Escondido Falls-Sandstone Peak- Tri Peaks-Boney Mountain (Intermediate Plus)

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Let's visit Malibu, Santa Monica Mountains and waterfalls

We will have 2 hikes: Carpool from OC is highly recommended. Meet at the Park and Ride at 5:30AM or meet at Escondido Canyon Park Parking from 7:00AM-7:15AM. Direction for carpool at the end of the post.

Distance: from 4-15 miles
Elevation: 400-2500+ft
Duration: 3-7 hours hiking time

What to bring: Comfortable Hiking Boots you don't mind getting wet. Extra shoes and socks to leave in your car. Lots of Water, Snacks and light lunch and your camera for some killer shots. Most important bring protective clothing as may be poison oak on the waterfalls trails and 10 Hiking Essentials https://www.meetup.com/HikingOC/messages/boards/thread/9535234

Hike 1: Escondido Falls. Photos from last time: https://www.meetup.com/HikingOC/photos/1342004/22687922/

Escondido Canyon Park
27200 Winding Way, Malibu, California, 90265
Directions: From the East, take the 10 Freeway west until it becomes Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). Continue west on PCH to Winding Way. Turn right (north) on Winding Way and enter the parking lot. No Parking Fee
From the San Fernando Valley, take the 101 Freeway west, exit at Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon Road. Head south on Las Virgenes which turns into Malibu Canyon Road. Drive until you reach PCH and turn right (west). Continue westbound on PCH to Winding Way. Turn right (north) on Winding Way and enter the parking lot. Trails Map: http://www.lamountains.com/maps/escondido.pdf

Escondido Canyon Natural Area features a hiking, equestrian, and mountain bike trail that
leads to an awe-inspiring 150 foot waterfall - the highest in the Santa Monica Mountains. Distance: 4.2 miles round trip - Elevation Gain: 400 ft - The hike starts out on the pavement along Winding Way. After about a mile, an obvious trail takes you down into the lovely Escondido Canyon, criss-crossing creek 4 or 5 times. As you approach the base of the lower falls, you can see the water dropping over the lip of the 150 ft upper falls in the distance. The lower falls are about 50 foot high and trickle over a moss covered wall into a lovely shallow pool. This is the turn around point for those not comfortable with a bit of rock scrambling. To get to the upper falls, take the trail to the right of the lower falls up an obvious gully. At the top of the gully, go left and follow the stream over some small cascades and boulders to the base of the upper falls. This is an amazing site, with water tumbling over 3 or 4 tiers, finally falling into a deep pool.

Hike 2: Sandstone Peak-Tri Peaks and optional Chamberlain Trail to Boney Mountain

Photos from last time hikes:

https://www.meetup.com/HikingOC/photos/all_photos/?photoAlbumId=1167475

https://www.meetup.com/HikingOC/photos/all_photos/?photoAlbumId=1222256

About Mishe Mokwa Trail - Sandstone Peak: This is one of the most beautiful hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains. Highlights include the spectacular Echo Cliffs where rock climbers ascend shear cliffs, a house sized boulder delicately balanced on a small rock beneath, a giant split rock where kids can dash between the sheer walls, stunning giant sandstone formations, and breathtaking views from the top of Sandstone Peak and Inspiration point. The side trail to Tri Peaks offers an additional mile of rugged (but not too steep) hiking. The offshoot is far less maintained than the main loop and appears to be a center for runoff, which means you are basically hiking up a gully. If that doesn't bother you, it is only half a mile to Tri Peaks Trails map: http://www.nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=376833

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2008/feb/15/backbone-trail/

We then continue on Chamberlain Trail to Boney Mountain and looking down the ocean on Point Mugu State Park.

Highlights: One of the best hikes in SoCal. Sandstone cliffs, peaks, streams, views.
Near: Malibu, CA (11 miles away)
Distance: 6-10 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 2000+ ft
Hike Time: approx. 4-5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Trail Condition: Well maintained trail
HikeType: Loop

Direction to Trailhead: The trailhead is 1 mile east of the Circle X Ranch, which is located 5 ½ miles from Pacific Coast Highway on Yerba Buena Road in Malibu. Alternately, from Frwy 101, exit on Westlake Blvd- go 0.4 mi turn Left on S WESTLAKE BLVD - go 3.2 mi Continue on DECKER CANYON RD(CA-23) - go 2.2 mi Continue to follow CA-23 - go 1.9 mi Bear Right on MULHOLLAND HWY - go 0.4 mi. Turn right onto Little Sycamore Canyon and it will become Yerba Buena Road as you cross the county line. Proceed on Yerba Buena Road for about 4 miles to trailhead (about a mile before you hit the Circle X Ranch Ranger Station). (Lat:34.11161 Lon:-118.92643 this is a parking for Sandstone Peak, not Backbone trailhead)

CARPOOL LOCATION: we will leave the Park and Ride at 5:30AM More info for Orange Park and Ride: https://www.meetup.com/HikingOC/messages/boa... (https://www.meetup.com/HikingOC/messages/boards/thread/9270810) Park & Ride in Orange on N Tustin St and E Lincoln Ave Orange, CA 92865 Traveling NORTH on the 55, exit Lincoln Ave. West. Make 2 lefts, go under the freeway and take a left onto Tustin Ave. heading South. If you're traveling SOUTH on the 55, exit Lincoln and make a left on Tustin. The Park & Ride will be on your left hand side. You'll need to make a U-Turn to get to this side of the street

REMINDER:

By joining the meetup, you agree to Meetup Terms of Service releases the Organizer and Assistant Organizers from any liability related to incidents that occur at Meetup gatherings
> YOU acknowledge THAT WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS.
> YOU ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR SAFETY Hiking is a rewarding and pleasant activity in nature, but there are certain dangers you should be aware of. Those include, but are not limited to, trip and fall injuries, bee stings, poison oak exposure, ticks, mountain lions, coyotes, snake bites or wildlife. By signing up for this event, you agree to hold harmless the hike organizer, assistant organizers and other participants for any injuries sustained during this hike***