Hiking Adventure Story

            So I drove to Bronson Canyon around 1pm today after reading about the trails there that lead up to the closest views of the Hollywood sign. I’ve seen the trails from other parts of Griffith park, but never knew how to get to them and I was excited about going on a new hike. I started my way up and it was a beautiful day with perfect weather and lots of pretty views to look at on the way up. There were lots of people out and some were even riding horses along the trail! I also noticed that there were lots of signs with lots of rules on them...

After about an hour of hiking I was pretty tired and looked at my iPhone map to discover that I still had a ways to go. I was determined to get to the Hollywood sign! So I kept going up and up and almost 45 minutes later I FINALLY made it to the top!

It was awesome to be right behind the letters of the Hollywood sign and totally worth the long journey. I read that the it was “constructed in 1923 to promote a subdivision at the top of the Canyon called “Hollywoodland” … the “land” was dropped in 1945 when the area was deeded to the city”.  

            

         

           

I took some photos and started back down the mountain, happy to have a much easier trip going downhill. Was I wrong about that…After going downhill for about 20 minutes I looked up and saw that I was right in front of the Hollywood sign. I thought that was strange since surely I would have noticed it on the way up. How did I get here?

Then I realized that I was heading towards a dead end! I had gone the wrong way. I tried looking on my iPhone again, which now had a very low battery, but the service was so bad up there the map kept jumping around and I couldn’t tell where I was. So I turned around and went all the way back to where I was, then figured out another way down. I go along for about another 20 minutes and suddenly I start to get the feeling again that I don’t recognize anything. Before I know it I hit another dead end…but I can see the trail to the main street not far below. I was so tired and frustrated now that when I saw a little pathway in the dust someone had made climbing down the side of the mountain, I thought…screw it. I got down in the dust and scaled my way down the side of the mountain onto the trail. I was now covered in dirt.

Relieved that was over, I continued walking down the trail and saw a bunch of large dogs up ahead. I didn’t think much of it since there were tons of people walking their dogs everywhere, but then I realized there were no people around AT ALL here. I looked back at the dogs and realized they weren’t dogs at all, they were a pack of wild wolves!!! I froze for a minute as they eyed me up and down, and I tried to remain calm and not move too fast. Then they slowly went on their way up the hill in a different direction and I cautiously walked around the bend trying to get as far away as fast as I could! As I kept walking hurriedly down the trail, I noticed some small cabins in the woods. Well that’s odd, I thought. Then I saw an empty swimming pool, sports fields, and other bigger cabins and it dawned on me that I was in the middle of a closed-up summer camp. It was suppppper creepy as I walked through the abandoned camp…everything was empty and locked up. I finally made my way to the front to see the sign “Camp Hollywoodland”. There was something very eerie about it all, like it was frozen in time…or some kind of horror movie set!

I was relieved that I could now see the main road and picked up the pace as I got closer. Then I rounded the bend only to discover that I was trapped behind a chain fence that surrounded the camp and it was pad locked with a big sign that said NO TRESSPASSING. Dammit. I looked around for any other option to get out and concluded that yes…I would have to jump the fence. I climbed up using the side of the trail to get as high up as I could, then swung my legs over and landed on the ground somehow without any injuries.

I did make one last detour on the way back to the site of the original Batman Cave from the 60s TV series. I read that it was man-made, but even walking up to it I recognized the exact spot from the show! It was very cool.

Three hours later I made it back to my car covered in dirt, sweating and dehydrated, but it was worth it for quite the adventurous day!