Conejo OS Challenge 1: Skelton Ridge Trail and Introduction to Geocaching

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/0/2/e/event_194625102.jpeg

Special Note This is a very short hike of only 2 miles. The Conejo Challenge is about new adventures, so in addition to hiking a trail that will be new to most, we'll engage in geocaching, an outdoor activity that could also be new to you. Please read the full event description to learn about both activities!

The Conejo Open Space Challenge: For the second year, the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA (http://www.conejo-openspace.org/)) is putting on an event to get us to experience some of the beautiful but possibly less well known trails in the Conejo Valley. To encourage us to complete the challenge, prizes are offered to some people who complete all ten segments of the Challenge before May 1, and also to those who take the best photos along the way. You prove you hiked the segments by emailing photos of a specific location to the organizer, or by joining this Meetup event. You can learn more about the Challenge from
this flyer (http://www.venturacountytrails.org/COSCA/2013ConejoChallenge.pdf).

For our first challenge, we'll get the shortest segment out of the way, the Skelton Canyon Trail in the North Ranch neighborhood of Thousand Oaks.

Introduction to Geocaching: Have you ever wondered how those short side trails are made? Probably they end at geocaches! This hike is for anyone who is curious about the sport of geocaching and would like to try it out. We'll take the route described below, stopping every so often to search for hidden caches. We'll hike at a moderate pace, but the duration of the hike will be a little longer than expected for the distance because of the caching stops.

If you sign up at www.geocaching.com (http://www.geocaching.com/) beforehand (it's free) you can log the caches we find. If you have a GPS that you plan to bring along, email me and I'll send you the cache coordinates for you to load, but a GPS isn't required for this hike. And if you would like to trade some small items with those in the cache, bring them along. They shouldn't be any larger than about the size of a deck of cards, and not worth more than about a dollar.

Details

Distance: 2.1 miles on the trail. Geocachers may continue for up to 2 miles further to find some caches along the sidewalk, if interested.
Climbing: 500' cumulative on the trail. Sidewalk geocachers may add up to 150' more.
Location: Meet at the trailhead on on Westlake Blvd, across from Santiago Street where you can park.
Geocaches: We'll pass 6 geocaches on the trail, with a possibility of 6 more beside the sidewalk.

Driving Directions: From the 101 Freeway in Thousand Oaks, turn north on Westlake Blvd. Drive 1.1 miles to Hillcrest Drive (traffic light) and make a U-turn. Make the first right turn after 0.2 miles onto Santiago St. and park. The trailhead is on the other side of Westlake Blvd across from Santiago Street.

Map: Use this Google Map to help you find your way
http://bit.ly/TPxrmF

This hike is being cross-posted to the Calabasas Day Hikers Meetup Group (https://www.meetup.com/calabasasdayhikers/events/99137542/).