hollywood sign at the intersection of Crest and Crenshaw. If not, just admire the stunning St John Fisher Church.

Dianne Gower Bio:

Here is a link to my Facebook photography page

https://www.facebook.com/Walking-About-Photography-by-Dianne-Gowder-105661514321435/

Also I can be found on Instagram @dgbrit

Originally from England, but now long time San Pedro resident..

Credit for bio picture: Arturo Garcia Ayala

Dianne loves to walk and she tries to do at least 3 miles every day before she heads out to work. Her love of photography evolved from her walks.

“ I have always been amazed by scenery here and more and more I found myself stopping to capture the beauty of my surroundings. As I shared my work I realized that very few people were even aware of what they have on their doorstep!”

Dianne has made it her mission to share the beauty through her photographs and she takes her friends on walks as often as possible.