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Even when everything seemed to be going against me, the planets momentarily aligned and I found myself in the right grotto at the right time with the right people.

The Grotto for Hike #27

It took a lot to get out on the trail for this one.  My motivation tank was running on fumes.  I didn’t sleep well the night before because of the neighbor’s dog and its incessant barking, so the desire to lay in bed all day was tempting.  However, I was two hikes behind schedule.  I couldn’t live with myself if I went an entire Saturday without at least one hike.  So I rolled out of bed, packed a day pack, and began the 30-minute drive west to the Santa Monica Mountains. An hour passes and I’m still on the road.  TWO HOURS go by and, yes, I’m still driving towards the Santa Monica Mountains.  As I sat in traffic, passing at least two accidents, I was puzzled over where this strong desire to hike was coming from.  How easy would it be for me to turn around, go home, crawl back in bed, and call it a day?

Then it occurred to me:  I love to hike.  To get out of this craziness called Los Angeles with its barking dogs and bumper-to-bumper traffic and escape into into the wilderness.  If I turned around now, I’d simply be going back into the urban jungle.  After two and a half hours of driving, I entered the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.  Last time I was here was for a hike up to Sandstone Peak (hike #6).  Today’s hike wouldn’t be more than a mile from that trailhead, starting at the Circle X Ranch Visitor Center.

I started my hike around 2pm. Even though the trail starts less than 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean, it was a hot day in the mountains. No wind, little shade, and not even the smallest of clouds in the sky. I ran into two hikers about a half mile down the trail who looked like they were hating life. Drenched in sweat, they confirmed that it was hot – “Damn hot” – and that I should turn around now if I wanted to live another day. Well, they didn’t actually say this, but I could read a lot in their eyes. I threw caution into the windless air and continued down the canyon.

After a mile of hiking, the trail wanders into the canyon and doesn’t stray for the remainder of the hike. It isn’t much cooler, but the tree canopy does offer some relief from the sun. The grotto itself requires a keen sense of hearing, especially during the summer when the water barely trickles. I imagine that in the spring after a few storms, all a hiker needs to do is follow the water. However, here in mid June, there’s more water in my Camelback bladder than in the first mile of this trek. After about 1.3 miles, the trail passes a couple small pools of water and the sound of falling water can be heard. I followed my ears over a field of large boulders and into the grotto. I think the last 100 feet of this trail into the grotto is why the park service does not allow dogs: it’s not safe for them.

I entered the grotto and all of my frustrations of the day melted away. I only had to spend a few moments in the tranquil grotto before the barking dog, the traffic, and the heat became distant memories. In fact, the temperature down in the grotto was at least 10-15 degrees cooler than up above.

After about 20 minutes of quiet solitude, I could hear a group of hikers approach from above. I winced. I slightly expected any moment to share this beauty with a group of loud and annoying suburbanites who have the incredible ability to complain about nature without actually taking the time to look at it. (You don’t need to hike in LA for long to run into these types.) But little did I know that the grotto was moments away from becoming a meeting place for some of the coolest, like-minded people I’ve ever met on a trail. Standing out from the rest would be Gregory and Emily, a twenty-something couple from Silver Lake whom share my passion for insects, photography, insect photography, hiking, and hiking photography. After an hour of talking, we exchanged contact information and made tentative plans to go on a hike.

As I began the hot climb back up the canyon towards the trailhead, I felt embarrassed for ever thinking that the people entering the grotto were going to be clueless 90210-rejects. I shouldn’t have jumped to such a silly conclusion despite past experiences. Nature-respecting people must make up most of the people on any given trail. As I was condoning my thoughts, a group of four approached me coming down the trail. As I pulled off the trail to let them pass, her boyfriend said to the group, “Oh, snap! This guy’s got the right idea bringing ski poles!” They all laughed. I wasn’t sure how exactly to respond to this, since I was in fact using hiking poles, so I just smiled and laughed along with them, noticing as they passed that a female in the group was wearing flip flops.

Thoughts about the hike:

1. Every hike I’ve taken in the Santa Monica Mountains has introduced me to so many types of animals. On this hike, I saw lizards, a tree frog, toe biters, newts, and even a tarantula hawk.
2. I saw a canyon to the east that I’d like to come back to explore.

Resources:

1. Localhikes – The Grotto Trail
2. Hiking the Grotto Trail | Modern Hiker
3. Map and Site Information: Circle X Ranch

Hike #27 Trip GPS Stats:

• Date of hike: July 7th, 2009
• Location: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, California
• Length: 3.0 miles
• Duration: 3 hours, 26 minutes
• Average speed: ±0.9 mph (more like 1.3 mph)
• Altitude at start: 1,694 feet
• Altitude min.max: 1,188/1,694 feet

This map was made with the data my GPS captured on the hike.
For a more detailed trip report map, check this out.

Photos:

Striking a pose in The Grotto

Child and Grandpa near a small pond in the woods. Norman Rockwell, eat your heart out.

An electric car parked in front of Circle X Ranch. Future meets past.

The Grotto Trailhead, 0.2 miles from the Circle X Ranch

A Western Fence Lizard chillaxin

A view south towards the ocean from the trail.

One of these days I hope to actually SEE a rattlesnake. Seriously. It is a goal of mine!

Wildflower

Another wildflower

Natural beauty.