Devil's Punchbowl: waterfalls to explore, plus wildflowers & caves & arches

NOT THE USUAL DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWL HIKE (the 1-mile loop everyone else does....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.)

instead: WE'RE DOING 6 HOURS OF ROCKS, CAVES, ARCHES AND WATERFALLS EXPLORATION. The hike route itself is not off-trail or exploratory. It's just not an any official maps.

TWO WEEKS AGO WE CLIMBED UP THE FALLS BELOW THESE. I INTEND TO GET TO THESE ONES TODAY. HOPEFULLY AFTER THE RAIN THIS WED-THURSDAY, THESE WILL BE WETTER.

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/2/3/d/600_436272861.jpeg

OUR HIKE ROUTE:

LEAVING AT 1:10 PM: PART 1 OF HIKE: We will go straight south of the parking lot and climb down into Punchbowl canyon. If you arrive late, take the trail on the map below to the 4th stone bench and on the left (east) of the bench is a trail that drops down about 50 feet to a low rocky ridge. DO NOT CONTINUE ON THE WIDER TRAIL WHICH HAS SOME WOODEN STAIRS JUST PAST THE BENCH. We will have lunch on the ridge, then continue south to the rocks at the south end of this canyon (in photo above), then loop back via the creek and climb down 6 waterfalls (4 to 6 feet high). Then we will return by going up the low rocky ridge to the nature center.

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/e/a/highres_436143050.jpeg

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/c/1/f/600_436143103.jpeg

LEAVING AT 4:00PM-ISH PART 2 OF HIKE: Then we will head back to the nature center and go north to Sandrock canyon to explore the arches and caves

Our hike will take us to arches #6 to 12 on this photo

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/c/e/8/600_436683304.jpeg

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/d/1/f/highres_436683359.jpeg

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/d/0/1/600_436683329.jpeg

Difficulty: MODERATE, but nothing too crazy. BRING HIKING SHOES THAT YOU CAN GET WET!!!! (although I just did the falls myself and did not get wet.)

DISTANCE: only 5 miles or so, cause climbing up and around rocks and waterfalls is SLOW!

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GEOLOGY: http://devils-punchbowl.com/pages/nhistory/geology/geology.pdf

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/a/0/7/600_436686663.jpeg

CURRENT WILDFLOWER PHOTOS:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10206748128368825.1073741875.1443226944&type=1&l=2c0495d396

PICTURES FROM OUR LAST HIKE HERE:

https://www.meetup.com/santamonicahikingclub/photos/all_photos/?photoAlbumId=26035852

and the previous one....

https://www.meetup.com/santamonicahikingclub/photos/all_photos/?photoAlbumId=25951461

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10206456020466310.1073741867.1443226944&type=1&l=d528972b30 (https://www.meetup.com/santamonicahikingclub/photos/all_photos/?photoAlbumId=25951461)

Elevation is around 4600 feet

Weather report says 63 degrees, and 20% chance of rain

WEATHER: http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/l/USCA0847:1:US

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http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/7/2/b/1/600_436109361.jpeg

BELOW: the lower falls

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/9/4/f/4/600_436118132.jpeg

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/3/9/a/600_436085018.jpeg

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/d/4/7/1/600_436014385.jpeg

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/d/2/f/5/600_436014005.jpeg

PRINTABLE TRAIL MAP OF OUR HIKE ROUTES: (CLICK ON LINK)

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/1/2/highres_436142834.jpeg

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/1/2/highres_436142834.jpeg

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OPTIONAL DINNER PLANS:

?????????

I am open to suggestions

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HANDY GOOGLE MAP WITH DIRECTIONS:

DRIVE IS ABOUT 80 MILES NORTH OF DOWNTOWN L.A.. No obnoxious twisty roads!

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Culver+City,+CA/Devil%27s+Punchbowl+Natural+Area,+28000+Devils+Punchbowl+Rd,+Pearblossom,+CA+93553/@34.2894979,-118.1701219,9z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c2ba1edb77739d:0x3185e9d14beb59fe!2m2!1d-118.3964665!2d34.0211224!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c31c62205f8af7:0x1ce1004f77c8390f!2m2!1d-117.85292!2d34.413737!3e0 (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Culver+City,+CA/Devil%27s+Punchbowl+Natural+Area,+28000+Devils+Punchbowl+Rd,+Pearblossom,+CA+93553/@34.2894979,-118.1701219,9z/data=%214m14%214m13%211m5%211m1%211s0x80c2ba1edb77739d:0x3185e9d14beb59fe%212m2%211d-118.3964665%212d34.0211224%211m5%211m1%211s0x80c31c62205f8af7:0x1ce1004f77c8390f%212m2%211d-117.85292%212d34.413737%213e0)

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THE USUAL STUFF:

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

Bring clothing (sorry, nude hikes are a different Meetup group), LUNCH!!, lots of water--4 liters, hat, comfy shoes, snacks, guitar, all your troubles..., 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:

https://www.meetup.com/terms/

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You can see my blog at http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com (http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/) for stories on new parkland purchases and other environmental battles

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