Saturday, January 10, 2026
Thursday, January 4, 2024
Hiking Mt. Bell
This is a great 5-mile hike in Griffith Park! The Mt. Bell Hike in Afoot & AField or on All Trails app the Mineral Wells hike.
Great on a cool day as it was challenging (see clip to Mt. Bell peak) and there was little tree cover. My statistics showed an 1155 ft elevation gain. Make sure you pack extra water. Never fails, every hike I have been on, people always ask if I have extra water. Just throw in that extra disposable water bottle as a just in case.
Nice thing about hikes in Griffith Park is you are never too far from another hiker if need help, but there is also enough space to feel isolated if you want to be.
Returning from Mt. Bell, we took a short cut, cutting the All Trails hike length by a quarter. It was more of a goat trail than a path as seen in the video, it was an official trail, but if you are really hungry, and want to save a half hour or so, it is an option.
Another nice thing about hikes in Griffith Park is the free parking, except around the observatory area. We parked in Mineral Wells lot for the Mt. Bell hike.
Have a great hike!
Please subscribe and check out my four books on Amazon : From Sarria to Santiago, Yellowstone to Mt. Rushmore: A Three-Week Roadtrip, 10 Days in Egypt, and From Lions to Pharaohs Book 1: Kenya.
Great on a cool day as it was challenging (see clip to Mt. Bell peak) and there was little tree cover. My statistics showed an 1155 ft elevation gain. Make sure you pack extra water. Never fails, every hike I have been on, people always ask if I have extra water. Just throw in that extra disposable water bottle as a just in case.
Nice thing about hikes in Griffith Park is you are never too far from another hiker if need help, but there is also enough space to feel isolated if you want to be.
Returning from Mt. Bell, we took a short cut, cutting the All Trails hike length by a quarter. It was more of a goat trail than a path as seen in the video, it was an official trail, but if you are really hungry, and want to save a half hour or so, it is an option.
Another nice thing about hikes in Griffith Park is the free parking, except around the observatory area. We parked in Mineral Wells lot for the Mt. Bell hike.
Have a great hike!
Please subscribe and check out my four books on Amazon : From Sarria to Santiago, Yellowstone to Mt. Rushmore: A Three-Week Roadtrip, 10 Days in Egypt, and From Lions to Pharaohs Book 1: Kenya.
Tuesday, January 4, 2022
Coronavirus: Year End Recap
It is the start of 2022 and the Coronavirus epidemic is still with us. The biggest news is we have yet another variant - Omicron. This variant is supposed to be extremely contigious but most people who are infected with it only have mild symptons.
Testing kits are now available to purchase in stores over the counter which was not possible a year ago - although they are hard to find right now.
Cruise ships are sailing. People are flying. Domestic travel especially to National Parks is up as some countries are still restricting travel. I am hoping to travel to Spain this year after having to cancel our plans two years ago.
People are still wearing masks - and are required to do so indoors in California, but that is not necessarily a rule across the country.
Many people are still working from home or in hybrid situations splitting time between home and office.
Few shortages are hitting the news these days, primarily microchips for cars and delays on international shipping. Still, retailers announced strong sales during the recent Christmas season and Tesla delivered over 300k cars in the last quarter.
The government has cut or is rolling back most economic stimulus packages directed at shoring up the economy and people's psyche during covid showing confidence in the country's recovery.
Final covid numbers as of today according to the New York Times: Total U.S. deaths due to covid 826,000; in the world 5,450,000.
62% of population in the U.S. is fully vaccinated: 73% have at least one shot; 20% are fully vaccinated and have received a booster shot.
In history books, 2020 will be the year of the covid outbreak and 2021 will be the year of recovery not just for the U.S., but the world. I think if things continue taking the current course, getting better - vaccines are available, effective anti-viral drugs and pills are available to combat infection, and the current strain has mild symptoms - covid will become a footnote to everything great and hopefully not too terrible that 2022 will bring.
Take care and have an awesome 2022!
Testing kits are now available to purchase in stores over the counter which was not possible a year ago - although they are hard to find right now.
Cruise ships are sailing. People are flying. Domestic travel especially to National Parks is up as some countries are still restricting travel. I am hoping to travel to Spain this year after having to cancel our plans two years ago.
People are still wearing masks - and are required to do so indoors in California, but that is not necessarily a rule across the country.
Many people are still working from home or in hybrid situations splitting time between home and office.
Few shortages are hitting the news these days, primarily microchips for cars and delays on international shipping. Still, retailers announced strong sales during the recent Christmas season and Tesla delivered over 300k cars in the last quarter.
The government has cut or is rolling back most economic stimulus packages directed at shoring up the economy and people's psyche during covid showing confidence in the country's recovery.
Final covid numbers as of today according to the New York Times: Total U.S. deaths due to covid 826,000; in the world 5,450,000.
62% of population in the U.S. is fully vaccinated: 73% have at least one shot; 20% are fully vaccinated and have received a booster shot.
In history books, 2020 will be the year of the covid outbreak and 2021 will be the year of recovery not just for the U.S., but the world. I think if things continue taking the current course, getting better - vaccines are available, effective anti-viral drugs and pills are available to combat infection, and the current strain has mild symptoms - covid will become a footnote to everything great and hopefully not too terrible that 2022 will bring.
Take care and have an awesome 2022!
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