July 5, 2005

Hey Everyone,

I hope you all had a great and safe 4th
of July weekend and you are ready to hike off all the food you ate over the
weekend.

Last Saturday’s hike to
Mt. Allen
and Sandstone Peak was quite an adventure with plenty
of things to see, as well as a very good workout for all of us.

Driving along Pacific Coast Highway that morning the
fog and low clouds looked like they were going to spoil the day at the beach
for thousands of Angelinos over the long Holiday
weekend. Since our hike that day would start at 2100ft well above the fog and
clouds the only thing we need to be concerned about was the heat and Deer Flies
that would be very bad that day as it turns out.

As I arrived at the Mishe Mokwa Trail parking
lot I was greeted by several of the group already to hike. As I arrived late I was happy to
not hear complaining from everyone (thanks for that) and was ready to get
started as soon as the rest of the group showed up. Frank
having other things to do that day had to start the hike without us so we all
wished him a good 4th of July and watched as he started up the Mishe
Mokwa Trail. Shortly everyone was present except
Athena so we waited a bit longer then left a map with directions on how to find
us.  As we crossed the road and
started up the trail everyone noticed how quickly the trail gained elevation
and by the time we reached the first junction at six- tenths of a mile into the
hike we had already climbed to 2300ft with 5.5 miles to go. With a quick rest
we moved on the 1.3 miles to Split Rock stopping for pictures of Balancing Rock
and the Sandstone Cliffs. Even though the trail climbed and dropped again and
again, over the next hour we ended up at 2320ft at Split Rock a gain of only 20
feet after all that hiking.

Split Rock is located in a grove of oaks and even has a picnic
table so this seemed like a good time for lunch. I wanted to
say thanks to Mary, Amanda and Katie for bringing the sandwiches, cherries, and
grapes for us to eat too. Sure tasted better than my Cliff Bars
I was planning to eat. After eating and taking care of the paperwork we started
out on the next leg of the hike the 1.3 mile climb to Backbone Trail Junction
at 2750 feet.

This proved to be a very hard
due to the heat and Deer Flies even with Deet-Plus which I think they like to
drink. It was very crowded with several other groups hiking too. So we seem to
stagger the rest stops with one group passing each other while the other was
stopped. When we came around the mountain and headed west we gladly welcomed
the sea breeze which from the look on some faces didn’t come a moment to
soon. With questions like” How much further?” and “Are we
there yet?” Everyone did great with the exception of Carissa who did “FANTASTIC” and deserve
a very big “WELL DONE” We can all take a lesson from her on not
quitting or giving up. Even though it was very hot 88ºf everyone made it to the junction and the last 1.3 miles leg of
the climb to Mt. Allen
at 3111 feet and the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Look at the smiles on everyone face after getting to the top
yeah we did it! Giselle and Joyce did fantastic again and are already seeing the
benefits from getting out and hiking along with our youngest members Katie
& Amanda. The view from the top was incredible even though
the fog was evident it was still a beautiful day and felt great making it to
the top of the mountain. Everyone was smiling and joking so much we quickly
forgot about the heat, deer flies, and sore muscles and just sat enjoying each
others company. Signing the registry book I stopped to read some of the
comments left by other hikers to Mt. Allen some from hikers as young as 4 years
old and as old as 89.

After a well deserved rest we started back down the
mountain with Joyce telling every to
be like her and not complain so much about the length of the hike, and making
sure everyone was keeping up too. We made the last 1.6 miles back to the
parking area in very good time as it was all down hill except a short leg
between the Sandstone Peak Trail and the Mishe Mokwa Trail. Since we had
planned a BBQ from after this hike we said good-bye to Marcus and Carissa who had other plans that afternoon.

So
I would show you pictures from the BBQ but it seems we were all having such a
great time nobody took any Ha-ha. So thanks to Tisa, Lois,
Giselle, Joyce,
Mary, Amanda and Katie for making it to the BBQ and making my afternoon as much
fun as the morning hike.

Now
for an update on Athena and what happen to her. I finally heard from Athena
later that night and was relieved to hear everything was ok with her. It seems
Athena is quite the Chief and stayed up till 2am making not only a relish tray,
but a cantaloupe, cheese, meat wrap, and home made Ranch Dressing too. So she
set her alarm clock for 6am and then guess what happened? She woke up at
11:30am LOL instead. Well at least she tried to make something for us. So
thanks Athena for trying so hard at least to feed us all so well.

As for our next hike Saturday July 9, 2005 it
will be at Lower Zuma Trails located off Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

From Pacific Coast Highway 8/10th of
a mile west of Kanan Dune Road
turn right on Busch Drive.
At Rainsford Place
turn right and go to Bonsall Drive.
A left on Bonsall Drive
takes us to a dirt parking lot within the Santa Monica Mountains National
Recreational Area. An open gate may give you pause to think your driving into
someone’s yard but you will see the sign post on the left with a NPS
marker on it. Keep driving down the road till you come to the parking lot.

Meeting at 7:45am (yeah don’t say it!)

Starting at 8:00am

Distance 3 miles

Elevation gain 700’

Terrain Dirt Trail

Time 2 1/2 hours

If you still want more after this hike we can do
the small loop which is 1 1/2 miles more but very easy with only a 100 ft gain
and then back to the parking lot.

So see you all on Saturday morning make sure to
bring water and a HAT!! Wear sunscreen and bug repellent you can wear shorts as
the trail is ok. As for food bring what you need to snack on but knowing the
group so far I’m thinking we will be doing lunch again.

Daniel