Announcing Deep Creek Freehike

ANNOUNCING
SoCal Freehikers Next Freehike to
DEEP CREEK

Next Thursday, June 24th, the SoCal Freehikers will hike nude into and out of Deep Creek Hot Springs near Hesperia, California. Everyone is welcome!
Please respond to this email if you are able to attend.

Deep Creek Hot Springs is a popular, clothing optional, skinny-dipping spot on U.S. Forest Service land, with hot springs, a cold creek, beach-like areas and rocks to hang out on, and other people - men, women, children, with clothes on and/or off.

The trailhead to Deep Creek is about an hour north of San Bernardino. The last 6 miles of driving is on a dirt road, though four-wheel drive is NOT required.

For carpooling, we will meet and leave from the far corner of the parking lot (nearest corner to the turn off the main road) of the San Bernardino Walmart (4001 Hallmark Pkwy, San Bernardino, CA 92407). Here is a Mapquest link to it: http://www.mapquest.com/maps?1c=Colton&1s=CA&1a=26520+Keissel+Rd&1z=92324-9330&1y=US&1l=34.003077&1g=-117.228954&1v=ADDRESS&2c=San+Bernardino&2s=CA&2a=4001+Hallmark+Pkwy&2z=92407-1876&2y=US&2l=34.163445&2g=-117.335724&2v=ADDRESS

We will depart from Walmart promptly at 8:30 am, in order to arrive at Bowen Ranch and start hiking in by 10:00 am.

If you'd prefer to organize your own driving, you can find driving and hiking directions at this website: http://www.deepcreekvolunteers.com/directions.htm

We will park at Bowen Ranch which is private property (and also clothing optional). Parking costs $5 per vehicle.

The spot where we park the vehicles is about half a mile past the Bowen Ranch House. From there it's a 2-mile hike, descending 900 feet, to Deep Creek Hot Springs. This means your return hike will be two miles with a 900 foot ascent. Good for the heart.

If this is your first time to Deep Creek and you are not hiking with the group, you should be aware that as you near the springs the trail will fork. While it is very tempting to take the left fork, which obviously leads directly down to the springs that you see on your left, you actually want to take the RIGHT FORK for a much safer, easier descent.

Getting to the hot springs themselves requires fording the cold creek. Water may be several feet high. It is a good idea to change to water shoes to cross the creek and get around to the different hot springs.

You should bring drinking water, food, something to sit on (a towel is good enough), sunblock, gas money for carpooling, a five-dollar bill for parking, a sense of adventure, and a willingness to try to carry out some of the litter left behind by less responsible people.

Your departure time from Deep Creek is whenever you and the carload you came with wants to leave. If you decide to leave in the early afternoon, you will be making that 900-foot ascent with a full sun beating down on your back. It’s more comfortable to wait until the sun gets closer to the western horizon, even though it means driving home in the dark.

Remember to respond to this email if you are able to attend, and email me with questions at kenfreehiker@yahoo.com