Reminder: Hike Instead of Meeting this Month

There is no 3rd Wednesday meeting this week for the LA Greens. Instead, you are invited to join the LA Greens on a hike this Sunday. See details below.

L.A. Greens Summer Solstice Hike - Sunday, June 21, 10 AM, Solstice Canyon, Malibu

-Free Event-
When: Sunday, June 21, 2009, 10:00 AM
What: L.A. Greens Summer Solstice Hike: "Welcome to Rivendell"
Where: Solstice Canyon, Malibu (a unit in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area) directions/map
Why: Instead of our monthly June meeting, please join the L.A. Greens for a Summer Solstice hike at Solstice Canyon in Malibu!
Update: if possible, please RSVP by email to lindap_a@verizon.net

Enter park off Corral Canyon Road and gather in the main parking lot, (see directions below).
Bring a sack lunch and an optional reading to share about the solstice or nature.
Since parking is limited, *please* try to arrange carpools.


About the hike: "Welcome to Rivendell"

For those of you not versed in Tolkien or Lord of the Rings lore, Rivendell is the magical home of the elves. Solstice Canyon reminds me of what our local version of Rivendell might be like! Watch for elves and hobbits to pop out from behind the trees at any time! (Of course, I'm still waiting for Prince Aragorn!) What better way to celebrate the Summer Solstice than to revel in nature and invoke the Elves of Rivendell!

We will head up to the enchanted Tropical Terrace along the canyon floor, for an easy 1.1 mile hike each way. Minimal elevation gain, lots of shade and a year round stream. In true hobbit fashion, we will go slowly and look at nature around us. I will bring my plant and bird identification books if people want to know more about what we might see. Upon arrival at Tropical Terrace, we will rest, snack and look at the mini waterfalls.

Bring a hat, sunscreen, bug repellent, good hiking shoes, lots of water, binoculars and cameras if you like and a cloak if you have one (just kidding about the cloak!). Also bring a sack lunch to leave in your cooler in the car to eat afterwards.

Optional: bring a reading about the solstice or nature in general to share with others during or after lunch. Tolkien would be proud! I will also bring my Lord of the Rings board game if any die hards want to hang out longer and play.

Friendly dogs on leash ok. Clean pit toilets, no sinks for handwashing. Like Gollum, cell phone service is unpredictable.


Directions:

From the Westside, take the I-10 freeway west until it becomes Pacific Coast
Highway (PCH).
Continue north on PCH to Malibu Canyon Road.
At Malibu Canyon Road and PCH, continue north on PCH, but start your odomenter.
2.3 miles north of Malibu Canyon Road, turn right onto Corral Canyon Road.
(There will be a Union 76 station on the northwest corner.)
Go 0.1 mile and turn left into Solstice Canyon.
Go slowly for 0.2 miles on the narrow park road until you come to the main parking area.
We will meet in the amphitheater.


If coming from the Valley, check for road closures as I saw a sign recently that said that Malibu Canyon Road was to be closed that day from 8-4. You may want to take Topanga Canyon Road over to Pacific Coast Highway and then follow the above directions.

Note:
Please try to carpool as the parking lot at Solstice is small. Another option is as follows: At the intersection of PCH and Malibu Canyon Road, there is the Malibu Bluffs Park, with a large parking lot. Consider consolidating cars trips to Solstice by meeting there and then just taking one car from your group to Solstice Canyon.

Questions? Call me.
Linda
310-395-4044