Adventure Wednesday at the Reservoir

How the weeks fly.  I'm already back with another Adventure Wednesday.

We've been trying to schedule my first hike for the last several Wednesdays, but we never seem to have time to fit it in.  So this morning, we woke up promptly with the plan to hike right away.  We fueled up, geared up, and headed for the Hollywood reservoir, which neither Tom nor I had ever visited before.  It's perfect as a beginning hike, because it's relatively level and paved.  (More of a walk than a hike, I suppose.)

The view from the trailhead at the Tahoe gate.  The reservoir is
fully fenced in, but we managed to take pictures around it.

I didn't even know that the reservoir, also known as "Lake Hollywood," even existed. It's tucked within the hills, and though it's right in our proverbial backyard, you can't see it easily from below.

It turns out that the reservoir features heavily in the excellent noir neo-classic, Chinatown.  (Fittingly so, because the whole film is about the sketchy origins of Los Angeles irrigation.)  You can see it in this clip here (though be warned, there's some non work/kid-safe violence.)




We were amused to see several drains that reminded us of the film.

Forget it, Jake.

We had an excellent - though smoggy - view of the Hollywood sign on the trail.

Lots of spring wildflowers are in bloom right now.

I thought these were striking. They reminded me of something, though I can't put my finger on it.

I loved these strange spiny flowers.  I'm glad I don't have pollen allergies, though.

Single daisy... or black-eyed susan?

The pattern on these thistle leaves fascinated us.
Would make for a great Halloween decoration!

I pronounced these "kissing thistles."  Then Tom pronounced them "kissthles."

Drowsy Tom presents a pine cone...

...right across the way from this pine-needle covered cactus. 
Ah, Los Angeles.  Ski or swim, pine needle or cactus needle.

Our first view of the reservoir.

I love Mid-Century Modern design, but not always the houses. 
This stylish panel-and-glass number falls in the "love" category.

We met some pals along our trek...

This little blue guy had no qualms about posing for the camera. Direct little fella!
I thought he was a jay, but his markings don't match. Anybody into Orinthology?

A fellow hiker spotted this turtle swimming in the lake!

Reservoir Dog.  Miss Purple?

Half-way through our trek, we finally made it to the Mulholland Dam.
Do you see those posts in between each arch?

If you look closely, you can see that they're bears!

A view from the dam.

Thanks, Mr. Mulholland! But no thanks for the very windy road that is named after you.
I always feel like I am going to crash when driving on it.

Tom spotted (and photographed) this strange little wood sprite-like thing.

All in all, a very cheery hike. Even the pipes were happy.

Here's our path, a loop I created on LiveStrong.
We walked from Tahoe to Woodlake and back.

And as promised, here's part 2 of my food log series this week:

Tuesday 4/19/11 - total 1415 calories
Breakfast: 1/2 cup fat free greek yogurt, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup honey oat crunch
Lunch: 2 oz whole wheat spaghetti, 2 oz ground turkey meatballs, 1 cup asparagus, 1 roma tomato, 1 ounce goat cheese
Afternoon Snack: 1 light string cheese
Pre-Slimmons Smoothie: 1/2 cup fat free greek yogurt, 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
Dinner: 2 cups zucchini with mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes (sauteed with a spritz of Pam), 1 raw carrot, 1 tsp peanut butter, 6 oz fresh pineapple, 1 wrap sandwich (low-carb tortilla, 1 tsp veganaise, 2 cherry tomatoes, 2 oz grilled chicken, 1 oz brie)
Beverages: 64 oz water, 8 oz skim milk

What are you all eating these days?