Zoom in on hiking

Chloe DirectorStaff WriterThe early riser awakes to get ready for his morning. He packs his backpack with his nikon camera, spf 40, and farmer's market fruit ready for the mountains. The hiker’s view is spectacular, offering a sense of perspective and the chance to breathe in the fresh air and experience nature first hand. Hiking is an activity that used to be about as popular among teenagers as early morning knee bends. Now it's a weekend must-do, especially in Santa Monica. Senior Aaron Pomerantz took note of the new trend at the beginning of this year.“Lately, I hear a lot of people saying: ‘Oh, what are we going to do this weekend?’ ‘Lets go on a hike!’” Pomerantz said. “Everyone seems more willing to get up early. It might be because once people do it, they realize how cool it is to see the sun rise.”Unlike newcomers to the fad, Pomerantz has been hiking his whole life, taking numerous camping trips with his family to Death Valley and Sequoia. This experienced mountain man knows Santa Monica’s trails like the back of his hand. He takes friends to West Ridge, Sullivan Ridge and Canyon, Kenter Canyon, and the back bone trail of Will Rogers State Park.“I guess I’m prone to the outdoors. I just feel that calling,” he said.Pomerantz prepares for the day by drinking coffee, filling up his camelback with water, dropping in some fruit and trail mix, and making sure not to forget his Swiss army knife.“I use it to cut up fruit or pull out a splinter,” he said.Pomerantz puts on a pair of ratty shorts, a shirt with a vest if it’s chilly, hiking boots, and his special hiking socks, to complete the look.Trendsetting hikers, like Pomerantz, like to descend on Bay Cities Italian deli after a strenuous journey to refuel with a Godmother sandwich. Others will pack a picnic to take along on the hike and enjoy while sitting on a rock overlooking a view of the ocean or downtown Los Angeles. Another element of the full hiking experience is taking photographs to capture the essence of wildlife, views and friends.What has sparked the popularity of an activity once considered too wholesome and crunchy for the average teen remains to be explored. This activity is a great aspect of pop-culture and our modern world. Unlike In-N-Out and partying, hiking is quite healthy. It's good way to step back from our very busy, stressful, social, complicated lives and truly admire the raw beauty of the great outdoors.“Its cool to be out in nature. It’s a great thing for younger generations,” Pomerantz said.cdirector@thesamohi.com