Today, as mentioned, my girlfriend Sheila and I wandered around a canyon and up a mountaintop. We drove into Brentwood and found the road mentioned in the “Weird California” book. Just an hour ago, I found more websites with pictures of the ruins I had hoped to explore, but the Weird California book gave an incorrect address for the trailhead we needed.
Oh yeah, I forgot. I had originally planned on going to the hollywood cemetery, but remembered the story of the ruins in Rustic Canyon. So Sheila and I decided to check it out. There were “No Trespassing” signs in the direction of Rustic Canyon, as soon as we reached the bottom of the fire road. We went over them and down along a huge concrete basin structure, and down to another fenced area that said, “No Trespassing: Police Dogs..” Some chickens made noises as we got closer to the fenced area, and it seemed like it held structures and occupants, so we turned back.
In the other direction, the forest road continues into Sullivan Canyon for quite a long way. I don’t know how far, as we only walked a mile or so down it. Off into the woods on the right of the trail, we found a swing, hanging from the trees with thick rope. Check out the eerie videos of it:
The ruins we totally missed were on a road just a half mile or so away from us, but as I said, the Weird California book had successfully sent us on a goose chase.
Later, after swinging and hiking around a bit, a dude on his bicycle told about a drive up another road to a place that overlooks all of L.A. We drove there after dark, climbed up the drainage cement, and looked out over the millions of city lights. Helicopters and planes flew over the city. A giant, near-full moon hovered above the mountains to the southeast. What a beautiful night. More pictures for tomorrow. Too bad we missed the ruins…
It was fascinating to notice how wild it felt, even so close to the giant city.
Check out these sites about the place we tried to find. Another time perhaps.
Rustic Canyon
More on Herr Schmidt and the Murphy Ranch Ruins in Rustic Canyon
-GTD
Beautiful video!
Did you use some effect to make it all choppy like that?
j
Thanks li’l j. Perhaps the eerie nature of the whole place made the film that way, or perhaps something else….It might just be a secret.
In any case, thanks for stopping by, I always enjoy a little little j…
Love, wildness, joy….
-g-