Mixed media on 11×14” wood cradled panel, 3/4” thick with orange painted sides.

HIGH ABOVE

Hiking in LA just hits differently. The gridlock and smog fade away, and the vast urban sprawl shrinks into a miniature skyline, softened by distance. The constant hum of honking horns and sirens is replaced by birdsong and the rhythmic crunch of packed dirt beneath your feet.

As you climb, leaving the city streets behind, your breath deepens. The sun, unobstructed by towering buildings, warms your face. Fellow hikers pass with a nod, dogs trot happily alongside their owners, and the winding trails are lined with yucca plants, scrubby brush, and oak trees—offering a scent far sweeter than car exhaust.

In just 20 minutes, depending on the trail, you reach a lookout bench, and suddenly, everything shifts. LA, a city that can feel overwhelming—unreachable even—becomes small, almost intimate. From above, it isn’t just highways and endless streets. It’s a patchwork of lives, a collection of dreams, and a place that, for all its vastness, can still feel like home.