SIMI VALLEY SUNSET MAKES FOR COOL CLIMB CHUMASH TRAIL CAN BE A HIKER'S TREAT AT TWILIGHT, ESPECIALLY DURING THE FALL SEASON.

Byline: William Toren Staff Writer

The autumn equinox is behind us, but perhaps it's only been the stargazers who've noticed. Despite summer's official end, the season's heat lingers tenaciously in Southern California, leeching away enthusiasm for outdoor activity while the sun is high in the clear, blue sky.

It's the perfect season for hiking. Perfect, that is, if you don't hit the trail until the clock on your wall has both hands pointed directly toward ``evening.'' Yes, 'tis the season for the dusk hike.

The clear skies and unimpeded sun that make the days swelter also provide the perfect antidote for being stuck indoors - the glorious splash of twilight's arrival as seen from a hilltop. With this in mind, I headed out recently for a trail that looked like an easy introduction to the sunset experience for someone looking for a quick but spectacular getaway. Simi Valley's Chumash Trail, I discovered, provided just the ticket.

Beginning at the end of Flanagan Drive in the northeast corner of the city, the trail rises steadily but not terribly strenuously from the burgeoning suburbs up into the hills. No sunset trek is really worthwhile without a bit of a climb, but just 20 minutes at a mild pace can bring you to a cluster of rocks that offers a comfortable resting place and westward-facing vantage point.

If you long for even greater heights, or a more invigorating workout, continue up the trail, bearing generally to the right and upward at the forks, and you'll have the opportunity to alight on a number of other conveniently placed boulders for your viewing pleasure. If you're feeling really ambitious, you can continue the whole 2 1/2 miles to the Rocky Peak Trail, which runs along the ridge separating Simi Valley from the San Fernando Valley and offering views of both. I recommend waiting until the weather cools down considerably before attempting this, as there can be taxing climbs involved.

At any rate, be sure on your way up to look over your shoulder to time your hike with the sunset, because that's the real treat of the Chumash Trail. But this time of year, keep your eye out for the moon as well, which begins its ascent above the Santa Susana mountains just as the sun is going down in the opposite direction. If you time your climb just right (starting around 6 p.m.), you can position yourself atop a ridge and survey the full arc of the southern sky with the moon chasing the sun across the indigo blue.

Take a swig from your water bottle and make yourself comfortable. Across Simi Valley to the west, a series of ridges captures the fading light of the day without disturbing the broad expanse of the sky that stirs with a spectrum of colors centered around the sinking orange orb. As darkness descends, the lights of Simi Valley begin twinkling, but the absence of skyscrapers make this nothing but a pleasing image. If you've found a spot where you can lie flat, look up for the first stars, and even though you've climbed little more than 1,000 feet at most, you'll feel on top of the world.