I took a nice hike to the Parker Mesa Overlook this morning, covering 1500 feet of elevation change and 7.2 miles of single-track and fire road.  All with stunning views of Santa Monica Bay, the Los Angeles Basin, and the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains.

This is a popular trail … on the Westside of Los Angeles. So — a lot of beautiful and important people show up to enjoy the views and get a great workout.

I normally get a very early start to avoid all these folks, but today a late arrival at the trailhead couldn’t be helped.

I made a conscious effort to walk amongst with no ill-will … bearing in mind these are people like myself who appreciate both beautiful vistas and a brisk cardio workout.

No negative judgement. Just observation.

I noticed ten different people in various states of mindless engagement with their phones.  

Two men walked alongside each other, texting and scrolling.

Another trio was playing loud club music amid the natural splendor.

A mother lagged behind her daughter and husband, because she was taking a work-related phone call.

Three college girls snapped selfies and shared in real time.

Alright, I’m judging them.

Whenever someone tells you “I’d never judge you”, they are doing exactly that.

I judge that all these digitally distracted folks would have derived more enjoyment and serenity from their walks if they’d have left their devices back in the trunk.

I commend them for hiking on a Saturday morning:  What a great alternative to activities like shopping or brunch or chores or sleeping off a hangover!

But I judge that the trail is best trod untethered to 3G.