Ocean

I felt frustrated as I hiked through the canyon.

Seemingly at every single turn, a hiker blazed past me, ignoring any semblance of trail etiquette.

A house party near the mouth of the canyon blared music that reverberated throughout the hillsides, blocking any chance to hear birdsong. Although I’m nonbinary, I felt my gender rapidly evolving into grumpy old man.

“The privilege of living here,” I grumbled to myself. “Never hiking on Memorial Day ever again.”

Then, I realized just how much my own attitude was ruining what could otherwise be a beautiful day outdoors. I paused, took a few deep breaths and made myself look at the flowers, take in the smile of a passing hiker, and say a few things I felt grateful for. This gentle reframing saved the day.

It was my first time hiking around Santa Ynez Canyon, and I laughed at myself for expecting serenity on Memorial Day, when seemingly half of L.A. heads to the beach and mountains for a quick escape. I had high expectations for the canyon’s Los Leones Trail. Several friends and colleagues had told me how beautiful it was. But those expectations were what put me in such a bad head space at the start of my hike.

I share this experience because I want to remind us all how lucky we are to live in a place where we can hike near the Pacific Ocean and then go swim and bounce in its waves.

In this edition of The Wild, our weekly outdoors newsletter, I will share three great hikes near some of the best (and cleanest!) beaches in Los Angeles County.

I chose trails near beaches that made our “15 best beaches in L.A. County” list this year, including two that feature tide pools. (Don’t know what a tide pool is? Check out my guide on how to explore them!)

A few quick things to remember:

• Plan for hotter temperatures as summer creeps up: 🥵 Make sure to pack more water than you typically need, especially on hikes with minimal shade.
• Bring your sun protection: Lately, I’ve been using my hiking umbrella that I reviewed for last year’s holiday gift guide. Its silver top deflects heat while its black underside traps harmful UV rays.
• Leave no trace: Please refresh your memory of the seven “Leave No Trace” principles, including being mindful of how loud you’re talking and not playing music audibly from your phone or a speaker.
• Tell someone where you’re going: Complete this form (or something like it) and leave a copy with a friend or family member, and another on your car’s dash. This will better ensure rescuers can find you, should an emergency occur.

OK, now that we’ve covered some essential safety measures, let’s dive into this week’s hikes. Soon, you could gaze upon a stretch of coastline from one of these hikes, only to go swimming later in the day at the same spot!

A popular lookout spot near the Los Leones Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

1. Los Leones Trail to Parker Mesa Overlook

Distance: About 7.4 miles out and back
Elevation gain: About 1,500 feet
Difficulty: Moderately challenging
Dogs allowed? No
Accessible alternative: Will Rogers State Park’s Inspiration Loop Trail
Beach to visit nearby: Will Rogers State Beach at Temescal Canyon

This 7.4-mile out-and-back journey in the Santa Monica Mountains starts with taking the Los Leones Trail about 1.3 miles up before joining with East Topanga Fire Road for a steep 2.4-mile trek to the Parker Mesa Overlook.

To begin your hike, you’ll park in or around the Los Leones trailhead near Topanga State Park. Hopefully, you’ll snag a spot in the small lot near the trailhead. This reporter did not get that lucky, but I did find there was plenty of street parking, although it adds a little mileage to the trip.

There are flush toilets and water fountains near the trailhead, which always feels like a luxury. And even just from the restrooms, you can already see the deep blue ocean, a visual hint of what’s to come.

A large swath of the L.A. County coastline is visible from the East Topanga Fire Road.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

You’ll find the trailhead marked by a wood and rock archway with a “Los Leones Canyon” sign. From here, you’ll hike north along steep rocky stretches. Poles and shoes with good traction are essential. I saw multiple hikers fall without them.

Immediately upon entering, it’s easy to see where last year’s Palisades fire charred several trees along the hillside. There is a little bit of mustard popping up, but it’s not overtaking the California sagebrush and other native plants just yet. I was pleased to see wildflowers still blooming in this canyon, including bush monkey flower, cardinal catchfly and just a bit of canyon sunflower. There were also several sumac and Southern California black walnut trees.

Watch out for roots and rocks along the Los Leones Trail, as I noticed several that could easily catch the feet of tired hikers headed down.

From left: Douglas nightshade, bush monkey flower, and canyon sunflower.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

As mentioned, there was a loud house party at one of the houses down the canyon. Once I turned a corner about half a mile in, I could finally hear nature’s music over the All-American Rejects.

At just under 1.3 miles, you’ll find the Los Leones Trail meeting with East Topanga Fire Road (called the Paseo Miramar Trail on some maps). There’s an optional side quest here where you can take the fire road south to an overlook spot with a tree prominent on its bare hilltop.

Otherwise, you’ll take the East Topanga Fire Road northwest for about 1.8 miles before turning south to walk just over half a mile to the Parker Mesa Overlook. Along the way, you’ll find several spots to pause and take in the views.

To the east, you will see the wood frames of dozens of houses being rebuilt after the Palisades fire. It offers a sobering perspective on the long journey to getting one’s house back after wildfire.

I could also see downtown L.A., the Santa Monica Pier, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, sailboats and maybe some dolphins. (If you want to learn how to spot whales and dolphins from the trail, check out my tips on how to do just that!)

As hikers ascend the East Topanga Fire Road, the views of the Pacific Ocean grow only more expansive and panoramic.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

As I left the trail, I noticed the house party had ended, as had my bad mood.

The short trails around White Point Preserve meander through coastal prairie and coast sage scrub.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

2. Vista Trail & Grasslands Loop Trail

Distance: From 1.6 to 2.2 miles
Elevation gain: About 250 feet
Difficulty: Easy, but does include hills
Dogs allowed? Yes, but not on beach
Accessible alternative: Paths around the White Point Nature Education Center and some portions of the Grassland Loop
Beach to visit nearby: White Point/Royal Palms Beach

This gentle 1.6-mile trek through White Point Nature Preserve in San Pedro combines two trails: Grasslands Loop Trail (0.8 miles) and the Vista Trail (0.8 miles). You’ll experience a coastal prairie, a rare habitat that used to cover an estimated 36 square miles, “extending north-south from the crest of the Ballona Bluffs to Palos Verdes and inland from the lee of the El Segundo sand dunes for three to six miles,” according to research compiled by the Urban Wildlands Group.

The White Point Nature Preserve, a 102-acre expanse, also houses a nature education center that’s open weekends from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The preserve’s trails are open daily from dawn to dusk.

Maggie May, canine hiking companion of Wild writer Jaclyn Cosgrove, trots along the trail past native plants in the White Point Preserve.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

The preserve was previously owned by the U.S. military and was a Nike missile site, a Cold War-era missile defense system. The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy now manages the L.A. city-owned property, regularly hosting volunteer opportunities to continue the conservancy’s efforts to restore the preserve’s native plant system that was destroyed by human activities.

After your hike, you can head just west of the preserve to White Point/Royal Palms Beach, which Times contributor Jenna Belhumeur wrote in our beach guide offers “some of the most diverse tide pools in Southern California.”

To begin your hike, you’ll park either in a large dirt lot at the preserve or along the street. Then, it’s choose your own adventure. If you’d like to do both loops (see map), you could head west from the parking lot, briefly walking on the Grassland Loop before joining the Vista Trail. Take the Vista Trail clockwise as it wraps around the preserve.

Catalina Island is often visible from White Point Preserve.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

At the top of Vista Trail, the conservancy notes that: “Catalina Island is often visible less than 20 miles away. On the northeast portion of the trail are two gun emplacements built in 1942 as part of the US coastal defense system, each housing a 16-inch gun.” It was a clear enough day when I hiked the trail that I thought I saw a dolphin jump in the nearby water!

You can head from the Vista Trail and join back up with the Grasslands Trail to take its full loop around, too. There is also a nice path around the nature center with several educational signs about the local culture, flora and fauna.

The White Point Nature Education Center in San Pedro.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

I visited the preserve on a weekday and found it to be somewhat meditative, especially when I realized there was a labyrinth near the nature center. The loudest sound was the crunching of my feet as I headed down the path, my trusted hiking dog Maggie May at my side.

The Nicholas Flat Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains, as seen last May.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

3. The Willow Creek Trail to Nicholas Flat Loop

Distance: 1.8 miles (with an option to extend)
Elevation gain: About 575 feet (more if you extend)
Difficulty: Moderate
Dogs allowed? No
Accessible alternative: Nicholas Flat ADA Trail
Beach to visit nearby: Leo Carrillo State Beach

The Willow Creek Trail to Nicholas Flat Loop is a 1.8-mile jaunt through coastal sage scrub at Leo Carrillo State Park that quickly rewards hikers with breathtaking ocean views.

You start near the park’s campground and take the Willow Creek Trail about 0.7 miles northeast before it jags to the west. There, you will find a sign for an ocean vista lookout point, which I recommend as long as body and spirit allow. It’s steep but does provide panoramic views of the mountains and coastline.

From here, you can either take the Nicholas Flat Trail back down to the parking lot, or you can continue on another section of the Nicholas Flat trail that takes you north and eventually to a quaint stock pond in the Nicholas Flat Natural Preserve.

The hike to the stock pond is about 2.3 miles with about 1,100 feet of elevation gained. Round trip, it will add up to 4.6 miles to your hike, depending on whether you incorporate other trails in the preserve into your hike. I’ve found this stretch of the hike to be uncrowded and serene, albeit challenging on the way up.

What I love about this hike is, it’s a buffet serving up some of the best features of the Santa Monica Mountains hikes: great views of the ocean, gorgeous wildflowers and lots of lizards and birds skirting here and there along the trail.

Over the past two weeks, users on iNaturalist have documented golden yarrow, cliff aster, Blochman’s dudleya, Plummer’s mariposa lily and other native plants still with blooms. You might be able to catch wildflowers, too, if you hike it soon!

3 things to do

Volunteers are needed to help at one of the native plant nurseries that the Santa Monica Mountains Fund manages.

(Christina Jimenez, SAMO Fund)

1. Free plants of weeds in Thousand Oaks
The Santa Monica Mountains Fund needs volunteers from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at its Rancho Sierra Vista nursery to process cuttings, transplant seeds and tend to more than 50,000 plants being grown for local restoration. Volunteers who give at least two hours of their time will be thanked with three native plants. Participants should wear outdoor working attire and bring a reusable water bottle and sun protection. Register at eventbrite.com.

2. Learn about mobility justice in L.A.
BikeLA, Los Angeles Walks and the Willowbrook Inclusion Network will host a soft launch gathering of a new community space from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station. Guests can visit local vendors, including artists and small businesses, and see a portrait exhibit honoring mobility justice leaders. Learn more at the groups’ Instagram pages.

3. Celebrate the planet in Santa Ana
OC Habitats, a Santa Ana-based conservation nonprofit, will host the “Earth for Everyone” festival from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at 1505 E. 17th Street in Santa Ana. Several local groups, including Bolsa Chica Conservancy, California Native Plants Society’s Orange County chapter and Orange County Coastkeeper, will be in attendance. Guests can play games, listen to live music, win prizes and more. Register at eventbrite.com.

The must-read

A view of the “Texas Dip” on Borrego Springs Road, near where San Diego Gas and Electric has proposed running miles of high voltage power lines and structures through a long stretch of the Anza-Borrego State Park.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

One of my favorite sounds while I’m out hiking is the strange, discomforting buzz that comes from large transmission towers often found in our mountains. Just kidding! That’s one of many reasons that environmentalists are puzzled as to why San Diego Gas & Electric has proposed a 140-mile transmission line that would cut right through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park — again. As Times staff writer Hayley Smith reported, experts say the project would disrupt habitat for the park’s 1,500 plant and animal species, including bighorn sheep who already face the U.S. border wall as a migratory barrier. In 2008, a project was proposed along a similar route through the park, “but it was rejected by the California Public Utilities Commission as ‘environmentally unacceptable and infeasible’ because it would result in more than 50 significant and unavoidable impacts to the park,’” Smith wrote. It remains unclear what, if anything, has changed since then.

Happy adventuring,

P.S.

The Santa Rosa Island Fire has been devastating for many of us in the outdoors community to witness. The fire started May 15 and burned more than 18,000 acres of the island’s southeastern end. Santa Rosa is the second largest island in California at about 53,000 acres. It is a special place for many reasons, including its Torrey pines, island foxes, lizards, spotted skunks and several rare birds. Do you have any memories from hiking or camping on Santa Rosa Island that you’d like to share? Please either reply to this newsletter if you received it in your inbox, or if reading from the Times website, email me at jaclyn.cosgrove@latimes.com. We might use your responses in an upcoming article or newsletter. Thank you for sharing what makes this place special!

For more insider tips on Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.

May 4 (Asia Today) — Pan Ocean beat market expectations in the first quarter, helped by strong performance in its LNG and tanker businesses.

Pan Ocean said Monday its preliminary first-quarter sales rose 8.3% from a year earlier to 1.51 trillion won ($1.03 billion), while operating profit increased 24.4% to 140.9 billion won ($95.8 million).

The results exceeded market forecasts of 1.46 trillion won ($989 million) in sales and 132.2 billion won ($89.8 million) in operating profit.

Compared with the previous quarter, sales rose 2.2% and operating profit increased 8%. Analysts said expansion of the company’s LNG-focused business portfolio helped defend earnings despite the seasonal shipping slowdown.

By business segment, tanker operating profit rose 41.5% from a year earlier to 28.1 billion won ($19.1 million), supported by strong medium-range tanker market conditions. The LNG business posted 47.2 billion won ($32.1 million) in operating profit, up 49.7%, helped by fleet expansion and higher utilization.

The bulk segment, including grain operations, continued to grow from a year earlier, but profitability weakened from the previous quarter because of spot voyage losses caused by geopolitical risks from U.S.-Iran tensions and rising oil prices. Bulk operating profit totaled 54.7 billion won ($37.2 million).

The container segment posted 9 billion won ($6.1 million) in operating profit, down 42.9% from a year earlier, as oversupply pushed freight rates lower.

Pan Ocean said its strategy of diversifying into LNG and tankers to manage shipping market volatility has begun to show results.

“We will continue efforts to strengthen our ability to respond to market changes, expand our business portfolio and secure stable profitability,” a Pan Ocean official said. “At the same time, we will establish our position as a sustainable company through active ESG management.”

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260504010000408

IF you fancy a stay right by the beach but with a bit of style, you’ll want to head to Suffolk.

Here is everything you need to know about staying at Brudenell Hotel.

Where is the Brudenell Hotel?

The hotel is perched right on the beach and promenade of the sophisticated seaside town of Aldeburgh.

And the four-star boutique hotel – a local Victorian landmark – has had a makeover bringing it right into the 21st Century.

What are the rooms like?

The 44 rooms vary from standard double rooms overlooking the town through to superior deluxe seaview rooms with unparalleled views across the long pebble beach.

The beds are super comfortable and everywhere is decorated in soft, neutral tones with the occasional nautical and coastal reference here and there – like pieces of driftwood or porthole shaped windows.

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There is nothing more restorative and relaxing than sitting in your room watching, and listening, to the waves crash on the beach and seagulls crying overhead.

The illuminated seafoam washing up out of the darkness of the North Sea is a hypnotic experience.

Double rooms from £164 per night, including breakfast. See here.

What is there to eat and drink?

The hotel has a terrific seafood & grill restaurant with views over the beach and offers all-day dining with a two course lunch from £20.

There are plenty of other options in Aldeburgh from the best fish and chips imaginable to pizzas and even a terrific Indian, Sea Spice, at the nearby White Lion Hotel.

What else is there to do nearby?

You have to walk the length of the beach and take in the stunning Suffolk countryside flanking the nearby winding and sprawling River Alde.

But also check out the town centre with its myriad of shops, galleries and museums. Aldeburgh is a real gem of a coastal destination.

Is the hotel family friendly?

Some of the Superior rooms and Deluxe rooms can sleep two kids, and cots are available on request.

is it accessible?

There is lift access as well as two accessible rooms.

Blue bay parking is available.

Authors: Rahul Mishra & Harshit Prajapati

The US-Israel conflict with Iran dragged almost every country into a phase of energy insecurity. While Iran’s neighboring countries are directly affected by the armed conflict, immediate regions too have not remained insulated from the ongoing conflict. For India, the conflict has demonstrated the implications of getting caught in the crossfire of a conflict in its vicinity. Two particular incidents—the US sinking of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena in the waters off the coast of Sri Lanka (just 40 nautical miles away) and the reported firing of two ballistic missiles towards the joint UK-US base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean—serve as a grim reminder about a conflict spiraling in India’s maritime backyard in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

For decades, the Indian Ocean region has remained largely peaceful, away from any direct impact of a conflict in a neighboring region or any major power conflict with a regional impact. The two above-mentioned incidents highlight the need for littoral states of the IOR to have a regional security mechanism to deal with any crisis in the region in a more cohesive and coordinated fashion. Being one of the major stakeholders in the region, it is incumbent upon India to foster meaningful and substantial cooperation with IOR littoral states through regional mechanisms such as the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). It would be a timely exercise to strive to move beyond non-traditional security cooperation mechanisms to protect the shared maritime space, especially during such conflicts.

The sinking of IRIS Dena in the IOR when it was returning to its home after participating in the International Fleet Review and multinational exercise MILAN, hosted by India, serves as a major strategic lesson to countries of the region. Since the International Fleet Reviews are an acknowledgement by the regional and global peers of the host country’s sovereignty and maritime supremacy in its neighborhood, the sinking of an Iranian warship does not augur well for India’s claim as a net security provider or preferred security partner in the IOR.

Additionally, Iran’s launch of two ballistic missiles, which failed to strike the designated target, towards the Diego Garcia base, reflects the risk of a distant war reaching India’s maritime backyard. The 2025 decolonization agreement between the UK and Mauritius enabled the transfer of the Chagos archipelago, including Diego Garcia Island, to Mauritius; however, the UK retained access to the Diego Garcia military base for 99 years. Thus, in the event of a conflict, Diego Garcia, as the joint UK-US base, may become a target, thereby drawing the war into the Indian maritime backyard. With the escalating conflict with Iran, Hezbollah, and the Houthi rebels, the possibility of repetition of such an incident cannot be ruled out.

During the Cold War, India and the IOR countries endeavored to halt the foreign military presence in the IOR, as illustrated by the UNGA Resolution 2832 of 1971, which sought to establish the Indian Ocean Zone of Peace (IOZOP). However, the regional countries failed to implement the declaration because of resistance from the major powers. In 2016, India attempted to revive implementation of the 1971 resolution but failed to garner significant attention from the IOR countries, putting aside any major power.

Rather than seeking IOZOP through restrictions on foreign military presence, India should strengthen its naval capabilities, especially its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms. Earlier, in 2018, India envisioned a 200-ship fleet by 2027; however, in 2026, the goal was revised to a 200-plus-ship fleet by 2035. Despite the induction of new platforms, this goal seems ambitious, as older platforms retire faster than new ones are inducted, especially given the constrained budget allocation to the Indian Navy.

A sizable portion of India’s submarine fleet is aging. The current force comprising Russian-origin Kilo-class submarines and German-origin Type 209 submarines has been in service for decades and is set to retire soon. Although the induction of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine Aridhaman in April 2026 and Arighaat in August 2024 strengthened India’s nuclear triad, the pace of induction of conventional submarines remains lagging. Project 75I, aimed at developing advanced diesel-electric submarines, was originally set in motion in 2007; however, its deal with the manufacturer—a German firm—has yet to be signed.

Earlier, it was planned that India would expand its fleet of long-range maritime reconnaissance Boeing P-8I aircraft from 12 to 28. But then the plan to expand the fleet to 28 P-8I aircraft was reduced to 20-22 due to constrained spending. Additionally, the Indian Navy only possesses 15 MQ-9B high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) drones.

Therefore, if India needs to entrench its position as a preferred security partner in the IOR and realize its vision of Security and Growth for all in the Region (SAGAR)—upgraded to Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR) in 2025—in the IOR, then it needs to support its normative framework with military capabilities.

Given India’s lack of naval capabilities—across all three mediums (air, surface, and undersea)—to conduct persistent surveillance of the enormous IOR (spanning more than 70 million square kilometers), India should collaborate with littoral countries to conduct surveillance in the IOR through regional mechanisms such as the CSC and the IONS. Presently, cooperation in these forums is largely limited to countering non-traditional security threats, such as piracy, trafficking, maritime disasters, etc. Challenges such as differing threat perceptions, disparity in naval capabilities, and a lack of regional consciousness hinder meaningful and substantial cooperation.

However, if the littoral countries of the IOR seek to avoid getting caught in the crossfire of a distant conflict, such as the present one, they need to move beyond non-traditional security cooperation to develop a common understanding of how to protect the shared maritime space in the IOR, especially during such conflicts. India, being the most militarily equipped country in the IOR, should take the lead in forging the collaborative efforts to conduct persistent surveillance in the IOR, as maritime wars do not respect geographical boundaries.

KESHA is stripping down for Earth Day.

The singer skinny dipped in the ocean in a new Instagram post.

Kesha, 39, went totally nude in a series of snaps she shared on Wednesday in honor of Earth Day.

“Mother Nature is the divine feminine,” the pop star wrote on a post of her kneeling in the water.

She looked over her shoulder with her arm over her chest in the sultry photo.

“I am the infinite amount of things that I am made of,” Kesha wrote on another snap of her lying on her front in the water, holding a shell.

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“did anyone ever stop to think that maybe we are the aliens,” she wrote on another picture.

In the photo, she flipped her hair in the water while topless, with pink heart emojis covering her nipples.

“The most grounded popstar these rocks have ever seen,” she wrote on a pic of her holding the beach’s rocks in her hand.

“#earthday is every day,” she captioned the post.