Name: The Fond Family Preserve--Well-Hidden Wilderness in the East San Fernando Valley
Start: 2011-12-10T09:30:00-08:00
End: 2011-12-10T12:30:00-08:00
Location: Fond Family Preserve--south trailhead off of La Tuna Canyon road

MORE OF OUR EXPLORATION OF THE RIM-OF-THE-VALLEY TRAIL SYSTEM

(This hike is followed by a 2 PM trek up Elsmere Canyon, which is about a 20 minute drive away, and also reaches the top of the hills in the northeast San Fernando Valley. The Elsmere hike will be posted separately)

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The Fond Family Open Space is a 500 acre privately-owned mountain which was opened to the public in 2008. This ridgeline connects the Verdugo Mountains parks to Tujunga Wash and the Angeles National Forest. We will be just north of the famed Theodore Payne native plant nursery and their wildflower hill.

IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE CLEAR, SO WE'LL HAVE A GREAT VIEW OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY AND TO THE EAST

EXPECT LOTS OF SAGEBRUSH, MAYBE SOME STARTING TO BLOOM!

MORE INFO: http://www.flpf.org/index.htm

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/4/1/9/event_20709241.jpeg (http://www.flpf.org/index.htm)

LOCATION: Sunland/Shadow Hills, in the East San Fernando Valley, on the north end of the Verdugo Mountains

HIKE LENGTH: 6 TO 7 MILES, expect 3 to 4 hours, depending on how much we goof off at lunch, SO WE WILL BE DONE BY 1:30.

ELEVATION GAIN: About 400 feet from the trailhead to to the top of the ridge. Then we'll gain another 600 feet gradually, and in one spot a bit steeply.

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TWO PRINTABLE TRAILS MAPs:

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/7/d/a/highres_78190202.jpeg

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/d/1/2/6/highres_77693542.jpeg

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/c/2/f/8/event_77689912.jpeg

WHERE IS THE TRAILHEAD?

HERE IS A ZOOMABLE MAP SHOWING THE TRAILHEAD AS "A":

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=34.23178,-118.36116&z=15&t=M&marker0=34.23608%2C-118.35181%2C5.6%20km%20SW%20of%20Big%20Tujunga%20Canyon%20CA

FROM THE NORTHBOUND OR SOUTHBOUND 5 FREEWAY: get off at Penrose. Turn right and follow Penrose to the northeast. Turn left onto Sunland Blvd., then immediately right on La Tuna Canyon road. Go east 1 mile and turn left on Canter Lane. Go to the first street, which is a dead end on the right. This is Horse Haven Street. Our trailhead is at the end of the street.

PLEASE LEAVE SPACES FOR THE RESIDENTS TO PARK!

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BRING: 2 QUARTS OF WATER, HAT, SUNSCREEN, COMFY SHOES, AND SNACKS/LUNCH FOR WHEN WE TURN AROUND AT THE GREEN- VERDUGO RESERVOIR.

LEGAL STUFF: finally, 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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