Santa Monica Hiking Club

 
 
 

This is a cross-post with LA Hiking. We're starting off limiting to 20 people per group, for now. If you signed up with LA hiking, no need to double sign up. Let someone else have take the spot.

*Note, Rex will lead Thursday, as I can not join.

4 DAYS OF FUN HIKES AND ROCK SCRAMBLING, 150 MILES EAST OF LA!
You can attend as many days and events as you want!
Thursday: Leave LA at 9am. Meet at Bowen Ranch parking lot 12 Noon: Deep Creek Hot Springs
Caution: nudity!
Admission cost to park at private Bowen Ranch: $10 per person
https://www.deepcreekhotspringscampground.com/campground-information.php

Friday: 12 Noon: Mecca Ladders. Parking is free
[http://tiny.cc/a6u4vz](Mecca Ladders Photos)

Saturday: 12 noon: Mecca Grotto Canyon. Parking is free
Mecca Grotto Photos

Sunday: 10 AM: Joshua Tree National Park: Chasm of Doom, Hall of Horrors, 2 PM: Wonderland of Rocks
The 10 am hikes and rock climbing cost $30 a car JTNP admission, or use of an Annual Pass. Entrance to the 2pm hike is free

Chasom of Doom Photos
*Claustrophobia warning
**Technically challenging

Hall of Horror Photos

Wonderland or Rocks Photos

More specific details will be posted soon!
Lodging or camping each night is up to you!
Feel free to post and organize your own lodging or Airbnb.
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The usual rules apply:
You are responsible for your own personal safety. I just schedule the hikes. You agree to not hold me or Meetup responsible for any injuries.
Bring all the usual stuff: grippy shoes, hat, water, lunch, legal partying supplies, guitars, fax machines, clothes, sunscreen, sunglasses, etc.

 
 
 

Scotland unparalleled, exclusive and inclusive! We take on Scotland in the way only 1000 Treks does, delving deep while still traveling far and wide. During this 16-day journey we will fully immerse ourselves in Scotland with an itinerary that has been curated to satiate desires and appetites across the board, some of which you don't even yet know exist! Book your spot and relax - it's all been created for you.

CLICK HERE for details and to RSVP

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Visit the Highlands and Lowlands, from big cities to small villages, seeing many famous backdrops and settings such as the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Glencoe, the highly coveted Isle of Skye and even John O'Groats.

- Enjoy unique accommodations like kings and queens and true Scots: Multiple luxury country house stays: Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, Dunkeld House Hotel, Duisdale Luxury Country House Hotel; Castle stay: Melville Castle; and other extraordinary accommodations: John O'Groats glass-fronted lodges and Isles of Glencoe.

• Get fitted for your own kilt and wear it to a private dinner near the end of our trip.

- Play our very own Highland Games on the grounds of one of our country stays.

- Learn and play the Bagpipes in our own custom "Blaw and Squeeze" workshop.

- Enjoy afternoon tea on a beautiful railway.

- Golf at St. Andrews and more! Tee off for fun with an optional welcome day golf experience, or play at St. Andrews during our day's visit there if you fancy.

• Tour the manmade and natural: see various castles, ruins, modern monuments, lochs (including Loch Ness, of course, and many more), brochs, and more.
• Visit the national parks of Scotland, Trossachs and Cairngorms, as well as multiple nature reserves.

- Drive some of the most scenic routes, including Glen Coe and the world-famous North Coast 500 (NC 500).

- Explore beaches, caves, waterfalls, gorges, and so many more of Scotland's natural phenomena. Optional hikes and canyoning.

- Wildlife safaris and viewings galore: Hairy coo safari, red deer greet & feed, puffin tour, falconry display, sheepdog experience, visits to the renowned yet remote John O'Groats and boat outing to see an unbelievable array of birds and sea animals.

- Customized, unique tours with pre-selected guides: Curated city tours, village and port visits, whisky academy tour, and even ghost tour.

CLICK HERE for details and to RSVP

 
 
 

Let's go wild and west and welcome in the summer in captivating Canada! From cities to mountains and lakes, to national parks and flourishing flora and fauna, we will explore the beauty of this country and its multitude of treasures. This spectacular nine-day summer sojourn will be a remarkably unforgettable journey.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE INFO AND TO RSVP

HIGHLIGHTS:
- Take a city tour of Vancouver, one of Canada's most famous, vibrant, and stunning cities.
- Visit the incredible Capilano Suspension Bridge, an amazing adventure into nature. Built in 1889, Capilano Suspension Bridge stretches 450 feet across and 230 feet above the Capilano River.
- Partake in the Cliffwalk & super fun Treetop Adventures above Capilano River in Vancouver!
- Take the Skyride gondola or hike Grouse Mountain and pick your mix of awesome activities at the top: a grizzly bear habitat, world-famous lumberjack show, owl talks, chairlift ride, mountain disc golf, or optionally make it even more exciting with a ropes course, zipline, and even paraglide!
- Explore Whistler, one of the world's most famous and beautiful mountain towns, where you can explore the pristine wilderness with any of the following (some organized optionally in advance): hike, bike, ATV, canoe, or just take in the magnificent scenery and fresh air.
- Take a respite with a scenic drive from Kamloops to Banff, with a stop at a local winery for a tour & tasting.

• Stay in and explore Banff, one of the crown jewels of Canada. Excursions to both Banff and Jasper National Parks included.
• Visit Columbia Icefield along the stunning Icefields Parkway, with options to take a Snow Coach Ride on the Athabasca Glacier and step out on the Columbia Icefield Skywalk.
• Visit Lake Louise with its milky to crystal blue-green waters, marvel at the natural scenery, and stop in at the historic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
  - Take a sightseeing excursion right out of a fairy tale in Banff National Park, with stops at some of the world's most beautiful places, including Two Jack Lake and Lake Minnewanka, the Tunnel Mountain Drive with its stunning views of the Bow River Valley and wind-shaped Hoodoos. We will also drive past the famous Banff Springs Hotel, stopping at Bow Falls and storybook-looking Moraine Lake. Optionally, you can take in the views from the Banff Gondola as well.
  - Visit and explore cosmopolitan city, Calgary.
• Around the corner awaits this and so much more in captivating Canada!

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE INFO AND TO RSVP

 
 
 

Let's go on a fascinating voyage to the arctic to see some of the most beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife in the world, including one of the most beautiful and unique animals on the planet: the Polar Bear.

FOR DETAILS AND TO SIGN UP, CLICK HERE

We will start this dream expedition in the northernmost city in the world, Longyearbyen, and sail for 10 days around Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago of northern Norway to see some of the most beautiful and unique locations in world.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Wildlife:
Polar Bears
Arctic Fox
Whales
Reindeer
Walrus
Brünnich's Guillemot
Kittiwake
Arctic Tern

Activities:
Zodiac Outings
Shore Landings and Hikes
Polar Diving

Locations:
Sjuøyane (The northernmost islands in Norway, only 850 miles from the North Pole)
Diskobukta Natural Reserve
Monacobreen Glacier
Hornsund Fjords
The Bird Cliffs of Alkefjellet

FOR DETALS AND TO SIGN UP, CLICK HERE