This past weekend was a great success for our newly founded UCLoA #adventure club! We had a large turnout for our very first #outdoor adventure trip and camping to Cooper Canyon Falls. The #trail is a moderately difficult 6.2 mile r/t #hike located near Mt. Wilson in the Angeles National Forest just northeast of LA. The hike moves through pristine wilderness area along a of the Pacific Crest Trail. Fragrant pine and cedar forests loom overhead with the soothing sound of trickling water in Cooper Canyon creek. The higher elevation and shaded canyons made for significantly cooler temperatures than what you’d experience back in the city. You will feel transported to another state or country for a day. No permit is needed to hike to Cooper Canyon Falls and dogs are welcome on the trail as well.
The trip was divided into two activities. There was a beginner-friendly day hike for anyone who wanted a dose of nature but without the commitment and challenge of carrying gear, and there was a overnight option for those who needed a little more time in mother nature and didn't mind the extra load...like me.
Once we were ready to hit the trail, it was a steady moderate descent overlooking vast views of towering Douglas fir and Jeffrey pines and occasional redwoods dominating the landscape below.
After about 1.5 hrs we arrived at Cooper Canyon campground and had a group lunch before heading further down the trail to Cooper Canyon Falls. We made our way down to the top of the fall, and at the bottom of the short scramble and rope assisted descent down, we found ourselves face to face with Cooper Canyon Falls – a small, mossy cascade with a lovely shallow reflecting pool at its base. It’s a great place to have a picnic or just to relax to the sound of flowing water. The temperature in the canyon was still very cold which left some ice on the rock walls and icicles hanging off the sides of the falls.
After the falls we headed back up to Cooper Canyon Campground and parted ways with our day hikers. The small group of over-nighters made camp and enjoyed a great over-the-fire meal and some revelry for the night.
It was a short but sweet trip, giving me a small dose of mother nature that almost always leaves me wanting more.
