I set up this page just to provide an intro into the hikes that I organize as I've realized it's not really smart to have people not know what sort of hikes I do and how I am. Also, it's important that I know something about you and your hiking experience.
About me: I am a grad student at USC. I've always been pretty active - I have no problem being in the gym doing something during the week - but I've always been outdoorsy as well, though not always in the best climates for hiking. I never even thought of LA as a hiking destination before I got here, but when I learned, I really wanted to start hiking. None of my friends wanted to go, so I ended up not doing much in my first 8 months here. Finally I started using the brain (google) to find hiking groups.
I had found Sierra Club and ODC, but I also fell upon this hiking group which literally was just created a week before I started looking. I ended up going on a lot of hikes with Barry and Lee during that summer and fall, mostly around Griffith Park and Topanga Canyon. These hikes were relatively easy/moderate, but I didn't care because I just enjoyed being outside and enjoyed the company.
After a while, we would try some short portion of bigger hikes (like the first 1/4 of the Old Mt Wilson Trail), and I would have the urge to check out more. I also noticed that some new people would come to some hikes but be desiring more challenging hikes, although none were being done by the group. It just seemed perfect that I could try to organize some harder hikes, and so I did.
My hikes:
Let me make it clear that I am in no way an experienced or trained hiking leader. My experience leading goes only back to May 2007 with this group. The concept is simple: Organize a hike, post it, and see if anyone wants to join you. The basic idea is, I really want to do a lot of these hikes, and it would be much better if people would join me.
Since then I think we've done a lot of great hikes. The group is very casual, which I think people like a lot. Since I am looking to do big, challenging hikes, I know not everyone can join. However, I can't handle a large group size as it is. It's just not safe and too stressful.
About the hikers:
My hikes are intended to be challenging to people who are in very good cardiovascular shape. That is just the tendency because I naturally will want to get a little exercise when out on the trail. In addition, to do long hikes without taking up the whole day, the pace has to be pretty good. That said, its not like I am try to race up the mountain. But, people who are not in great shape cannot expect to stay with me and the group.
The biggest problem is that everyone interprets the difficulty of a hike differently. Some people underestimate their ability, and some people overestimate it. It is not good to overestimate your ability on my hikes! If you try a hike that is too hard for you, then there are some choices to be made:
1) We could let you hike alone. It's not a really good option, because its not safe. Even experienced hikers fall into danger when going by themselves. If the trail is relatively safe and near civilization, it is not as much a problem (i.e. Bailey Canyon). But otherwise, very bad!
2) We could have someone stay with you. In general, this would be, me! :) Indeed this is the right thing to do, but at the same time, with all the hikes I've done, if I stayed with someone at the back the whole time, I would only get to finish ~ 30% of the hikes I've posted. I am still a bit selfish and would like to actually do the hikes, so this option is taken if necessary, but still should be avoided.
3) You hike with someone else who is going your pace. This is the best choice, but it does not always exist. It now seems that a lot of my hikes have evolved into two groups, the 1st (faster), and 2nd units. The 2nd group stays together but at a slower pace. Still, they are in shape, so to stay with them, you must be in shape. If there is not 2nd unit (or you cannot handle their pace), then there might not be anyone else to hike with :(
4) You sit and wait. This sucks, but may happen if you sign up for a hike that we carpool to the trailhead. If you can't do the hike, and there is no one with you, then you must stop and wait for us to finish.
Honestly, I feel anal writing all this stuff, but I know I have to get these points across. The actual hikes are not so tightly-wound, trust me!
Conditioning So, will you be able to do the hike? Well, if you are in great shape, definitely. If you are in good shape, then possibly with the 1st unit and should be fine with the 2nd unit (if there is one for the given hike).
But, what is great shape? To me, someone who does decently intense cardio exercise a couple of times a week. You must be getting your heartrate up, breathing decently hard, and sweating a decent amount. You don't have to be hiking. "Good shape" would be either doing this about once a week, or maybe doing less intense cardio a few times a week.
If you are not doing the above, I would not suggest starting with my hikes. This does not mean you aren't able to do them, but its not safe to assume you can. Start with a lower rated hike, something below 8/10. Then, try another leader's hike which is rated an 8. Then, you should try mine.
Okay enough with this crap! Hopefuly I don't sound scary, I just need to make sure everyone is on the same page. You would be surprised how hard that is to do!
Finally, I need to verify that you read this. I just will use it so if someone signs up for one of my hikes, I know they are actually reading and understanding the descriptions!
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