Name: Enter Hell at LOWER TOPANGA CREEK's sulfurous boiling swimming holes
Start: 2015-10-31T11:00:00-07:00
End: 2015-10-31T14:00:00-07:00
Location: Jalan Jalan Imports

LOWER TOPANGA CREEK rocks-swimming holes-grotto/waterfall .... yes, WATER HOLES NEAR L.A. !!

HIKE FEATURES:
SEVERAL SWIMMING HOLES, SEVERAL WATERFALLS, A GROTTO (WATERFALL IN ROOM UNDER A ROCK), ... ALL IN NEARBY TOPANGA CANYON WITH NO LONG DRIVE ON BARFY TWISTY ROADS
AND......MINT PLANTS EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!! (probably not native, but I don't care.....freakin' smells great!)

EXPECTED WEATHER:
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/l/USCA1151:1:US

DISTANCE: 2 MILES BUT AT A REALLY SLOW PACE
ELEVATION GAIN AND LOSS: A HUNDRED FEET AT THE MOST

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PHOTOS: THE MEETUP SMARTPHONE APP DOES NOT SHOW MY PHOTOS....SO CLICK HERE:

http://rexhikes.blogspot.com/2015/08/lower-topanga-creek-rocks-swimming.html

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10207328051706546.1073741889.1443226944&type=1&l=0b3dcf0896

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OPTIONS (not required!!):
BRING SWIMMING CLOTHES AND A TOWEL IF YOU WANNA JUMP IN!

BRING SHOES WITH GOOD GRIP THAT YOU CAN GET WET----
and......NO DOGS: 'cause this is a State Park

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DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
TAKE 101 FREEWAY TO TOPANGA CANYON BLVD, GO SOUTH 9 MILES

OR TAKE PCH TO TOPANGA CANYON AND DRIVE 3.5 MILES INLAND ...park along Topanga Canyon Blvd south of Fernwood Market, meet outside Jalan Jalan Imports, an outdoors furniture store on the west side of the road.

FREE PARKING IS ALONG EITHER SIDE OF TOPANGA CANYON BLVD. BETWEEN FERNWOOD MARKET AND JALAN JALAN IMPORTS--STAY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WHITE LINE SO YOU DON'T GET TICKETED OR LOSE YOUR MIRROR

PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO NO-PARKING SIGNS!!!

HOW TO FIND THE "TUNNEL" TO HELL:
the address on Google for the trail entrance which leads to the "tube" is 1636 S. Topanga Canyon Road on the west side, AND IS 20 FEET DOWN-ROAD FROM THE "SLIPPERY WHEN WET" ROAD SIGN. At the bottom of the tube, turn right, walk downstream and you will see us soon. THE TOPANGA CREEK HIKE FOLLOWS THE WEST SIDE OF CREEK FOR MOST OF ROUTE AND FEATURES LOTS OF CLIMBING OVER 3 TO 4 FOOT TALL BOULDERS (AND OPTIONALLY, SOME 20 FEET TALL). YOU WILL USE YOUR HANDS AS WELL AS YOUR FEET. THAT'S WHY I CALL MY HIKES "MONKEYING AROUND". CLIMBING OF THE BIGGER BOULDERS IS OPTIONAL.....

The first stop is the play area with the rope swing (recently cut down by party poopersa0. Next stop is the deep swimming hole. After that we get to the grotto with the 6 FOOT waterfall inside (which is slowing to a trickle, as of August 15th). After that, more downstream, is another 4 foot deep swimming hole.

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THE USUAL STUFF:

BRING ALL THE USUAL STUFF, I'M NOT YOUR MOM....

Bring LUNCH, clothing (sorry, nude hikes are a different Meetup group), lots of water, hat, comfy shoes, snacks, all your troubles..., guitar, camera, etc

LEGAL STUFF: 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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BELOW: THE GROTTO

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/5/a/2/e/600_438443086.jpeghttp://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/7/3/0/600_439826416.jpeghttp://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/6/5/f/600_438466687.jpeghttp://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/7/5/8/d/600_438750093.jpeghttp://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/5/a/0/b/600_438443051.jpeghttp://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/b/2/b/600_438687435.jpeghttp://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/b/4/f/600_438687471.jpeghttp://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/b/5/7/highres_440891095.jpeghttp://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/6/7/0/600_438226704.jpeghttp://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/7/5/8/4/600_438750084.jpeghttp://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/6/1/f/600_438226623.jpeg

AN AWESOME VIDEO BY WILLIE: https://youtu.be/EJDFBApKbNc

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WATER QUALITY INFO:

according to the Topanga State park general plan, the lower 3.7 miles of Topanga creek has 56 springs and seeps, which explains why the gorge is full of water in the summer while upstream a mile in the developed area, the creek is dry. SOURCE: page 19 http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/21299/files/02finalgp-ch2.pdf

ALSO: I did some research and found out the locals call the Tube down to the creek the Time Tunnel. Here's some links about it:
http://www.enjoygram.com/location/279629423
http://www.sebastianwschmid.com/blog/2015/4/14/time-tunnel-1
http://www.topangamessenger.com/story_detail.php?SectionID=&ArticleID=1673
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Topanga-Canyon-time-Tunnels/291610550955220

Some of you asked about studies of the springs in lower Topanga canyon. The best one can be downloaded here http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/41229

MAP OF SPRINGS AND SEEPS IN THE CANYON:
http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/b/5/7/highres_440891095.jpeg

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