Bridge To Nowhere - water hike

Place: The Bridge To Nowhere - Azusa Canyon

IT'S THE GOOD OLE SUMMERTIME....Prepare to jump in the water....this is a Splish Splash Hike http://img2.meetupstatic.com/1723755200050492932723/img/smileys/biggrin.gif

Steve Mountain Man Calif will lead this event

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/a/d/1/event_38290961.jpeg Hike level: upper intermediate...7/10 only because of the distance. Most of the hike is fairly level ground.

Total Time: 7 - 8 hours

Distance: 11 miles round trip

Joint Hike with Santa Monica Hiking / That John Guy

Carpool: Meet at 9:00 AM - LaTolteca Restaurant 429 N Azusa Ave, Azusa

Map for Carpool location: http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=34.128... (http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=34.128569&lon=-117.907736&zoom=16&q1=429%20N.%20Azusa%20Ave.%2C%20Asuza%2C%20Calif)

THIS HIKE HAS LIMITED CAPACITY - Please change your RSVP if you cannot make it to the event (https://www.meetup.com/santamonicahikingclub/venue/2343341/?eventId=24706521&popup=true)

Bridge to Nowhere Hike Entrance: (https://www.meetup.com/santamonicahikingclub/venue/2343341/?eventId=24706521&popup=true) Camp Bonta Prairie Forks Rd South Antelope Valley, Ca ( map (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Camp+Bonta+Prairie+Forks+Rd+South+Antelope+Valley%2C+Ca))

Much of this description is "borrowed" from Santa Monica's webpage because we will be hiking together.

This hike takes us IN THE WATER!!!! Once we did it when it was around 90 degrees, and was GREAT because you cross the stream every 15-20 minutes, and can swim, splash, sit in it etc etc... Lovely cascading stream, shear granite walls, and the mysterious "Bridge to Nowhere"

PARKING SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE THIS TIME... 4th of July Weekend was CRAZY Parking!!

NOTE- IF IT'S HOT... THERE ARE SEVERAL opportunities to cool off in the water. We'll be stopping at EACH river crossing to PLAY!!

If the distance is an issue: There are a few places where you could stop to chill out on a rock and wait for us to come back. (it's an out and back, NOT a loop)

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/e/c/9/event_38287881.jpeg

CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW OF HIKE
http://picasaweb.google.com/hikingla/BRIDGE ...

CLICK here for YouTUBE VIDEO of BRIDGE to NOWHERE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcMPaBJEHvw

"Bridge to Nowhere" is a bridge built in 1936 that was supposed to connect Azusa with Wrightwood. A series of avalanches and technical snafus delayed and eventually ended construction of the road... thusly... it's a bridge that goes "Nowhere"... there are BUNGEE jumpers that jump off the bridge on weekends... OHH!!! and people pan for gold in the area... one guy last year said he made $30,000 from the gold he mined on weekends.

-11 Miles ROUND-TRIP with a MINIMUM elevation gain; traversing a stream 5-6 times. The stream is 2 feet deep... and is 4-5 feet in a few places ( PERFECT for cooling off in!!! ) note... we won't be hiking in water OVER 2 1/2 feet

-Shoes WILL GET WET!!! (wear a pair you can get wet, and bring an extra pair to change into AFTER the hike)

-Difficulty 7/10 only because of the distance. It's mostly flat... with a moderate amount of rock scrambling

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/f/f/f/event_38288191.jpeg

-Will take approx 7-8 hours AT A RELAXED PACE.... (no speed-racers) we'll be stopping occasionally to rest / take photos / swim / eat

-lunch in the shade, next to the stream

-minimum amount of poison oak; like "hardly any" -

-we'll park at the trailhead at 10:00AM and LEAVE at 10:15AM SHARP- trailhead is at the yellow fence about 30 yards to the right of the porta-potties

IT TAKES APPROX 90 MINUTES TO DRIVE FROM LA AND THE VALLEY

CLICK HERE FOR INTERACTIVE GOOGLE MAP

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8& (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&);...

• ADVENTURE PASS REQUIRED - 1 PER VEHICLE. Costs $5; Available at REI and the National Park Office ( You'll pass a National Park Office on the way... on Route 39 / Azusa blvd; approx 2.8 miles north of the 210 Freeway on the RIGHT side of the road)

DO NOT: (these have been done on previous hikes here)

1. change in and out of your shoes every time we cross the stream... if you do, everyone will point at you and call you names.

2. forget water and end up drinking from the stream. There's some tiny creatures in the water that I can't spell that may make you sick if you ingest them. Bring AT LEAST 2 liters of water

3. bring a pet who is afraid of the water... 'nuff said

4. wear flip-flops from the 99 cent store... you won't have enough traction for the semi-steep descent to the stream at the end and you may fall and everyone will point at you and call you names

If you don't want to carpool -
DIRECTIONS: FROM THE LA AREA ( or WEST of Azusa ) Take either the 210 or 10 Freeway Exit "Route 39 or Azusa Ave" and go NORTH. Approx 11 miles north of the 210 Freeway; or 14 miles north of the 10 Freeway... make a RIGHT onto EAST FORK ROAD over a bridge. 5 miles past the bridge, veer to the left... then continue another 8 tenths of a mile to the parking lot. (if the lot is FULL, there's parking along the road. Be there at 10 AM. BE SURE to display your ADVENTURE PASS. ONE ADVENTURE PASS NEEDED PER VEHICLE

Afterwards... DINNER at La TOLTECA Mexican Restaurant... 429 N Azusa Ave in Azusa