If you’ve got backbone

A lottery has begun for hikers who want to trek all 67 miles of the Santa Monica Mountains’ Backbone Trail. The National Park Service will choose 28 hardy souls for guided weekly hikes that begin Jan. 13 on the trail’s western edge in Pt. Mugu State Park near the L.A.-Ventura county line and end April 28 at Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades.

Hikes are free, but you must be able to go the distance and commit to the series of eight Saturday hikes plus an orientation. Each trail segment covers about 81⁄2 miles with 3,200 feet of elevation gain or loss. You can enter the lottery online for yourself and one other person through Saturday. To apply, Google Backbone Trail Application.