Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Temescal Gateway Park cools at dusk

Bring a sweater. In the deep broad shadows of the valley of Temescal Canyon, when the sun goes down so does the temperature, and quickly. Even without a sea breeze coming up the too broad road from the PCH to Sunset Boulevard it gets chilly.

It is a lovely place. Quiet, rural seeming, with a dirt parking lot and picnic tables, mature trees and a trickle of a creek even in August. I made what turned out to be an extraordinarily tasty chicken dinner last weekend, packed it up, and 30 minutes later we were eating at one of those tables, with their too thick beams telling their own version of the story of cheap lumber. Miriam was happier on the lawn so we all shifted down. No one else was about, just a few hikers, bikers, and joggers coming down the canyon from the trails, two by two. Dusk in a place of big trees, eucalyptus and valley oak, sycamore and redwood, with all the shadows merged into one and a sparkle of sunlight on the tops of the hill, with a hummingbird above and the faint trickle of the creek below, grass underfoot and the brush trimmed back, wind cool and wet and clear.

Temescal Gateway Park is no longer part of the California State Park system, which seems only to matter to those with CSP annual parking passes.

Yesterday's run destination: San Vincente

Yesterday's menu:
breakfast: granola
lunch: leftover chicken and potatoes
dinner: chana masala

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