Having been snowed out of an adventure in the San Gabriels this weekend due to lack of preparation and gear, I convinced my buddy Raibar to join me on a wet and muddy hike in the Santa Monica mountains. The Mishe Mokwa trail to Sandstone Peak had been something that had been on my list since I moved down to LA. The peak supposedly offers full 360 degree views of Malibu, the Pacific and beyond so naturally "peaked" my interest. On this day however, it was cold and rainy. We were prepared for the weather, but the scenery that awaited us provided a sobering reminder of the power of Mother Nature.

 

Several months ago, the Woolsey Fire ripped through this section of the Santa Monica mountains with zero regard for anything. Once we turned off the highway and headed into the mountains of Malibu, the drive to the trailhead felt like something out of an end of the world movie. Home after home reduced to rubble. Empty plots of land where they used to stand. A particular image of intentionally placed palm trees, that had once framed a yard, were standing black and lonely, the leaves a pale yellow and skeletal, I will soon not forget.

 

A shot I captured with my drone. You can see the parking lot for the trailhead and the trail up to the peak. By the time we got halfway up, this was covered in clouds.

  

A closer look at the charred landscape captured from above.

 

The hike itself was surreal. Over a stretch of five to six miles, nothing above ground had evaded flame. The entirety of the hike consisted of charred earth and mud from the rain. The only color came from the sandstone rock, dirt and the grass that had started to persevere after all the rain we've been getting. Add in the clouds we were hiking in and the scene was eerily beautiful.

 

Raibar looking out of the valley from which we had just driven up from.

 

Burnt trees hang over a wet and lifeless trail.

 

Raibar hiking through the valley of burnt manzanita. 

 

New life springing up from a charred landscape.

  

The trail continued through a completely desolate canyon.

 

A quick shot of the landscape from above right before it started to pour.

  

Drone footage of Raibar walking amongst the almost lifeless landscape.

  

Grass and dirt providing the only color in what was an otherwise colorless landscape.

 

The last mile of so of the trail.

 

We were glad we started early because the last 30 minutes of the hike was a constant downpour.

 

Overall, the experience and conditions felt more like a hike through Iceland than it did an area just outside of Los Angeles. I left with a greater appreciation for the diversity of landscapes in the greater LA area. More importantly the scenes we witnessed shall not be forgotten anytime soon. One can only hope the resiliency of the people who lost their homes to the Woolsey Fire is as strong as that of Mother Nature. If you have the chance to hike this trail, I would highly suggest it.