Hoegee Pt 2 dejavu - camp, hike and smores!

Had so much fun last weekend, doing it again THIS weekend... One More Time!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGBhQbmPwH8

Time: You'll want to be in the parking lot anywhere from 5pm - 5:30pm Friday evening. We'll meet right next to the bathrooms at the Lower parking lot Trailhead starting at 5:30, and leave down the Lower Winter Creek Trail right at 6pm. It takes 1.5 hours to hike to Hoegee.

Driving Directions:

From the Foothill Freeway (I-210) take the Santa Anita Avenue exit north. Follow Santa Anita Ave. through the residential neighborhood until it ends at the foot of the mountains. Pass the yellow pipe gate and continue 3 miles (4.8 km) into the mountains to the end of Santa Anita Canyon Road.

For your GPS, enter the address below, but note that you'll still need to continue up the road till you get to the parking lot:

4000 N. Santa Anita Road

Sierra Madre, CA

The Plan: All level hikers welcome. First part is downhill on a concrete road for .5 miles. 2nd part is flat with parts of slight incline for 2 miles gaining only a few hundred feet. There will be several stream crossings on rocks/stones set in only 2" or so deep water. We get to Hoegee camp, set up your tents, then gather firewood, spend the night telling stories.

Saturday morning we head out to the Upper Winter Creek Trail, making the total hike a 5 mile loop or so. First part of this is about a mile of slight incline, then levels off for 1.5 miles, then downhill for a couple hundred feet back onto concrete into the parking lot.

This event is FREE to attend. There are no camp fees, BUT you will need to put an Adventure Pass on your dashboard/rear view mirror. See below...

Parking fee: The road to Chantry Flat is open daily from 6:00AM to 8:00PM. Car parking at Chantry Flats is required to have a National Forest Adventure Pass. Adam’s Pack Station located adjacent to the parking lot will most likely be closed. I suggest buying one in the next couple days from REI, Big 5 or Sport Chalet or other outdoor store. Currently a yearly pass $30. Get the yearly pass, trust me. Buddy up with someone and get the 2nd annual pass for only $5 more... that way you can split the total cost down to like $17.50 each for 2 passes. Got it?

Note This is NOT a "car" http://img1.meetupstatic.com/img/clear.gif camping trip. Think rustic backpacking & hiking type thing. Pack light since the total time of this event will be less than 16 hours. There are vault style outhouses at least. BRING TOILET PAPER and seat covers. Trust me! And we will be about 15-25 feet from a small stream the whole time if you'd rather filter your water instead of packing it in.

Suggestions of what to bring:

• lightweight tent (network with each other so you can bring a 2 person tent)

• EACH of you needs a sleeping bag and backpacking pack that will hold your tent, sleeping bag, change of clothes/sweater/jacket and food

• dress in layers, and avoid cotton. It’ll be cold at night and in the morning.

• good tennis shoes, AND you might want to bring aqua socks for stream crossing if you don't want to deal with stepping on rocks

• flashlight or a headlamp

• utensils to eat with, bowl/plate, napkins, foldable cup or a thermos with a cup

• toilet paper and seat covers! Can't stress this enough.

• a couple trash bags for your trash! There are NO trash cans along the way, and you need to pack out what you bring in.

• at least a gallon of water (I suggest the liter sized bottles), and/or bring a water filter if you have one.

• bring food for dinner Friday night, breakfast Saturday morning and some snacks for the hike back to the cars. Atkins or cliff bars are really good.

• hopefully some of you will be bringing backpackers stoves to boil water. Top Ramen or cup o noodles is GREAT for this event. Anything you can just add boiling water to, dehydrated stuff, etc.

• walking sticks, definitely will help when crossing the streams.

• if you have a foldable saw, there's some nice logs I saw this past weekend I'd love to cut up and toss in the fire.

• we'll roast smores by the fire, so bring long forks or metal skewers, graham crackers, chocolate and marshmellows!

Last minute words of wisdom, GET THERE EARLY like at 5pm, and wait for cars to leave so you can park in the parking lot. You’ll need to park down the hill otherwise in one of the cutouts along the road and hike all the way back up to find us.

FYI... From the 210 freeway, it will take you 1 full hour to drive up the canyon, find a parking space, get situated, and be ready to hike.

**** Options: Saturday morning, there is a group of 10 or backpackers who will come by Hoegee to say hello, then push onward to Mt. Wilson and Spruce Grove for anyone who wants to go one extra night and more of a "hike" instead of going back to the cars right away. That part will be more on the intermediate level side... and makes the total miles about 10-12 total. Personally, 5 miles is enough for me, and I'm heading back to the cars after Hoegee.

Question & Answer Section:

Q. Can I bring my dog?

A. YES!! Skies the limit. Bring em all, but just don’t be 4 paws short of an Alaskan dogsled team when you leave. Your dog/s must remain ON LEASH the entire time.

Q. I have an 8 person tent. Should I bring it?

A. If you feel like you want to train for the Navy Seals or the next IronMan, and carry the thing up a couple miles like a burly lumberjack, go for it! You're gonna get tired lugging that thing. Trust me! Bring a 2 person tent. It's lighter.

Q. What if I want to come up Saturday and meet you guys for a day hike?

A. Totally!! If you're in the parking lot by 6:30am, you will find parking in the lot. There is another meetup group leaving the parking lot at 7am and heading up to Hoegee. If you let me know for sure you're doing a Day Only thing, I'll let them know so they can look out for you.

Q. Swimming trunks this time around?

A. You can. Water was kinda cold at first last weekend, but if you're in it a while you'll acclimate. Only thing is, up until noon it tends to be overcast in the morning.