Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Escondido Creek and Waterfalls

After spring break, I really caught the hiking bug. Fortunately, my friend Helen was ready to show me some of what Los Angeles has to offer. This weekend we did the Escondido trail in the Santa Monica Mountains. The trail is not too tough (usually). You ramble through a flat area that crosses back and forth over the creek a number of times, and eventually you come to the base of the 1st waterfall. If you want to make it to the base of the 2nd fall (something I highly recommend), the trail gets a bit steeper and more hands on. Using rope to scale up and down is involved. If you take a wrong turn like we did, thanks to my less than stellar navigation, the trail becomes really tough! We accidentally turned this nice little hike into quite an adventure, climbing on all fours up a really steep hillside and then climbing back down the other side before finally making it to the base of the 2nd fall. But on a positive note, climbing up the hill gave us an amazing view of the top of the waterfall and the ocean!

Big waterfall number one!

Up up we go. Mini rapid-like waterfall on the way up the hill.

And big waterfall two! Can you see the rainbow in the water in the picture just below?

So long waterfalls and wild flowers!

3 comments:

amy b.s. said...

beautiful photos. i can't wait until spring actually arrives in montana so we can start hiking without snow!

Nature Wiz said...

I have to try this hike sometime!

Anonymous said...

Are you sure you and going to want to come back to the East Coast after all the amazing experiences you are having out West?
Great pictures!
Mom