Hike up and down and up and down in wood canyon- LEVEL 3

DO NOT SIGN UP UNLESS YOU HAVE READ THE ENTIRE POST. This is not an easy hike.

ABOUT THE HIKE: Join us for a morning intermediate level hike in the Aliso and Wood Canyon Wilderness Park. This hike is approximately 9-10 miles with about 1800 feet of elevation gain. The hike begins creekside along the shaded Wood Canyon Trail. We hike along wood canyon, wood creek , coyote run then up the rock-it trail which will really warm you up. After rock it we will continue on west ridge with a few little detours until we reach top of the world for a brief snack and bathroom break. From there we head down to the Park ave trail which is a 1 1/2 mile loop with a lot of elevation. We head back on west ridge to down either Mathis or lynx. The hike will take approximately 4-5 hours. This is an intermediate level hike not suitable for beginners as we will be climbing up and down several steep and rugged hills. We leave promptly at 8:00 AM so give yourself time to park and head to the meeting spot.

BEFORE YOU SIGN UP NOTE THESE COMMENTS:

1. we will stay reasonably close as a group. The exception will be hiking up or down a steep trail and then we all meet at the top or bottom of that trail.
2. This is not a race and we take an occasional break as needed.
3. Everyone needs a positive attitude. If you feel miserable today you can let your anger out when you get home.
4. Fast hikers: If you like to hike really fast please reconsider joining this hike. We are not slow but we don’t want to hike faster just to catch up to you. Fast hikers will need to be the sweeps not the lead.
5. This hike is also not for very slow hikers. We don’t race but we are not slow either. This is not an easy hike with steep and rugged trails

Hike Stats:

Distance : Aprox. 9-10 miles
Elevation Gain: about 1800
Hike Time: about4- 5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate. There is some decent elevation on some rugged terrain so know your limits
Trail Condition: steep and rugged in sections.
General Rating/Difficulty: Level 3 (Moderate Pace) for distance, elevation gain and strenuous
Click RATING TABLE to learn more about hike levels
https://tinyurl.com/HikeRating

WARNING:👹 We have to be on the lookout for some of the CRAZY bikers flying down the hills. Most are very cordial but beware of the ones that don’t care about your safety,

This is a fabulous conditioning hike and a real good workout. Make sure you are comfortable with steep and rugged terrain and lots of distance before signing up.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: From the 5 Freeway, exit Alicia Parkway. Take Alicia parkway (towards Laguna Niguel ) about 1 1/2 miles to Pacific Park. Turn right on Pacific Park and go about 1 1/4 miles to Canyon Vistas. Turn left on Canyon Vista and go about 4 blocks to the end proceeding to Canyon View Park on the left. If you are coming from the south get off at Oso pkwy which eventually turns into pacific park then proceed as above. There is street parking. It could be busy and there is lots of parking on the first street on the left before the trailhead called Coastal Oak or park somewhere along Silkwood. We leave promptly at 8:00AM so plan on arriving early. We will meet at the gate at the entrance to the park.

REMINDER: By joining the meetup, you agree to Meetup Terms of Service releases the Organizer and Assistant Organizers from any liability related to incidents that occur at Meetup gatherings
***Hiking is a rewarding and pleasant activity in nature, but there are certain dangers you should be aware of. Those include, but are not limited to, trip and fall injuries, bee stings, poison oak exposure, ticks, mountain lions, coyote, snake bites or wildlife. By signing up for this event, you agree to hold harmless the hike organizer, assistant organizers and other participants for any injuries sustained during this hike ***
> YOU acknowledge THAT WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS.
> YOU ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR SAFETY