You might think solitude would be hard to find in the nation's most populated county with nearly 10 million residents. But it's easy when you live where we do.
A short drive into the mountains north of Santa Clarita leads to wild places you're likely to have to yourself, without leaving Los Angeles County.
For stunning views of our valley and the rugged Sespe Wilderness to the west, check out the Whitaker Peak Trail, accessible from Golden State Highway north of Interstate 5's Templin Highway exit.
It's a gated utility service road that climbs fast, snaking to the top of the ridgeline. The payoffs come immediately in the form of the ever-expanding view. The road eventually forks, offering you a choice. Stay straight and follow the undulating ridgeline for a more mellow hike or bike ride. Or turn left and keep climbing to the peak.
Since there's no shade, this one is best done early in the morning, or the cooler non-summer months. That's when I went, heading out on a sunny late December day with the goal of making it the 4.5 miles to the peak for the first time on my mountain bike.
It was hard work, but I didn't mind. I stopped often to marvel at the views, snap pictures and catch my breath. Then I kept cranking my granny gear.
Near the top, I was lost in thought, focused only on keeping the pedals turning as I inched forward. Suddenly, there was a voice - and then a runner appeared alongside me. It freaked me out because I hadn't seen anyone all morning. She seemingly appeared out of thin air. Turns out she's a trail runner and regularly uses Whitaker Peak as part of her training routine.
We both paused to reach the summit and paused again to appreciate the panorama; Lake Piru far below, and a glint on the horizon that may well have been the Pacific. She bounded off and I was alone once again.
If you're looking for water and solitude, exit Interstate 5 at Templin Highway and head east. Follow the road to where it ends at a large white gate. You'll find other cars parked there, but crossing paths with their occupants is not a given.
Continue walking down the road, and just past the bridge over Castaic Creek, you'll find several options for hiking or biking. The most popular is following the trail past the old Cienaga Campground into the Fish Canyon narrows. A less-frequented alternative is continuing south on Castaic Canyon Road and along the shoreline of Castaic Lake.
But if you want to avoid people, take the first trail on the left after you cross the bridge. It will lead you upstream along Castaic Creek, and very quickly fade from easy-to-follow to almost non-existent.
As evidenced by the sporadic AllTrails reviews, very few hikers venture into this remote section of the Castaic backcountry because pushing north to explore the canyon requires being comfortable finding your own way and bush-whacking when necessary.
The creek flows year-round but slows in the warmer months, giving you the option of following the creek bed. Though it can be slower walking on and around the rocks, it might be easier than trying to trace the remnants of the road that once ran through the canyon but is now overgrown and blocked intermittently by old landslides.
The road reappears occasionally at creek crossings, where water flows across concrete slabs, creating waterfalls as it drops into pools below. One is deep enough for swimming, offering a refreshing stop on a warm day.
We still have some time to seek solitude in our mountains before summer's heat makes hiking uncomfortable. Take advantage of it and make a point to explore.
Enjoy our proximity to the outdoors. And don't take this the wrong way, but hopefully we won't see each other out there.
Eric Harnish lives and hikes in Castaic.