Our first hike of 2014 did not follow the usual format. We’re quite used to doing our own thing, typically by ourselves, but we had noticed that the naturalists at Wind Wolves were leading a series of monthly night hikes that coincided with a full moon. So, we called this week and were told that, yes, the night hike was on for the 15th and we were welcome to join the 70 (!) or so people who had already signed up. While walking with such a large group would be unusual, we thought the prospect of a moonlit hike would be fun, plus the destination – an overlook within San Emigdio Canyon called Raven’s Landing – was one we had yet to visit. It would be just 2-1/2 miles round trip, but, after as many months off from any hiking whatsoever, we thought that distance would be just the ticket to get our outdoor juices flowing again. We showed up at the preserve headquarters at 4:30pm, signed our waivers, and discovered that 30-some Cub Scouts and their leaders had also joined the hike, bringing the group total to 110 people – wow. We had about an hour to wait while the two naturalists got things organized, but eventually we filed out up the paved road after a brief orientation. The first mile was on the pavement just to get to the trailhead we had parked at twice before, and it was dusk by the time we made the turn south up the main canyon trail. High clouds overhead obscured any stars emerging with nightfall, and the high east wall of the canyon similarly blocked our view of the rising moon – so much for a moonlit hike. We had one flashlight with us, so out it came – most of the others had flashlights as well, and it was interesting from our vantage point near the head of the group to look back at all the lights bobbing along the trail behind us. We passed the turnoff for Raven’s Landing, and we guessed that the plan was to follow the creek further south to where another trail would allow us to cross the canyon to the west and return northward via San Emigdio Canyon road – however, after a lengthy rest period while the leaders waited for the large group to re-form (their radio chatter noting that the Cub Scouts had already turned back, plus several others, so we were now about 65 in all), we blazed up the creek past that intersection. At about 2.8 miles in, we stopped again – we were about 3/4 of a mile short of The Willows picnic area where again we would find routes back north, but the leaders were apparently concerned about some participants who needed to turn about now, and we eventually headed west cross-country to the dirt road, whereupon we turned north and followed the road back to the start. The hike wound up being just over 5-1/2 miles in all and, apart from the pace which seemed agonizingly slow at times, it was a nice experience. We saw very little wildlife (someone ahead of us saw a bobcat’s eyes off in the brush, but all we saw was about thirty flashlight beams unsuccessfully searching for the animal), but the temperature was warm enough with the cloud cover that we were comfortable hiking in t-shirts. We’ll try this again sometime when perhaps the group is smaller – also, Chris will learn how to operate the camera in the dark so we return with more than five pictures.