WATERFALL WEATHER; EL NINO CREATES GORGEOUS CASCADES.Byline: BRETT PAULY Going out of your way to see more water in this winter of the great El Nino might be the last thing you'd consider, but there is some explainable force that draws people to waterfalls. That magnetism - fueled by the burgeoning flows - is at its strongest. It is waterfall weather . . . and some real beauts lie in the Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a low transverse range in southern California in the United States. Geography They run for approximately 40 mi (64 km) east-west from the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles to Point Mugu in Ventura County. like beacons in a day-tripper's paradise. Most of the time, the range's sandstone and chaparral lap up precipitation like a parched parch v. parched, parch·ing, parch·es v.tr. 1. To make extremely dry, especially by exposure to heat: The midsummer sun parched the earth. pooch, but even this huge sponge that runs from Griffith Park Griffith Park is a large public park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains. It is situated in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers 4,210 acres (17 km²) of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America. to Point Mugu can only take so much drenching drenching farmer's term for the administration of medicines as solutions or suspensions in water by mouth with a drench bottle, gun or funnel. drenching bit to be included in a bridle as a bit. . Something has to give. And the resulting gushes that burst from the mountains' seams often catch visitors unprepared . . . in more ways than one. ``It was a surprise,'' said Westlake Village's Bill Becher after visiting a particularly stunning, multi-tiered fall near Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Newbury Park. ``You think of Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, as being pretty arid and a big waterfall is not something you're accustomed to. ``What's fun about it is it's a very cool, shady canyon. Even on a misty day it can be quite lovely, what the Irish call a `soft day.' I've seen the red-tailed hawks soaring above the fog. It's a lovely season that makes you think you are in some place other than Southern California.'' Waterfalls in full flux are majestic things that emit their own magic, offering a soothing, almost whimsical quality. Those who gaze upon them are energized with the will to ponder, an attribute that can all too frequently be forsaken for·sake tr.v. for·sook , for·sak·en , for·sak·ing, for·sakes 1. To give up (something formerly held dear); renounce: forsook liquor. 2. in the concrete jungle Noun 1. concrete jungle - an area in a city with large modern buildings that is perceived as dangerous and unpleasant jungle - a location marked by an intense competition and struggle for survival and its workaday regimen. Malibu's Adam O'Rourke and Michelle Desrocher are twice-monthly visitors to Escondido Falls, the Santa Monicas' crown jewel Crown jewel A particularly profitable or otherwise particularly valuable corporate unit or asset of a firm. Often used in risk arbitrage. The most desirable entities within a diversified corporation as measured by asset value, earning power, and business prospects; in takeover of cataracts, occasionally hiking by moonlight. ``You get the breeze coming off the waterfall, making the hike worthwhile,'' O'Rourke said. ``It's perfect in the winter. It's not all sunny and hot. The falls are bigger. And it's prettier. It beats watching TV, that's for sure.'' ``I just love the oxygen-rich air,'' said Desrocher. ``It's so green and lush out here; there's space to think.'' Four waterfalls are highlighted below. Most can be reached with a little effort, and two or more can be viewed in a single morning and afternoon. Locate the falls on a reliable hiking map - and bring it with you - before committing to any of the trips listed here. Areas are subject to closures following heavy rains. NEWTON FALLS Merely a 15-minute stroll from the parking lot, it offers the easiest access of the foursome and the quickest reward. The westward runoff from Newton Canyon spills over the sharp ledge and the spray mists visitors at a distance of up to 50 paces as it careens to the wide pool. Take the Ventura Freeway The Ventura Freeway is a freeway in southern California running from Ventura to Pasadena. It is the principal east-west route through Ventura County and in the southern San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. (101) north, exit at Kanan Road, turn left and proceed to the third tunnel, past Mulholland Highway  This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers.Please [improve the article] or discuss this issue on the talk page. and Latigo Canyon Road. Park in the new lot to the right, in front of the tunnel. Follow the sign that points out the westerly route of the Backbone Trail down one switchback switch·back n. 1. A road, trail, or railroad track that follows a zigzag course on a steep incline. 2. A sharp bend in a road or trail on a steep incline. 3. Chiefly British A roller coaster. to the crossing of Newton Creek. Bear left and you'll see the fall's spillway spillway, n a channel or passageway through which food escapes from the occlusal surfaces of the teeth during mastication. The occlusal, developmental, and supplemental grooves, as well as the incisal, occlusal, labial, buccal, and lingual embrasures, , but continue on another 100 yards or so to a low spot and turn left again to the creek. Follow it upstream to the falls. For added adventure - using extra caution on the slippery creekbed - proceed downstream to discover more spouts. ESCONDIDO FALLS Situated in striking Escondido Canyon north of Malibu's Paradise Cove, the twin falls Twin Falls, city (1990 pop. 27,591), seat of Twin Falls co., S Idaho, in the Snake River valley; inc. 1905. The city began as a center of a private irrigation project, which is supplemented by the Minidoka project of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. own the greatest drop in the group, with the upper - and much less accessible - section plunging more than 100 feet. A rope swing dangles from a tree at the base of the lower portion over a muddy bog, where a sulfurlike stench wafts past. The 5-mile round-trip is mild. Unfortunately, most of the hiking is along asphalt and the trail portion is dotted with creek crossings that are sure to leave soles damp. Backtrack from the parking lot at Newton Falls (as Kanan has been closed to the south for mudslide repairs for months) to Latigo Canyon Road, turn right. Take the curvy mountain road to Pacific Coast Highway Pacific Coast Highway may refer to:
From the lower falls The Lower Falls area is located just to the east of Canyon Village in Yellowstone National Park. A one-way loop drive takes you to the brink of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and offers four views, with the last stop at the trail that leads to the top of the Falls. , a thin trail to the right leads to other falls higher up. But the course is just a steep, brittle scratch in the earth, offering few footholds; only the most hardy should attempt it. RANCHO SIERRA/SATWIWA Unnamed but untamed, this stair-stepping variety is found at the terminus of a 45-minute trek through the National Park Service property and the Satwiwa Native American Indian American Indian or Native American or Amerindian or indigenous American Any member of the various aboriginal peoples of the Western Hemisphere, with the exception of the Eskimos (Inuit) and the Aleuts. Natural Area south of Newbury Park. It's perhaps the prettiest and most quaint of the soggy bunch. Take the 101 north, exit at Wendy Drive and turn left. There are two starting points: Park in the lot at the intersection of Potrero Road and proceed southwest on Wendy Trail. Or continue driving turning right on Potrero Road and left across from Pinehill Road onto a dirt road to the parking area at the NPS NPS National Park Service NPS Naval Postgraduate School NPS Net Promoter Score (customer management) NPS Non-Point Source pollution NPS Native Plant Society NPS Norfolk Public Schools (Virginia) site's headquarters; then begin the hike along the Satwiwa Loop Trail. The most direct route from Wendy Trail is to break to the left in three-tenths of a mile and cut through the middle of Satwiwa Loop Trail across a meadow. From the Satwiwa Loop trailhead take the southernmost route. There are several ways to get to the falls and it can be confusing, but all lead in a southeasterly south·east·er·ly adj. 1. Situated toward the southeast. 2. Coming or being from the southeast. south·east direction of a mile or so to the Old Boney Trail, the northern gateway to Boney Mountain. Follow the Old Boney road for about a half-mile and you'll pass a footpath that branches sharply to the right and goes downstream paralleling a nearby creek. Pass that trail, cross the creek and in two-tenths of a mile the road hairpins to the right. Bear left here, head upstream a short distance until you hear the somersaulting falls. Follow the gurgling Gurgling is a characteristic sound made by unstable two-phase fluid flow, for example, as liquid is poured from a bottle, or during gargling. sounds to the source. SANTA YNEZ FALLS By far the most difficult to reach, the falls echo through a boxed canyon above a formidable set of boulders that are tough to climb. Access is via Topanga State Park Topanga State Park is a California state park located in Los Angeles County. It is located adjacent to the unincorporated community of Topanga, California, within the city of Los Angeles, California. Covering 11,000 acres (45 km²) it is the largest state park within city limits. and Palisades Palisades, cliffs along the west bank of the Hudson River, NE N.J. and SE N.Y., extending from N of Jersey City, N.J., to the vicinity of Piermont, N.Y., with a general altitude of from 350 ft to 550 ft (107–168 m). Highlands, the latter of which is far easier. Either route is going to get your feet very wet, and expect a $6 day-use fee. For the first option, travel south on Topanga Canyon Boulevard (27), turn left on Entrada Road and drive to its end at Trippet trip·pet n. A cam or projection in a mechanism designed to strike another part at regular intervals. [Middle English tripet, piece of wood used in a game, from trippen, Ranch. It's a 5.6-mile round-trip from here, following the series of eastbound signs that read ``Waterfall - Santa Ynez Trail.'' The course at first climbs for three-tenths of a mile, then descends 700 feet in 1.1 miles to a creek. Continue another three-tenths of a mile east, fording the creek several times, to a signpost at a fallen tree that points out the Waterfall Trail. With the creek blown out in several places it's tricky to find the trail, but cross the stream and bear left and it's 1.1 miles to the north up Santa Ynez Canyon. The trail crosses back and forth across the swollen creek for .7 miles before hikers are forced to higher ground. At times, the falls can be unreachable for average hikers: Check with state park officials, (818) 880-0350, before leaving the trailhead. From Pacific Palisades, the second option requires a drive on Sunset Boulevard. From PCH turn left on Palisades Drive; from the San Diego Freeway The San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405, and the part of Interstate 5 south of the El Toro Y[1]) is one of the principal north-south highways in Southern California, and the major beltway of I-5 running through Southern California. (405) turn right on Palisades Drive. Drive 2.4 miles and turn left onto Vereda de la Montura. Park at the signed trailhead. From here, the muddy trail drops in and out of the stream north through Santa Ynez Canyon for a half-mile to the aforementioned signpost. Round-trip is 3.2 miles. Happy hiking - and don't count on staying dry for long. SLIPPERY WHEN WET Since waterfall hikes are damp, slick affairs that more often than not involve fording creeks, pack along a few precautions for good measure: Plan on getting wet. Bring extra clothes, and sandals or old tennis shoes if you don't want saturated boots. Waterproof gear is smart if you expect to get very close to the cascade. Avoid boulder-hopping and rock-jumping over streams, if you can; preserving the dryness of your footwear isn't worth breaking a leg on a stumble. Carry a walking stick for better balance when traversing water, mud and other slippery spots. While falls are most spectacular during and immediately after a rain, don't hike in a major downpour; flash floods are underestimated dangers. When fords are high, fast or wide, go upstream or downstream to find an easier route. Turn back in a worst-case scenario or be content to hunker down during the deluge until the flows subside. Stick to the trail. It's usually the safest way to go. Besides, straying from the beaten path undermines the existing footpath and causes damage to surrounding fauna. Shun the temptation to climb up and around the sides of falls, which frequently are steep, narrow ledges that offer exceedingly difficult footing. Don't hike alone. It's sage advice anytime but particularly worthwhile around water hazards, especially for adventurers who want to take more perilous routes to the source. -- Brett Pauly CAPTION(S): 4 Photos, 4 Maps, Box PHOTO (1--3--Color) At top, Bill Becher of Westlake Village ponders the unnamed waterfall south of Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Newbury Park. Above, Upper Escondido Falls, a pearl in the Santa Monica Mountains, drops more than 100 feet from its perch north of Malibu's Paradise Cove. And a pair of golden retrievers, at right, enjoy a drink at the stair-stepping Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa cascades. Photos by Tina Gerson and Brett Pauly / Daily News (4--Color) Newton Falls east of Zuma Canyon beckons visitors with quick and easy access and a refreshing spray. Brett Pauly / Daily News MAP: HOW TO GET THERE: (1) Santa Ynez Falls (2) Newton and Escondido Falls (3) Rancho Sierra Vista Waterfall (4) Santa Monica Mountains Graphics by Jon Gerung and Dionisio Munoz / Daily News BOX: SLIPPERY WHEN WET (see text) |
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