MILLARD FALLS AND DAWN MINE

Last Wednesday, I led a small group of hikers in the Altadena area. I decided to make it a loop hike. We started at Chaney Trailhead and continued on the Sunset Ridge trail to the Dawn Mine trail..

There was several stream crossings. The canyon ws lush green and so pristine. Just a beautiful hike after the last rainstorm. 

We found a few mushrooms. There were mini waterfalls along the way. 

This trail was restored a year ago by the Restoration Legacy Crew. Ithe 2009 Station Fire destroyed most of the trail. 

Although people were still hiking through it, it was tough to navigate. The RLC did a beautiful job at restoring the trail.

They've made impressive staircases and rock walls. The trail itself is easy to follow. 

After taking a break at the mine we continued to ascend the trail to the road for a short while then descended the trail again back our cars. 

Afterwards we checked out Lower Millard Falls then climbed to the top of the falls. 

Rope is needed to ascend the steep trail and the narrow trail to the top is sketcy. Not for the faint if heart.

Stats: 9 miles, 1800' gain

SWITZER FALLS

I'm still chasing waterfalls and hiked with some friends to Switzer. The stream was flowing with lots of mini waterfalls and cascades throughout the canyon. There was quite a few stream crossings.

I found some mushrooms. 

We hiked along the Gabrileno trail and checked out the old Switzer camp and a few ruins.

We went to the lower falls then climbed to the top and headed upstream to upper Switzer falls.

ESCONDIDO FALLS

Last Wednesday, I led a group to visit Escondido Falls in Malibu. This was by far the prettiest falls I have visited this year. Another short hike but worth it.

To get to the falls, after parking along PCH or the self pay parking lot, you have to walk a mile up a road through some private property but no one really bothers you. The official name of the trailhead is Edward Albert Escondido Canyon Trail.

You begin to descend a narrow path through a shaded canyon. There were only three stream crossings and the water level was low. There are lots of rocks and logs to assist with the creek crossings.

It is a multi-tiered fall that stands tall at 150 ft. Most people visit the lower falls. However, the crazy hiking group that I hike with like to go off trail and explore. 

Our plan for the day was to find our way to the upper falls and climb over and beyond that to get to the very top of the upper tier. Well, a few of us succeeded. 

There is a use path to the right of the lower falls. It is very steep, rocky and loose. As we were climbing we found the middle waterfall which was well hidden behind a rock wall. Just keep in mind that the waterfalls above the lower falls are not visible from the bottom even though it is a multi-tiered waterfall. 

Anyways, going beyond this point was more of a scramble with some bushwacking. We had to find our way to the upper falls through the trees and brush. Once we made it to the upper tier we were rewarded with a beautiful rainbow that stretched across the lower part of the uppper falls. There was also a huge pool of water that we dipped in. It was freezing cold but it was very refreshing. 

To add, in order to get to the top of the falls, if you dare there is a path to scramble up a steep, semi-vertical rock wall. There was also a rope for assistance but it was not very long. There was plenty of foot holds but as we ascended further it got harder to climb. Once the ropes were no longer available to assist us, we had to use three-points of contact. There was a vertical chute to climb and then a really tough shelf to scramble up. Once we reached this point we could continue up and over the falls and the views were spectacular from what I heard!

Not everyone made it beyond this point including myself. It was a risk and if you fall you could get seriously hurt. I would not recommend it unless you are very experienced with class 3-4ish technical rock climbs. 

I only went mid way just before I reached the top shelf. I didn't have a helmet. No one from my group did but a few went anyways, That was one risk I was not willing to take. 

Needless to say, It was a beautiful day and the falls were spectacular!

                        Lower Falls

                       Middle Falls

                Approaching upper falls

   Start of the ascent above the upper tier

       No more rope at this point.

     The hard climb beyond this section is.       really tough even though it looks easy  

TRAIL CANYON FALLS

 A couple of weeks ago, I checked out Trail Canyon Falls, This has to be my second, prettiest local fall this year since the rainstorms. By far today the prettiest is Escondido Falls which I will talk about in another post. 

It's a short hike but well worth the effort. It is also best to go when it isn't too hot because it is mostly exposed as you get closer to the falls. 

It was a good time to go. I found lots of mushrooms along the way. Every waterfall that I have visited, I have also been on a mushroom hunt. So far, I've found lots of cool shrooms. 

Anyways, as expected the falls were flowing beautifully and along the way there were a few stream crossings. The water level in some of those areas was ankle deep. 

It was really cold and windy once we approached at the falls. Taking pics with my phone was a challenge due to all the mist spraying on my phone. So, I could not really get those close up shots like I wanted. Plus, I forgot to bring my waterproof phone pouch.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed the scenery and continued on to the top of the falls. The water crossings on this side were deep. We definitely could not cross without getting wet. 

A good time to visit is during the week to avoid the crowds.

To add, I had heard of recent car break-ins. Do not leave valuables in your car. When we arrived at our cars, someone has used a maker and wrote on my friends car window accusing her of not properly parking. We were clearly on the opposite side of the NO PARKING signs posted near the trailhead. Whoever did this was just your typical asshole