The Friday Night Hike: Come hit the trail

On any given Friday night, you can find a group of intrepid Sierra Club hikers out on the East Topanga Fire Road in the Santa Monica Mountains enjoying one of L.A.’s best kept near-secrets. 

“The Friday Night Hike,” as it is affectionately known by the regulars, is a weekly walk within the boundaries of Topanga State Park that begins at the trailhead at the top of Paseo Miramar in Pacific Palisades and heads on up to the remarkably scenic Parker Mesa Overlook before returning to civilization via the same route. It is considered “moderately strenuous” and consists of a 5-mile round-trip trek with about 1,100 feet of elevation gain (most of this on the way up) and a veritable trove of treasures for the senses and the soul. The hike has something for everyone: majestic views, a good workout if desired (though you can hike at your own pace, a trail sweep brings up the rear), and plentiful camaraderie. 

The group does the exact same hike every single Friday night year-round because, well – it is that good! And while technically speaking it is the same hike each week, in actuality it is a different experience each time you go. You might find yucca trees in bloom, see glowworms hanging out on the side of the fire road, witness deer grazing or gallivanting, gaze up at a star-filled sky, or hear a Great Horned owl calling out in your direction. Your path might be brightly lit the entire way by a full moon, or you might (on rare occasions) only be able to see several feet in front of you. You might find yourself hiking in the clouds, above them, or both on the same evening. At the top, you may be treated to views of Catalina Island, the California coastline from Malibu all the way down to Palos Verdes, practically the entire L.A. skyline, and even snow-capped mountains in the San Gabriels, or…none of the above (though more often than not at least some of the above). But what you will always find is a diverse group of outdoors enthusiasts from all walks of life, many of them regulars.  

The Friday Night Hike happened to be the very first Sierra Club hike I ever went on, shortly after arriving in L.A. by way of Philly in late 2000. And, some hiatuses notwithstanding, I have been a regular on it ever since.  I have literally done this hike hundreds of times (with the club and on my own), and it never gets old! It is, simply put, the most satisfying way I know to transition from the stresses of the workweek into the glory of the weekend.  No matter how I may feel when I show up, I’m all but guaranteed to feel worlds better by the time I’m done. I have made some great friends on the Friday Night Hike over the years, and on one fateful evening in November of 2005, even met the lovely-beyond-words woman who would become my wife.

For those wary of hiking at night in the dark, rest assured that between the sky and the lights from the city below there is ample visibility (flashlights are actually discouraged on the whole, due to their interference with your and your fellow hikers’ night vision). You should be in decent physical shape, but if you are intimidated by the sound of the physical challenge, take heed! Ed Lubin, who has been a leader on the hike for decades, is 85 years old as of this writing, and Kelly Weiss, a regular on the hike for over four years, is blind! Yes, these are exceptional individuals, but that’s another thing that makes the Friday Night Hike so special: It tends to attract such folks.

Click here to join the Friday Night Hike.

Eric Teplitz is a member of the Angeles Chapter Sierra Club and a regular on the Friday Night Hike.  You can visit his personal blog at: www.inspiredlivingblog.wordpress.com.

.Photo: Leader Ed Lubin gathers hikers for the weekly Topanga State Park trek. Credit: David Haake