LISA CUMBIE
Living Editor
The sun is shining, the water is glistening and it’s a beautiful day outside. But the air is chilling and autumn is settling in, the vacationers have all gone back to their undesirable climates, PCH traffic is moving again — a sign that summer is officially over. But for Pepperdine students, this means the beach is no longer the best excuse to ditch classes.
Don’t worry though; the fun has not completely ended. The reality is that Los Angeles’ largest playground is right in Pepperdine’s backyard — there are just deer instead of dogs and raccoons replace cats. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area offers a number of alternative opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. Some people travel thousands of miles to experience what could easily be Pepperdine students’ everyday lives.
The 153,075 acres that cover 26 ZIP codes make up the world’s largest urban national park and home to more than 30 hiking trails, according to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. But one thing that makes the parkland unique is its Mediterranean ecosystem that exists in only four other areas in the world. It’s not every metropolitan area of more than 10 million people that has desert land, lush mountains and miles of ocean beaches all in the same county.
Student manager of outdoor recreation, Senior Clint Harp, is one of many students drawn to the luster of the mountains. His favorite local spot is the ridgeline right above campus.
“[It] offers some amazing views of campus and the ocean,” Harp said.
Another notable place is a hike that begins at Malibu Creek State park and follows through the old M.A.S.H. film site and proceeds all the way to the top of Coral Canyon, according to Harp.
“You can even see the 101 and the ocean at the same time. It’s great,” Harp said.
Campus Recreation has already lead local hikes and rock climbing in the state park this month and has more activities planned for the semester, including hikes, overnight camping trips and a backpacking trip next weekend. Eight events are already lined up for October alone.
But if your schedule doesn’t mesh with Campus Recreation, there are plenty of hikes and other activities you can do on your own time. There are many accessible trails close to campus – some within walking distance.
Senior Sarah Mitchell enjoys the terrain of the Santa Monica Mountains for hiking and biking, but didn’t know Campus Recreation offered organized excursions. She prefers to brave the wilderness on her own.
One of her favorite trails is Sycamore Canyon.
“[It] is great for biking. It goes from Newbury Park to Malibu,” Mitchell said.
Students can also access two trails from campus. One is across from Upsilon parking lot and one is above faculty housing and both offer great views.
One of the real treasures in Malibu is the Solstice Canyon loop trail.
“This trail ends at a really neat spot by a few waterfalls. This is a great spot for a picnic or even a quick dip, if the water level is high enough,” Harp said.
Harp agrees the mountains are often overlooked because of the University’s proximity to the beaches. But he remains hopeful the numbers of students increasingly showing interest in the mountains will grow.
“I feel that with the continuation of the Outdoor recreation program, students will begin to look at the mountains as well as the ocean on their way to class,” said Harp.
09-27-2007
