Santa Monica Mountains
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Malibu Creek State Park Santa Monica Mountains |
November 10, 2016
To finish up a six-day, out-of-state photography tour, Gary wants to take
me walking in a park that is but a 20-minute drive from his home.
Go figure.
Entering the park
Malibu Creek, to the left and right
It is quite warm already — about twenty degrees above normal. Of course, the old 'normal' is not a particularly meaningful comparison point anymore, because average temperatures are steadily rising.
Crags Road
A worker approaches with an empty cart, having delivered stuff for some photo shoot or other. Gary, who works as a volunteer in this park, suggests that they could have gotten the gate unlocked for them; but perhaps no administrator could be located.
A cart is better than nothing
Preparing a shoot
About ninety to one hundred years ago, this was the place.
Being just twenty-five miles from downtown Los Angeles, it served as
a playground for movie moguls and other richies. This valley contained
cabins, lodges, swimming pools, and lots of visitors.
Goat Buttes
The trail is an old stagecoach route
The door is ajar on an old storage building. Gary believes that it once housed explosives used in some of the many movies and television series filmed around here.
There is nothing of value here now
At a junction we turn right and head up a hill.
This California Fuchsia is the only bright color around
The park's wildlife
There are few visitors today
The pond is covered with green stuff, but the ducks don't care
Actually, there are quite a few plant varieties around; one need only have an eye open for them:
California Buckwheat
Dotted Gayfeather
White Sage
Chalk Lettuce
Caterpillar Phacelia
Brickellbush
But enough of plants and weeds. We have reached our objective —
the filming location of the iconic M*A*S*H series.
The 10-year home of the 4077th
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
The little yellow cabin hosts a wealth of memorabilia:
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It's time for lunch in the old mess tent
The well-used ramp to the heli-pad
A modern mansion overlooks the park
View from the helicopter landing pad
Starting back
Cabbage White
A short detour up Cage Creek reveals the origin of its name:
Charlton Heston spent some time here in
Planet of the Apes
Another detour accesses a pleasant spot:
Century Lake Dam
Century Lake
At last — some exercise!
There are some pools down there
Picnic area
Rock-climbing area
Rock Pool
The signposts prohibit diving here, but apparently people do it anyway.
Gary and I complete our loop near the park headquarters.
The former Century Ranch is now a weekend Visitor Center
§: Today I got my first taste of the Santa Monica Mountains,
and my second visit in a week's time to a movie-making site.
Doubtless this park is really nice in the springtime.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Education |  |
| Solitude |  |
