THE LION'S DEN

I have to admit today was a day I will not ever forget! We decided to head over to Laguna Beach where I found out they have an amazing hiking trail that travels through the mountains of Orange County. Now let me remind you guys that we weren't that prepared to take this enduring challenge. Being that it was our first time, we brought the bare essentials with us. Thinking that water, a handful of bandades and snacks was enough to survive these trails was going to be enough made me realize we were DEAD WRONG! Thankfully one of my best friends is an expert when it comes to mother nature. I'd like to think of him as the Latino version of Bear Grylls...

As you can see the beauty of this place was so radiant. We were fortunate to pick a perfect sunny day to embark on this adventure of ours. I would highly recommend to check this place out. Just make sure you are more prepared when going on these trails. The map alone here shows the various hikes you can take through these mountains.

When you arrive you only need to pay a $3 parking fee. Simple. Once you do that, visit the Visitors Center to sign in. The reason is just in case you do happen to get lost they know how many people are in your party as well as the owner of the vehicle left behind. The next step is to just figure out which hiking trail you are willing to challenge.

As we started to walk up these trails we really endured a lot of cardio exercise. A much needed workout. A park ranger mentioned that there were sightings of bobcats and mountain lions seen in the month of December. So this was something we really wanted to pay close attention to. We did witness a lot of wildlife as we walked through the trails. From reptiles to wild rabbits. The roads to get tricky at times. You need to really keep an eye out for the wooden posts that point to the right directions. I say this because, you will run into other small trails that may lead to another part of the mountains but these paths aren't safe and identified on the map. We actually made the mistake to walked down one of these hidden paths and found ourselves at a dead end. Luckily we saw a elderly couple walk down at the same time and asked for directions. I highly recommend to bring compass of some sort with you. iPhones do have a neat digital compass that really works AMAZING. 

The hot and beautiful sun started to set slowly and began to feel the coldness from the high elevation. We haven't even reached the mid point of this hike around this time and knew we needed to get back before 5:30pm. This is the time they close the parking lot. The last thing we wanted is our car to be towed. We rushed it up the steepest part of the mountain to make sure we covered a lot of walking and time but it got worse..

Sunset was beating us to the clock and different parts of the mountain got dark. I remember the elderly couple telling us "once you reach the mid point, it will take at least an hour to get to base." WHAT DO WE DO NOW? the mistake of turning into the hidden off path wasted a good portion of our time and we needed to get back before we go missing according to the rangers. So now with the winds and cold really kicking our asses we started to wonder how much longer? As we approached the single person trail we knew we were getting closer.

This is where it got a bit scary for the both of us. We didn't have much sunlight to really light the road and the hiking trail was made out of high brush and lots or uneven rocks. It didn't help to see paw prints all along the dirt but we were pumped full of adrenaline. All we were worried was darkness. 

In the end we finally made it back safely and we had tons of FUN! We just need to be more attentive and start this a bit earlier so we have the proper time to explore. I'm fortunate to have a great and brave gal at my side to go through these adventures with me.

Next week we hit the Cliffs of The Pacific Coast!

I wanted to share a beautiful piece told by a brilliant man in his times. Charlie Chaplin was known for his comedic roles in silent movies. He became a legend in the movie industry but many didn't know he was a great writer. When the era for silent movies died and sound came along, the voice of this legendary actor came alive with this speech he told in The Great Dictator circa 1940. 

This speech has impacted many today to fight agaisnt the waves of torment our American Government lay amongst us. I myself do not believe in our system. There is no true justice for our freedom like they promise each day. It's a corrupt way of becoming rich and a simple act of cruelty for us individuals. Even though Charlie made this speech in the 1940's, a lot of what was said then applies now. We are treated like slaves and machines. We aren't human to them but more like animals cramped into small farms as we fight our way to live in this society. Being abused by the system and beaten out of our dreams.

Nonetheless, I am sad to see our world crumble behind our back. I am afraid for the future of our next generation, our kids and our new leaders....

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 I finally found the time to come back and write about something that captures my eye, MEN'S FASHION... A few weeks ago my girlfriend and I got together for a photo shoot she wanted to showcase for her blogspot. We had such a amazing time putting this together at our favorite spot in the city of La Mirada CA. I went ahead and put a outfit together for my first session. 

I chose to go for the last piece of a fall season. Since California has been up and down with it's weather I slipped into something comfortable for both warm and cold. There is never a day you can't go wrong using a blazer over V-neck tee. Thankfully I had the right match for that. The Gap a few years ago carried a wide variety of blazers in all sorts of colors and material. The Charcoal Blazer ($80) here came in many colors in a slim fit. A perfect fit for people who really hate the shoulder pads that the common blazer come in. Next I have a very popular and unique limited edition OBEY V-neck ($30) that I absolutely love. What I admire at the moment right now is the thin graphic tees that are becoming more popular by the trend. Especially when the actual graphic on the shirt is bled onto it rather than being silk screened and having the possibility of it cracking after so many washes.

The last piece of the outfit is a pair of KILL CITY ($90) skinny jeans. I always found that women never really have the same problem we do when it comes to finding the right pair of jeans. Granted that the waist of a jean fit is very important to a woman, we as men mostly take the time to see how the bottom of the jean will fit over our shoes. Now a days our findings are getting easier and easier. Kill City makes a variety of different fits but in my opinion I highly recommend this brand to most if you aren't afraid in spending a few more extra bucks for a great quality product. So all in all I have to say goodbye to the Fall and say hello to our Winter cold December...

-Mr. De Leon

  

 

Lately I have been noticing a lot of people in general just not being able to hold onto the responsibilities they take upon themselves. I was on that boat once before, but I admit the mistakes I made. I did bite more than I can chew plenty of times but I managed to get myself out of it. There is no point in acting depressed and letting everything go. Attention like that doesn't get you NOWHERE but just utter dissapointment.

Exploiting the situation is a cry for help. The way I see it, just talk about it with a close friend or family member. Get it off your chest, or write about it. 

I have been caught up in many scenarios where some of my friends turn to drugs or alcohol for a healing process. What's the point of that.? It isn't going to help you out in any way. Sad to say they get hooked on it and later blame it on the substance they ended up with in the first place. Let's be mature and adult about the matter and think twice about it! Simple as that!

In the end, don't go around and thinking you can do everything and anything without knowing the consequences of what you are about to do. Be smart about it, that's all...

-Mr. De Leon