LOS ANGELES — One year ago, Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others boarded a helicopter at John Wayne Airport in Orange County to travel to a youth basketball tournament at the Sports Academy (then named the Mamba Sports Academy, after Bryant) in Thousand Oaks.

But amid extremely foggy weather conditions, the helicopter slammed into a hillside in Calabasas, killing everyone on board.

An icy chill filled the still air Tuesday on that hill. At the spot where the helicopter went down Jan. 26, 2020, a white rose was placed upright in the soil next to rocks piled in a figure eight — 8 is one of two jersey numbers Bryant wore during his 20-year NBA career.

On a nearby hiking trail, a purple-and-gold tarp with a massive 24 — Bryant’s other playing number in the Lakers colors — paid tribute to the fallen star. Farther along, a pair of purple and gold carnations were laid out.

Bernard Tolentino of La Puente and Mario Luna of East Los Angeles hiked roughly a mile Tuesday morning to the crash site, observing a moment of silence for their basketball hero and the parents, coaches and teenagers who died there.

“We are here to pay our respects to Kobe and all those lost on the year anniversary,” Tolentino said.

Clad in a Lakers shirt with an 8 on the front and 24 on the back, Tolentino said he had followed Bryant since the basketball legend’s rookie days. The loss, he said, is still painful to contemplate.

“How could they all be taken like this?” the 37-year-old mused. His shirt included a heart below the right shoulder with the numeral 2, Gianna’s jersey number. “Kobe meant everything to Los Angeles. We lost our favorite son.”

Luna, 39, said he was surprised more fans hadn’t found their way to the area above Los Virgenes Road, though he said they saw one man place the giant 24 flag on the hillside at 4 a.m.

Calabasas resident John Wordin said he rode his mountain bike on the trail fairly regularly and noted, “It is so nice today with the sun out. It is the polar opposite of a year ago.”