Showing posts with label porcupine hill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label porcupine hill. Show all posts

4.25.2011

The Green Girl's Easter Signal Hill Trail Run

The Green Girl waited until the evening to go for her Easter Day run on Sunday.

I decided to get some hill work in so I headed over to Signal Hill.

The hill spans a two mile radius and is 365 feet above the city of Long Beach which surrounds it on all sides.

Besides the panoramic views and beautiful sunsets, my favorite part of Signal Hill is the trail system.


Walkways & Trails of Signal Hill


The hillside was spotted with vibrant spring blossoms.

The Panorama Trail wraps around the undeveloped north side of the hill and leads to Hilltop Park.

I paused here to watch the sun set. A number of photographers had their tripods set up.

I decided to follow the trails on the south side as I headed back home.

I couldn't stop staring at the streaks of colors across the clouds in the sky. Evenings will always be my favorite time of day to run.

At one time, Signal Hill was covered with a hundred oil derricks and known as 'Porcupine Hill' because of the prickly appearance of all the rigs.

As I ran by one of the dark green grasshopper-style derricks, I wondered how much oil is still being pumped.


Oil derrick light at McDonald's in Signal Hill
When I went past an abandoned with its horse head removed, I wondered if that section had dried up.

Since Signal Hill is known as an 'oil town', the McDonald's at the foot of the hill even features an oil derrick light.

On my way home, I thought about how Signal Hill is a residential dichotomy with its picturesque trails and giant oil derricks.
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