With the Angeles National Forest still mostly closed off, the Santa Monica Mountains are the place to be this weekend. With some cooler temperatures in the forecast, it’s the perfect time to bundle up (SoCal style) and hit a trail in the mountains.

Sandstone Peak

The longest stretch of the Backbone Festival is tomorrow, Saturday the 14th, at Will Rogers State Park. The Sierra Club’s Angeles Chapter will be leading a 14 mile loop hike from Will Rogers to Temescal Canyon and back. If you want to join, meet up with the group at the park kiosk at 8:30AM. Call 310-398-6344 for more info.

The group is also doing a shorter section on Sunday – a moderate 8 mile trek in La Jolla Canyon at the Ray Miller Trailhead at 9AM – one of my favorite areas of the Mountains. 818-773-4601 for more info.

If you want to take a more leisurely trip into the Mountains this weekend, head to the Thousand Oaks Visitor Center on Saturday for the announcement of the winners of the Spirit of the Mountains photography contest. From 1:30 to 2:45, photographers Tom Gamache and Van Webster will critique some of the entries, and give a short lecture about photography before they announce the winners. Call 805-370-2301 for more info, and good luck to any Modern Hiker readers who entered!

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by Casey Schreiner

Founder and Editor of Modern Hiker, Author of "Day Hiking Los Angeles." "Discovering Griffith Park," and "Cloud Spotting." Walking Meditator, Native Plant Enthusiast.