Name: Waterfalls and wildflowers at the Gorge-ous Grotto: Musical Monkey hike #4
Start: 2015-03-08T14:00:00-07:00
End: 2015-03-08T18:00:00-07:00
Location: Circle X Ranch

HIKE IS FOLLOWED BY MANDATORY (just kidding) DINNER AT NEPTUNE'S NET AT PCH AND YERBA BUENA ROAD

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SUMMARY:

HEY FELLOW MONKEYS: LET'S GET WET--HIKE AND CLIMB THE NUMEROUS WATERFALLS ABOVE AND (a few) BELOW THE GROTTO AT CIRCLE X RANCH-- OUR LOCAL WATERFALL PARADISE!

The Grotto is an UNDERGROUND WATERFALL, ABOUT 20 FEET TALL, LOCATED IN A ROOM UNDER A GIANT BOULDER

EXPECT LOTS OF BOULDERING!!!! AND BEAUTIFUL SCENERY NOTE: waterfall size is unpredictable. No cookie refunds!!!!

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T WANT TO CLIMB DOWN THE ROCKS AND ADDITIONAL WATERFALLS AFTER WE HIT THE GROTTO: No problem, just return via the same trail. It has lots of signs.

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DETAILS:

DRIVING TIME: Typically it takes an hour and 1/4 from downtown or west L.A to get here.

--WHERE: Circle X ranch Grotto trailhead, in the western Santa Monica Mountains

--WHEN: from 2 to 6 pm (My hikes usually start at ten minutes past the posted start time, so we will start at the latest at 2:10 pm.)

ELEVATION LOSS AND GAIN: We will descend 400 feet to the grotto in around 2 miles

--PLENTY OF SHADE!!!

--50 persons maximum, and 12 cars, according to park service rules.

IF YOU DO NOT CARPOOL, I am legally required to make funny faces at you.

PARKING:

CARPOOLING SUGGESTION: (A GOOD SPOT TO MEET FOR CARPOOLING IS ON PCH ACROSS FROM NEPTUNE'S NET (AT YERBA BUENA ROAD). THEN DRIVE UP THE HILL 5 MILES TO THE PARKING LOT. Park in the lot with the sign saying "Circle X Ranch". There is a ranger building by the roadside.

THERE ARE 4 LEVELS OF DIRT PARKING LOTS HERE. THE LOWEST IS FOR CAMPERS ONLY AND IS USUALLY GATED. TO THE RIGHT OF THE GATE IS A DIRT LOT THAT HOLDS 6 TO 8 CARS. IF THAT ONE IS FULL, UP THE HILL IS A LOT THAT HOLDS 20 OR SO. IT IS NEXT TO A BIG WHITE BUILDING. IF THAT IS FULL, PARK AT THE TOP BY THE RANGER BUILDING

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/4/f/8/0/600_408260352.jpeg

BRING: 3 QUARTS OF WATER, A HAT, SUNSCREEN, COMFORTABLE SHOES WHICH YOU DON'T MIND GETTING WET, AND SNACKS

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POISON OAK WARNING---Yes, there is some of it here below the Grotto. So if you are suceptible to it, wear long pants and shirt. I WILL POINT IT OUT WHEN I SEE IT! Right Now, the poison oak is sprouting leaves which usually make it easy to identify. So if you do not know what it looks like, ASK ME

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/e/b/7/600_434928823.jpeg

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http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/5/4/0/8/event_20481512.jpeg

(THE GROTTO)

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/4/2/c/0/event_22457088.jpeg

(THE FALLS BELOW THE GROTTO)

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/4/c/7/e/event_93319582.jpeg

(THE WEIRD TWISTED OAK TREE EVEN FARTHER BELOW THE GROTTO)

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EVEN MORE DETAILS:

We will take the Grotto trail, and very soon (Just past some steps that take you to the Canyon View Trail, DO NOT TURN LEFT HERE!) turn right and cross a big waterfall. Next we pass the weeping hillside, then soon, we go up a hill, then as we go down again, to our left, (if we are lucky) we will see falls #2 and 3. Then when we hit the canyon bottom and an old campground, we are really close to the grotto.

The Grotto is really cool because this is a 20 foot underground waterfall, located in a room under a giant boulder in the canyon. On the way we will see loads of nice smelling wildflowers (if it were Spring).

Then we will climb down the rocks a little farther to a few additional waterfalls. We will take the climb below the Grotto slowwwww.

HOW LONG IS THE HIKE: About 3 miles each way. This is an upside down hike, we go down past 4 waterfalls, then come back up. The lowest 1/4 mile of the hike requires climbing over boulders to get to the grotto--which is the underground waterfall in the picture above--and the series of waterfalls below it. We're going to take our time exploring the area below the Grotto.

TRAIL AND PARKING MAP:

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/7/c/2/b/event_22471787.jpeg

PLEASE PRINT OUT THIS PRINTABLE VERSION OF THE MAP SHOWING WHERE TO PARK:

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/7/c/2/b/highres_22471787.jpeg

ALSO, HERE'S A PRINTABLE GOOGLE MAP: click on link

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/5/a/9/highres_20469641.jpeg

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/5/a/9/600_20469641.jpeg

PHOTOS OF THE HIKE:

http://www.meetup.com/hiking-196/photos/1352319/22778683/

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HOW TO GET THERE:

FROM THE WESTSIDE, take the 10 freeway to Pacific Coast Highway, go west past Malibu to Yerba Buena Road. Turn right, go up the hill 5 miles to the Circle X ranch ranger station.

IF YOU CHOOSE TO TAKE THE 101 FREEWAY: take the 101 Freeway west to Kanan Dume Road in the city of Agoura Hills. Take it to the south, all the way towards the beach. Turn right at Pacific coast Highway, and take it for 15 minutes to the west to Yerba Buena Road. Turn right at Yerba Buena and go up hill for 5 miles. You will see the Circle X Ranch sign and ranger station--there are restrooms and drinking water here, and we will park at the lot on the dirt road below the ranger building.

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LEGAL STUFF: THIS HIKE INVOLVES CLIMBING DOWN BIG BOULDERS. SO-- by going on this hike, you agree to assume all risks of this hike, and that no one at Meetup including the organizer is responsible for your safety. See the Meetup terms of service especially paragraph 6.2:

http://www.meetup.com/terms/

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Waterfalls and wildflowers at the Gorge-ous Grotto: Musical Monkey hike #4

Circle X Ranch

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Waterfalls and wildflowers at the Gorge-ous Grotto: Musical Monkey hike #4

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HIKE IS FOLLOWED BY MANDATORY (just kidding) DINNER AT NEPTUNE'S NET AT PCH AND YERBA BUENA ROAD

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