May 17th 2009

4.2 miles          400 ft. elevation gain.

It’s going to be a hot day in Westlake Village so we head for a shaded walk near the ocean. The last time we visited Escondido Falls was in March 2003 after 4 inches of rain had fallen the previous day. The waterfall was stupendous and we had to wade across the multiple creek crossings. We are not expecting this joy today, but at a multi-tiered 150-feet it is the highest waterfall in the Santa Monica Mountains. As we cross the peak of the Santa Monicas the temperature rises to over 80 and its not even 10 o’clock. However, as we descend towards the ocean we meet the marine layer and by the time we reach Pacific Coast Highway we are down to the low 60s. We park in the almost full, official parking lot at the bottom of Winding Way just off Pacific Coast Highway. One of the disagreeable features of this hike is that we have to walk about a mile up the paved street past the houses of the rich and famous/infamous. Actually, signs ask us to keep to the dirt track at the side of the street. Presumably they don’t want us to wear out their road. Anyway, Deirdre enjoys looking at the huge homes and estates along the way. We pass a group of four stoutly built men and women with heavy eastern European accents, who appear more equiped for a day on Brighton Beach than our walk. Another sign warns us that the first trail head is closed because of road works. Sure enough the trail entrance is surrounded by earth-moving equipment but, despite my inclination to thumb my nose at this outrage, we proceed a little further down the street and take the official way in.

Escondido Canyon

The trail is beautiful and aggravation at officialdom soon evaporates. The stream crossings do have water running but it is easy to avoid wet feet. The trail is lined with sycamore, alder, walnut and oak. There is wild rose, monkey flower, sage, fennel and the somewhat less desirable poison oak and poison hemlock along the way. We pass a couple of folks returning from the falls, otherwise we have these delights to ourselves. The ocean mist adds a little humidity to the air but it is pleasant in the shade.

Lower Falls

We reach the lower waterfall. Other than another heavily built couple, who are just giving up on the climb to the upper fall in favor of a snack, we are alone. The falls have some water flowing and the atmosphere is almost of a rain forest. Around the falls are more monkey flower adding yellow to the green mossy background. We take a few mandatory pictures and then one of us decides that the upper falls must be visited!

Tricky descent

I climb up and meet a group of three girls descending, one of them in great trepidation – are you going down on your butt she asks the more adventurous of the three. I climb up over rocks and pools and am eventually rewarded with a view of the upper falls. The water tumbles over a hanging cliff from the left side of the canyon and plummets over a 100 feet to the canyon floor. Of course, I have left my camera with Deirdre. I retrace my steps and quickly overtake the girls. However, in my effort to show these youngsters how its done, a take a wrong turn and my final descent back to the lower falls is rather treacherous.  Deirdre, sitting serenely by the lower falls, calls up to inform me that that wasn’t the way I went up and I do in fact acquire a dirty pants before reaching ground level! To my horror I see the girls are following me down. I shout up instructions and climb back up the correct way to direct them. On returning I find their leader has followed my difficult route. The other two heed my advice but the nervous one slips right at the bottom and joins the dirty butt club. I look up to see another group descending. The leader shouts “I don’t think we came this way”. Now the expert I am able to direct them from my perch by the lower falls. And behold, one of the girls in this party slips in exactly the same place and the club now has three members!

The grotto

The eastern Europeans now arrive. The two men are game to climb to the upper falls but I dissuade them. We eat a peaceful lunch and Dee chats to the girls.  We make our departure. And just in time! On the way back we pass about thirty people in various groups, including several children, much to Deirdre’s horror. But it is mainly peaceful and regaining the junction we take the shorter way out. Earth movers and homeowners be damned!