The Trails of Mt. Washington
Charles Fleming's book "Secret Stairs" was my introduction to urban hiking. His Mt. Washington walk, the fourth one I tackled, was the one that made me realize how little I knew about Los Angeles. As I climbed the hills and marveled at the views I found it hard to believe I was in a city, let alone a major metropolis. That was over ten years ago and I've continued to explore my surroundings on foot; always discovering new things. On a recent walk Bob Inman took us to Rainbow Canyon, a new-to-me trail in the Mt. Washington area. It was the inspiration for this route that will introduce you to many of the trails and dirt roads scattered throughout the neighborhood. Unlike many of my other walks, this route is not stair-centric and doesn't go out of its way to appreciate any local architecture. Despite the fact that the route is entirely within the city limits, this is more of a hike than a walk. Some of the trails are steep and can be slippery. Good hiking shoes