EISPIRATEN

Work's busting my hump about being in the office Mon - Fri (imagine that...), and the gf hasn't given me much free time on weekends.

Does anyone ever do late hikes that start in the early evening (post-rush hour)? I was thinking of hitting a trail head around 7:00pm Mon - Fri.

I'm intimately familiar with a few trails that I'd feel comfortable navigating in the evening with my trusty headlamp, but I've never done it before. Is there anything considerably different about hiking from dusk til 2 or 3am? Any reason to take extra precaution about something that's typically not a reasonable threat to me during daylight hours? Riff raff on the trails? Ghosts? Critters?

I have never night hiked in the San Gabe's, but have in the Sierra. You have to watch your step a bit more carefully. It can be upsetting to see a glowing pair of eyes in the distance. Is that a rabbit or a cougar? Be sure to take extra batteries and a back up flashlight. If there is a full moon, you don't really need a lamp in open areas. Good luck!

Hi again,

Sounds like a fun adventure to me. Be sure to post your adventure experience for us to hear about.

May I suggest...Book lights are a good lamp substitute in a pinch. They clip on and bend in various directions. I have used one that I liked better than the cumbersome flashlight. Having two would be ideal to clip on a belt pouch/fanny pack or front straps of your backpack if you don't want to wear something on your head. Then you can also use them to read a book if you like.

Mt. Baldy. They do "moonlight" hikes once a month in the summer. Hike to the top of the notch and then enjoy a BBQ dinner. They sell tickets for dinner RSVP. You can ride the lift or hike back down. I've yet to hike this, but it seems to attract a few faithful followers.

Click here for tickets at Mt. Baldy website: http://www.shopbaldy.com/TO-Detail.lasso?id=572

If you have a Facebook account you can stay in the know by searching Mt. Baldy Ski Lift there.

Places I have been at night: I have hiked Sturtevant Falls area up to the Sturtevant Camp cabins in the evening and part of it was after dark but that was in February so snakes, bears, or bugs were not a factor at that time of year. (210 freeway exit Santa Anita and head North the whole way to the parking lot.) Didn't run into any shady characters there during that time. However I know they do lock the gate at night that crosses the last stretch of road up to the top where the parking lot is. I think it might be 8pm that they lock it. It won't reopen it until 6AM the next day...so you could be staying overnight, but there are 2 walk in campgrounds with picnic benches and fire pits there to hike to. And 3 trail routes that leads to the summit of Mt. Wilson. (Don't forget your Forest Adventure parking pass to purchase in advance or get an annual one for just $30.)

I honestly have no idea in the summer what comes out to hunt or prowl at night. Do snakes sleep at night? But I have spooked a Bear before when hiking during the day on a crunchy leaf lain path North of Monrovia. The Bear didn't come after me but fled instead and did not return so I kept cautiously going with no bears in site. With other bear sightings I have read about in the San Gabriel's I've also only heard of them spooking and running and not attacking. I haven't seen a wild cat ever in all my hikes North of the 210. Has anyone else? Most "Kitties" do seem to enjoy prowling at night, so be prepared to throw rocks etc if threatened, appear large and don't run (they like to chase running prey). Some of them might have recent litters of young. Deer come out when they think everyone has gone home and the coast is clear...they startle easy too and take off running.

Azusa's "West fork" trail is a nice paved one lane road closed to traffic of cars that you can bike ride or walk/hike. (20 minutes North of Azusa on Hwy 38) There is also a walk/hike in campground at the end of the 6 1/2 mile one way trail with fire pits and benches etc. Bugs that fly around for a while and then eventually bug off later at night. Mosquitos and flies and gnats due to the river trail that follows all along the route, (have bug spray) but that would be easy to do in the dark with a light and safe to do alone. But its not a peak hike, gentle grade. Very fun to bike ride through the winding canyon to the campground. I have camped there. Most of the crowds are on weekends and at the first couple miles of the trail to enjoy the water. Weekdays can be quite private.

Its certainly cooler at night, like hiking in A/C, no risk of sunburn which is a plus in the summer and trails likely to yourself. Though I agree be cautious about where to step as night vision is often less reliable to judge accurately. I would not advise hiking trails with steep drop offs like many at Baldy has at night when its darker. Those trails are so rocky its easier to misstep and trip over rocks in the dark. Very narrow trails -one stumble over that rocky trail terrain could mean a very bad fall or worse in some sections. (Ok, yes, I am a mother so I worry and have read the death reports that have happened up there to the over confident.)

I would do it if I were able to. So I say, "Go for it!"

~Best Wishes

There are moonlight hikes in Eaton Canyon on Fridays closest to the full moon... ecnca.org/programs/moonlight_walks

Also, there was a Forest Service Volunteer named Richard Nyerges that led Wednesday night hikes to Henninger Flats via the Mount Wilson Toll Road. Richard has passed away, but his group is carrying on many of his traditions so they may still be doing the hike. They meet at the Pinecrest gate... Map Here

NIGHT HIKING:
The moon I find is most helpful in the few days before full. It will be higher in the sky right after sunset.
The moon is no help in areas like behind sunset ridge and the first couple miles of the upper winter creek trail, the latter of which must be navigated by brail method if you don't have no flashlight.
The two areas I feel safe enough to put my Walkman radio back on are the Sam merrill to Echo Mtn. and the toll road to Henninger flats. People are usually around after sunset. They still have not solved the murder near the Cobb estate but it may have been a body dump.
When I am coming down at night I
* keep my ski pole pointed up and away from my neck area,
* growl, or sing really off key if doing a slow jog,
And yes, BACK UP FLASHLIGHT!! been there, done that.
For an unusual night hike, go to Griffith Park. Once all the Sierra club peeps are done with their 7PM hike, it is quiet. Although the gates "lock" at 10:30
shhhhhhh......they are in position, but not locked, and the south entry is always open for exit. I am talking about the area where the merry go round is. It is a bit like the twilight zone, a town with no people. Tons of deer, and Coyotes, Owls, Rabbits, and somewhere is "p-22". A very well fed (on deer)Mountain Lion they are tracking since last year.

Hey one other thought...It might feel hot in the city, but ...

Just noticed Mt. Baldy is 40 degrees right now at 8:53pm and that is the lower elevation reading...around the town so hiking could be rather cool and windy. Keep that in mind...you'll get hot hiking but when you stop or get higher ..."burrrrr!"

I would wear comfortable breathable layers, easy tie round waste outer light sweater or jacket and have some mittens and ear cover (head band style) for me if I did it.

P.S. ...I see a smilie turned up in the earlier post...I meant to type Hwy 38.

TO "PACKERGREG":
As I was posting my response I saw your reference to Richard Nyerges.
I did not know this. Do you know what happened?
He was a guy that ate, and lived healthy since he was a kid.
Man sorry to hear.
Although his brother is still my bad list for leading us over the first falls of Eaton Canyon when I was 13.

PACKERGREG...
Are you SURE about Nyerges? If you are skimming headlines from google one might mistakenly think that, But those are about someone close to him.

Thanks all!

I think I may go do this sometime soon. I'll swap the sunscreen for a pole or two to fight off wildlife, including punk kids.

I'm excited about the lack of sunlight, since sun exposure is a good big issue for me. It'll feel nice covering up and not sweating in 80+ degrees!

I'll share feedback if anything exciting happens...

I've done Mt. Baldy a few times at night via the Ski Hut in snowless conditions. First time I was itchin' to get out on a hike in mid-summer, and didn't want to suffer under the late morning sun, so started about midnight. Nice to see all the stars above and lights down below.

I've also gone a few times to watch the sunrise - pretty cool getting up there between 4AM-5AM in mid-summer and just relaxing while watching Mr. Sol make a grand entrance on the eastern horizon.

Full moon climbs of Baldy and other peaks with fewer trees are awesome in the winter. Snow reflects moonlight, makes it all super cool and Skyrim-y.

My weekday hikes are early morning.

I am rested and the weather is cooler

I've done several hikes at unusual hours. I was coming down on the Mt. Wilson Trail around 1AM and met someone going UP. I've been at Inspiration Point around midnight. Started up the Ski Hut Trail to Baldy at 3AM to catch the sunrise. And I've been all over the Cucamonga Wilderness trails at all hours imaginable.

Hiking at night can be spooky at first. You might hear rustling sounds in the bushes. Those are probably birds. It is highly unlikely that a lion will bother you. I've never even seen one. But nevertheless I try to be aware of my surroundings when I sit or crouch for extended periods. Black bears will avoid you, unless you hike with honey smeared all over your body.

The biggest challenge is staying warm and keeping the bugs off. If you sweat a lot, it will take longer to dry due to the absence of sunlight. Ants, ticks, and little flying things are harder to notice in the dark.

FYI - The next full moon is this Friday evening.

Sean wrote: ↑ Hiking at night can be spooky at first. You might hear rustling sounds in the bushes. Those are probably birds.

I haven't done intentional night hikes yet, but I've done several 4 AM starts so had 1-2 hours of darkness. I use a head lamp and flashlight and the shadows coming off brush on a single track can definitely be spooky. I often run across birds on the path whose eyes reflect red from my light. I think it would be fun to start late afternoon and end at night. Just allow for additional time in the dark.

From what I've read, lions are most active from dusk to dawn, but I have never seen one (which doesn't mean one hasn't seen me).

Anyone else see frogs in weird places at night?
After sunset many places like the Wilson toll road, and walnut canyon.
This time of year water is about one mile away.
One year I followed the insane sounding ones and realized they were in the water tank up the cobb estate. The echo in there made it hard to tell if it was dozens or thousands. And by the way, do they know that tons of frogs are living, and pooping in there? mmmmmmm......that's why it tastes so good out of the tap.

fortified wrote: ↑PACKERGREG...
Are you SURE about Nyerges? If you are skimming headlines from google one might mistakenly think that, But those are about someone close to him.

yeah, he's gone. Pretty shocking when it happened. Heart attack as I recall. The forest lost a good friend.

HJ

Hey Hikin jim,
Yes, I was looking at Richards brother on google, without realizing it. Although I went to St. Elizabeth elementary with them, they where both older, and I knew them through my brother.
When I was a kid, I always looked up to him. He always had a zest for adventure. He was the one with my brother that I tagged along with
(at 13 years old) to go over the razorback of the Eaton canyon first falls.
And Richard, wherever you are up there, I still can't ever do that "trail" again. It is still scary 43 years later.
R.I.P. Richard Nyerges.

fortified wrote: ↑Anyone else see frogs in weird places at night?
After sunset many places like the Wilson toll road, and walnut canyon.
This time of year water is about one mile away.
One year I followed the insane sounding ones and realized they were in the water tank up the cobb estate.

Are you sure they were in the reservoir? There are several water mines in Las Flores Canyon, including one in the streambed below the reservoir. The mine was flowing quite well in early April.

Where did you see them on the Wilson Toll Road?

I've never seen frogs in weird places at night, probably because I don't look for them. I hear them, though, all the time in creekbeds like the Arroyo Seco and Little Santa Anita.

To Sean, Yes, I saw frogs on the toll road around the junction of Walnut canyon, and have noticed them the several years I have come down late on that trail. Also going down the walnut trail from the toll road to the canyon you are almost guaranteed to see them with a flashlight. This area is active now. I believe I still have a picture on my iphone.
I have occasionally seen them on the lower part of the sam merril trail.
As for the frogs in the reservoir, I went right up to it with my son. They were inside and echoing. Unless their is another chamber to that thing...
Two notes about the reservoir/storage tank
1) It was about three years ago that they were in the tank.
2) I can hear the frogs over there from the trail as I am coming down about an hour after sunset, but I have not gone to the tank/reservoir lately to see if they are actually inside.

I'm an avid night hiker, I go several nights a week during the summer. Usually around 8:00 just after sundown. I haven't switched over this year yet though since the June gloom has been keeping early morning tolerable for a while. But I have absolutely no heat tolerance whatsoever and an insane work schedule so I night hike quite a lot.

As someone mentioned, Sam Merrill is a party at night. Sometimes it's literally a party, the kids go up there to drink on Friday and Saturday nights in the summer. Sometimes the adults go up there to drink to. But it's my go to night hike because it's close. They also mentioned Henniger but the gate is closed obviously and you'll have to go the long way.

I find that any trail that's a big obvious fire road kind of thing is cool for night hiking. I've done stuff like Sunset Peak. Places it's impossible to get lost. Also anywhere you can still see the city doesn't feel too creepy.

And while I'm not generally a Santa Monica Mountains fan, I've done a gaggle of night hikes over there. You see the city lights, and the ocean at night, and the trails are super easy to follow. I don't remember what any of them are called though. I always end up calling my westside friends being like "where's that trailhead for the place with the bench?"

I haven't encountered a whole lot of animal life at night. There's some bugs that seem to come out at night. Occasionally you'll catch the glare of eyes in your head lamp but just as quickly they run away. Once I shined my head lamp on a mile marker to see where we were and there was an owl on it that got spooked and flew into my Husband's face, but that was more funny than anything

Sundown itself is a more dangerous time. But actual dark, for me so far, has been pretty quiet.

But beware, when you start night hiking, you will be freaked out by absolutely everything all the time. Because seriously, hiking in the dark is scary. You will just get over this eventually

Oh yeah, p.s., obviously you walk into a lot more things. Like rocks and stuff. This is actually why my husband hates night hiking and generally won't go. The toe stubbing. You can only see so much with the headlamp... (and honestly sometimes its easier just to hike in the dark).

I always hike in the dark. Less traffic on the freeway (although lots of DUI types), lots of tranquility, no parking problems, much less UV and the beauty of the early morning pre-dawn. I find headlights to be useless due to the loss of shadows/contrast so the hand-held light carried low or the waist-belt light works really well for me.

I really like night hiking. I don't use a headlamp so I can see shadows better when I'm angling my flashlight around. I also like to duct tape my maglite onto my walking stick. Without the head cover the maglite is like a torch and lights up alot of area. Not just a single spot.its great yall should try it. I feel like a nerdy Gandalf clone walking through the mountain caves with his lit staff. I have seen half of a lion, the back half. He turned and all I could see was half his body as he shot into the bush. Of course it's wonderfully cool at night. And when on rare occassions I do see another body its a kindred soul.