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Organization: Community Hiking Club
Date: December 31, 2008
Community Hiking Club Schedule for January
January 3 — Happy New Year! We are going to start the year out with a bang…so to speak. We will be doing the entire 21 mile trail on Magic Mountain. It is ALL DOWN HILL. We will have cars at both ends of the trail. If you only want to do part of this trail, be sure to park at the TOP of the mountain so you can easily return to your car. If you want to do the entire thing, you can park at either end. Since this is all downhill, it is not as daunting as it sounds. If you can do Manzanita, Slide or The Beast, you can do this! Give it a try! If you or your friendly driver have parked on top, you can always turn back. Bring lunch, lots of water, snacks, etc. Terry, Annie, and Chris have been brave enough to give this a try in the past. Time to knock off all those Christmas and New Year's pounds! (Try the smaller version for sure!) Meet at Placerita at 7:30 AM to carpool to both ends of the hike.
January 10 — Rocky Peak near Chatsworth. This is a moderate hike with some gain. There are spectacular views of rock outcroppings, oak woodlands, and lots of birds. The trip is about 8 miles. Meet outside of Towsley Canyon at 8:15 for an 8:30 departure. We will carpool to the trail head. Bring snacks, lunch and lots of water.
January 17 — Sierra Pelona — This is a moderate 6mi hike with a 1200'gain and great views of Bouquet Cyn. Meet outside Towsley Canyon gate at 8:15 to carpool to trailhead at 8:30. Bring water, lunch, and snacks. If you are driving you will need an Adventure Pass for this hike. I have several extras. If you have one, bring it along.
January 24 — Mt Lowe to the Hotel Ruins. This is about a 6 mile round trip. The first 3 miles are uphill, returning downhill via the same route. Meet at Towsley Cyn at 8:00 to carpool to the trailhead in La Canada at 8:15. Bring plenty of water and a snack. Optional: We may decide to have lunch after the hike at "The Hat" on the way back. If you prefer, you could continue on to Inspiration Point and have lunch up there. This is also the gateway to Mt. Wilson if you really want to add some miles!
January 31 — Whitney Canyon to the Waterfalls-Since we've had a little bit of rain the waterfalls should be running, but not yet gushing. This great 5 ˝ mile RT hike is easy and beautiful. Meet at the Park and Ride at the end of San Fernando Road at 8:15. We will start hiking at 8:30. Bring lots of water and a snack!
A Very Special Guy Meet Nick Staves. Nick is our power hiker extraordinaire. He can run rings around all of us, climb the rope at Camp 9 while we are all trying to get the energy to stand up, and he has made it his mission to remove trash along the trails. Here he is up at Santa Clarita Canyons near the Manzanita Trail, removing a mylar balloon that has become entangled in a tree. Thank you, Nick. You've saved us from having to look at it along the trail, and you've saved a lucky animal from eating it! You're the greatest!
Community Hiking Club's Nature Series Thanks to tracker Jim Lowery for joining us in December for our Nature Series program. He taught us some of the basics of tracking and showed us plaster casts of animals we might see along the trail, and samples of scat.
He also demonstrated animal movements and gaits. He taught us how movement affects the tracks left behind, and how to extrapolate that into a vision of the animal's activities.
Afterward, the group ventured into the field, looking for fresh tracks. We were lucky enough to see Mountain Lion and Grey Fox tracks. Thank you Jim, for a most exciting day! Jim's classes at Earth Skills include Basic Tracking, Plant Uses, Wilderness Skills, Moccasin Manufacture, Survival Skills, Native Indian Lifestyles, and much more. For more information on Jim's classes at Earth Skills, please contact Jim at: jim@earthskills.com or go to his web site at: www.earthskills.com.
Home School Adventure Club The home school kids of Santa Clarita hike with Dianne every week to learn about the environment around them, eco-problems, geology, the local oil industry, fossils, plants, animals, animal corridors, and much more. Please join us any time for a hike! We always need help! If you'd like to help out on these weekly hikes, please give Dianne a call for the new schedule!
Let Me Sail Let Me Sail is beginning a new hiking and fitness program in January. Let Me Sail is a wonderful organization offering fabulous activities to mentally and physically challenged youth and adults. We have been lucky enough to be included in these activities, and are offering them 2 free hikes a month to supplement their other fitness opportunities. The hikers enjoy their time in the sunshine and love to see bugs, butterflies and other little treasures that nature has to offer. We'd love to have you come on a hike with us and experience the treasures of the heart that they have to offer us. Our first hike is scheduled for January 5 at Towsley Canyon from 10-11 AM. We'd love to see you there!
Litter Lasts Forever The Community Hiking Club has picked up over 1,000 lbs of micro-trash and litter this year. Many community organizations such as Girl Scouts, church groups, and Eagle Scouts have helped to achieve this goal. The photo below was taken in the Los Padres National Forest, and is a reminder to all of us not to leave ANYTHING behind. I've often been asked by many of you if it's okay to leave that banana peel behind. Check out this small list of items…..it will give you an idea of how long it takes for some of these "organic" items to decompose. Remember, if you bring it in, haul it out. And if you didn't bring it in, haul it out anyway. Thanks to all of you for everything you brought out of the forest this year. You've made Mother Earth smile!
A Very Special Guy
Litter Lasts Forever
