November 5th, 2013, was the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, a transformational achievement that allowed for the growth of Southern California as we know it today. To mark the occasion, local artist Lauren Bon and the Metabolic Studio walked the length of the aqueduct with the animals that made its construction possible. Calling this commemorative event “One Hundred Mules Walking,” the group began their journey mid-state, in Lone Pine (near the Owens Valley), and ended this morning in Burbank, near the Los Angeles River’s edge.
After overnighting in a Verdugo Mountains encampment high above the cities of Glendale and Burbank, the 100-strong mule train headed out of the canyons behind Glendale’s Brand Park at 9:00am.
It was a beautiful warm morning– and mules and riders were met with crowds of folks so happy to cheer them along to their final destination, down Western Avenue, and over to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on Riverside Drive.
The mules’ twenty-one day trip is now over. . . . but I was lucky enough to join in at the beginning of this final leg out of Brand Park and have tried to capture this once-in-a-lifetime sighting with a few photos . . . what fun!