Dillon Divide through Pacoima Canyon to Dagger Flat

Saturday, January 12

Checked the trailhead today at 8 AM. It was 35 with snow and ice on the ground. It is expected to get colder Friday night. Due to safety, ice on the road, I'm changing the start time to 10:00 AM. Meet at the nature center for carpooling between 09:20 - 09:30. Sorry about the last minute change.

Your Leader dave

This is a local hike starting at Dillon Divide into Pacoima Canyon. On the way we will stop at Dutch Louie and turn around at Dagger Flat trail junction. The hike is 5 miles in length, with 1000’ of elevation gain. It is an easy hike, and you should be done in approximately 3 hours.

Pacoima Creek cuts a deep canyon from Mt. Gleason to the San Fernando Valley. A seasonal http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/a/b/a/event_188067322.jpegstream runs through the canyon that is shaded by oak, cottonwood, alder, and a handful of sycamores. Gold, silver, titanium, and graphite mining was once done in this canyon. An old prospector know as Dutch Louie discovered the placers: to recover the gold, he and his associates diverted the stream by tunneling a temporary watercourse through a rock promontory. We will be able to see the tunnel, 150-200' long, of this turn-of-the-century operation mine. This location can be hard to find, but if you follow me, I can show you the way.

Trail Description: The hike starts at Dillon Divide. We will follow a dirt road for a few minutes before taking a single track trail down to Pacoima creek. Remember we will be climbing back out of the canyon at the end of our hike. If there is water flowing we will be crossing the creek many times. This part of the trail looks a lot like the Fish Canyon trail in Castaic. We will turn around at Dagger Flat trail junction where an old prospector was allegedly stabbed to death, could it had been Dutch Louie?

Nature Note: As with most trail close to water around this area you will find poison oak. http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/e/d/e/event_188068382.jpegTarantula Hawks, a 2" wasp common to Southern California can be found in this area http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/7/1/3/6/event_188068982.jpegalso. If Tarantula Hawks are around there must be tarantulas. The tunnel seems to have a lot of spiders in Sept. For your own safety and mine please stay out of the tunnel, unless you want to be tarantula food (maniacal laugh).

Trailhead: It would be best to meet between 09:20-09:30 AM at Placerita Nature Center and carpool due to the limited parking at the trailhead. For those who would like to meet at the trailhead, take Placerita Canyon to Sand Canyon. Turn right, you will pass Bear Divided Picnic Area, at 7 miles the trailhead will be on your left, forest service road 3N32. You will need an Adventure pass to park.

Leader: Davehttp://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/7/4/7/4/event_188069812.jpeg

Rated: Easy to Moderate (due to gain)