L.A. Walks: Cherry Canyon in La Cañada-Flintridge, 2.2 miles

Barbara and I thoroughly enjoy hiking the mountains in Spring—the fresh air, new growth, happy birds, and utter serenity. We found this hike in Charles Fleming's 7/21/12 post in the L.A. Times. Acquired by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy in 1985, Cherry Canyon is a collection of seven trails on part of the north face of the San Rafael Hills above Descanso Gardens. Fleming guided us to the Owl Trail, a lovely, mildly challenging trek along a tiny watercourse surrounded by Mesa oaks, sycamores, ash trees, and holly leaf cherry trees. (Love if someone can identify the five fingered leaves pictured below.) Early enough to see the dew tipping the grass and accompanied by a chorus of birdsongs, we alternately huffed up and slid down steep sections of the trail to the top—welcomed by the broad smile of a stratified boulder and rewarded by a stunning view of mist settling below mountains in the distance. Sparsely populated, good signage, and lots of alternative trails to choose from, Cherry Canyon is another one of Ma Nature's hidden treasures.