In April of last year, the concept of embarking on a walk lasting several days seemed quite enticing. Over the last year, my everyday experiences have mostly been phrazle on malfunctioning Zooms or engaging in grappling battles with email throughout late hours. However, this was not solely due to the shutdown. The Greater Los Angeles area offers me a population of around 19 million neighbors. Embarking on the Backbone Trail provided a convenient means of escaping from them, if only temporarily.

The commencement of my westward journey occurred along Sunset Boulevard, namely inside the parking area of Will Rogers State Historic Park. With my bag securely fastened, I ascended a sandy path, grappling with the peculiar sensation of completely departing from the urban environment. During the first hour, the trail ascended steadily; glimpses of the urban environment were quickly replaced by panoramas of verdant, low-lying mountains, flourishing with spring foliage. A rabbit swiftly leapt across the path, while a hawk with a red-tailed plumage swooped over my head. Over the course of almost five hours of trekking, I saw around six other pedestrians and a small number of mountain bikers, but other from that, I had the trails exclusively for myself.

The Backbone was inaugurated in 2016 after four decades of unwavering trail construction by people and organizations. This included a meticulous process of obtaining large sections of property to create a pathway across one of the most undeveloped regions in southern California. An additional challenge of trekking the route during the epidemic, apart from the proliferation of abandoned disposable masks, was the absence of campsites, which remained inaccessible owing to COVID regulations. (The most have since reopened.) Nevertheless, there were many Airbnbs available if I was prepared to go a few streets away from the route. Abruptly, the journey started to resemble a guided excursion in the Alps, where hikers lodge in hotel accommodations surrounding Mont Blanc.

On the first evening, I slept at a historic ranch located in Topanga, a canyon in West L.A. renowned for its bohemian community. Nowadays, the bohemians opt for Range Rovers, and I had the opportunity to visit a high-end grocery store located near the trailhead. It seems illogical to have a dried hiking dinner when fresh baguettes are being sold. From there, I ascended a tranquil road adorned with oak trees to reach a verdant meadow and the Carriage in Topanga (priced at $113), a covered wagon that has been transformed into a compact hippy hotel room, furnished with a comfortable bed, carpets, an espresso machine, and velvet embellishments. It resembled a whimsical and unconventional vision created by a Hollywood production company.