Modern Hiker

I got an email from a recent L.A. transplant the other day, who’d just moved here after living in Glacier National Park for six months. Lucky guy that he is, he managed to find himself a Gal Friday who isn’t the stereotypical SoCal airhead. But, there’s one problem — he can’t seem to get her to go hiking with him:

“It’s as if there is some deep-seeded fear of being away from the city.

I have gone hiking in the Santa Monica mountains, specifically the circle X ranch loop. I figured this hike would be perfect for a beginner, but even that won’t convince her. So I am wondering if you have run into this problem before, and if so, what to do about it?”

Some of the best things about being a hiker in L.A. are the sheer amount and broad range of hiking that’s available to you. Do you want to kill 30 minutes on a quick morning pick-me-up? Can do. Do you want to spend 3 days trekking through a mountain wilderness? We got that, too. First up, you’ve got to do a little pre-production. Here are some hints for picking out a good first trail:

Continue reading ‘Getting Your Girlfriend (or Boyfriend) to Hike’