2015 was the second year in a row I kicked off with a wedding in Los Angeles. It's always a pleasure to visit L.A. mid-winter—not just because of the mild temperatures, but because I'm so familiar with the city's parks and neighborhoods that it always feels a little like going home. Los Angeles is terribly under-appreciated for its abundant and largely accessible green space. There are myriad parks and canyons and beach trails and mountain reserves within 20 minutes' drive of the city in any direction. Despite the SoCal haze, there are usually decent views from most hilltops. L.A.'s naked openness is a boon.
I took a couple of easy half-day rambles this winter, the first of which yielded some truly lovely vistas over the Santa Monica Mountains and the Channel Islands. The Mishe Mokwa Trail to Sandstone Peak is a relatively easy, deliciously scenic trail with minimal navigational hazards, only moderate exposure, and A+ visual payoff. SoCal Hiker and Modern Hiker both have good writeups.
Later in the week, I took advantage of my East Coast work hours to knock out a mid-afternoon hike through Griffith Park in Los Feliz. GP is a perennial favorite, but it's difficult to follow specific trails since virtually nothing is marked. The whole of the park is also quite exposed; even in winter, the sun and desert air dry me out pretty quickly. (No rattlesnakes this time, though!) I followed a series of meandering trails, spurs, and fire roads to Mt. Hollywood (trail directions here).
