I did the same in Whittier. Never alone but with friends from the same block.
During middle school, I walked 3 miles to and from school each day. Much of it through woods. I did it because I enjoyed walking in the woods, and hated riding a bus. Bad weather never even stopped me. The morning Hurricane Hugo was coming through and over us(tropical storm strength by then) was very interesting. Trees going down everywhere. When branches would snap, it would sound like a .223 rifle going off. I reached a point to where I was like: “to hell with this”, and went back home - where I then heard that school was closed. Then the power went out. lol (for a week)