The mountain story to share on Thanksgiving
If you share one story this Thanksgiving, let it be this one. A few months ago I wrote about Jack Ryan Greener, a quadriplegic and stroke survivor who taught himself to walk. In August, he hiked to the top of Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous U.S. Now a recently released documentary called “Paralyzed to Peaks” tells his story, footstep by footstep, stumble by stumble. (Stream it here for free.)
The documentary by his buddy, Chase Viken, takes you from the hospital to the top of the 14,505-foot summit west of Lone Pine, Calif. In the film, Jack’s anger, frustration, exhaustion, gratitude all collide on the mountain. In introducing the film, Jack recently posted on Instagram: “I’ve truly begun to shift my vocabulary and thought process to that of loving. Shifting the vocabulary from failure to opportunity, a culmination of months upon months of mindfulness, meditation, and writing.” It’s a different life, not one Jack chose, being rebuilt with purpose and deliberation. Enjoy, and happy Thanksgiving.
5 things to do this week
1. Yep, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of holiday lights. You must know by now that Thanksgiving is the unofficial start of the holiday lights season, and it’s not just decked-out neighborhoods and houses anymore. Local gardens install elaborate light shows (that require pricey tickets) where you can walk amid an immersive decor. These are good places to take the family as well as out-of-town visitors. Some examples: Lightscape at the L.A. County Arboretum & Botanic Garden in Arcadia through Jan. 16; animal-themed L.A. Zoo Lights at the zoo in Griffith Park through Jan. 9; South Coast Botanic Garden’s GLOW (Garden Lights & Ocean Waters) in Palos Verdes Estates through Jan. 17; Descanso Gardens’ Enchanted Forest of Light in La Cañada Flintridge through Jan. 9; and Sherman Library & Gardens’ Nights of 1000 Lights in Corona del Mar on Dec. 10-12 and Dec. 16-22. Click here for ticket prices and dates for these seasonal events.
2. Snow play to begin after-hours at L.A. County parks. L.A. County plans to ship in 40 tons of snow to urban parks to give city kids a winter wonderland glow. Parks After Dark hosts a sled hill and snow play area, a visit from Santa, a holiday stocking giveaway (while supplies last) and hot cocoa station — all free; no registration required. The snow play begins Dec. 3 at Sorensen Park in Whittier and Pamela Park in Duarte and continues weekends through Dec. 18. Sessions run noon-4 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. Check the schedule to see times and dates of when the snow falls.
3. Resist the Black Friday buying frenzy and #optoutside instead. It’s pretty easy to avoid stores and online shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Plan a hike (here are 50 SoCal hikes to choose from), bike ride, run, ski trip, surfing outing, anything that gets you and your loved ones out in nature. Maybe pick a place you’ve never been to for an adventure of discovery. Outdoor retailer REI started #optoutside in 2015 when it shut its 170 stores and sites on Black Friday and encouraged everyone to instead enjoy the outdoors. Then the outdoors co-op started a Cooperative Action Fund to award money to community organizations that promote “justice, equity and belonging in the outdoors to strengthen the health and well-being of people and communities.” Nature is waiting. It’s up to you to take the time to explore and share your experiences with your community.
4. It’s time for another car-free spin cycle with CicLAvia. Ever wish you could clear L.A. streets of traffic? Of course you have. CicLAvia does just that on a regular basis so you can bicycle, roller skate, walk, scooter (human-powered) or run on a car-free route in L.A. (Check here for rules on what vehicles are permitted.) The upcoming event heads to South L.A. to a route along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard from Central Avenue to Crenshaw Boulevard and as far north on Crenshaw as West Exposition Boulevard. The 5.3-mile route will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 5. More info here.
5. Join a free tide-pool walk on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Tide pools along the SoCal coast offer a glimpse into another world. During low tide, you can discover sea anemones, barnacles, mussels, sea stars, snails, crabs and more. Take a walk along the bluffs and then drop down to the beach to view tide pools hosted by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. (Boulder-hopping makes this a moderate to strenuous trek.) The free walk takes place 9 a.m. Dec. 11. Sign up here to attend.
Wild things
Sierra Nevada red foxes are one of the rarest animals at high elevations in Northern California forests. How rare? They number in the dozens. Really. Wildlife officials were worried about the foxes after the Dixie fire last summer burned 963,309 acres in and around Lassen National Forest. But they were encouraged after receiving pings from a radio collar on a 3-year-old fox they named Tule. This L.A. Times story describes how the foxes survived: “Tule is among a group of Sierra Nevada red foxes that state wildlife officials began capturing in 2018 and outfitting with satellite collars. Three other collared females in Lassen Volcanic National Park also appear to have survived the blaze, which charred about two-thirds of the park. ... Less of their habitat was damaged by the Dixie fire, but they’re continuing to use parts that did burn.” Read the full story here.
The must-read
Whoa! What’s it like to live alone on top of 11,053-foot Mammoth Mountain? Vincent Valencia knows. For much of the last 18 years, he has overseen Mammoth Mountain Ski Area’s gondola operation, enduring “whiteout conditions, 184-mph winds, and temperatures that drop to minus 30 degrees,” wrote The Times’ Louis Sahagún. Valencia, 61, can go five days without seeing anyone else. “A social butterfly isn’t going to like this job,” he said. “But that’s not me.” Read more about Valencia’s life at the top and his decision to leave that post.
P.S.
Two Stanford students finished three of America’s most arduous trails in record time: the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide. Sammy Potter and Jackson Parell started on New Year’s Day 2021. They’ve become the youngest-known hikers to finish the 7,940-mile journey in a single year, known as the Calendar Year Triple Crown. This L.A. Times story reports: “The first person reported to complete the Calendar Year Triple Crown, Brian Robinson, finished in 10 months in 2001. Since his inaugural hike 20 years ago, fewer than a dozen people have followed in his footsteps.” Potter and Parell used a strategy that involved hopping from trail to trail to notch the miles. Read the full story here.
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Click to view the web version of this newsletter and share it with others, and sign up to have it sent weekly to your inbox. I’m Mary Forgione, and I write The Wild. I’ve been exploring trails and open spaces in Southern California for four decades.
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