Question about a Dive Site in Palos Verdes

[headhunter]

Here's a review I made a few years ago.
http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/USA_West/CalM/Christmas_Tree/review_289.htm
The last time I was there, about three months ago, the trail was passable. It's one of the more difficult trails in P.V., but CTC has the best vis and conditions around thge peninsula.

Thanks for the info Phil.

When I was there last week I couldn't find the beginning of the trail.

I could see the stairs coming down like switchbacks across the cove from where I was standing, but I couldn't seem to find the beginning of a trail.

Also when I went to the street on the other side of the cove from Paseo del Mar and Via Neve and looked at the cove from that angle, I couldn't see a trail anywhere.

Could you give me an idea of where the trail starts to go down? I'm sure it will be easy to follow it from there. For instance, if I were looking at an arial photograph of the cove with a clock face overlaying the picture and 12 O'clock laying in the middle of the beach and the center of the clock in the water in the middle of the cove, what number would the beginning of the trail be? I feel a bit dense asking the question this way, but I kept looking over the edge and not seeing a trail when I was there.

This reminds me of a backpacking trip I took last May to the bottom of the Grand Canyon down the Hermit Trail. There were times when my buddy and I would look at each other and one of us would ask, "Are you sure that we are on a trail here, because I don't see it?" A couple of times we weren't really on it. It was an unmaintained trail kind of like this one.

Thanks again for helping me with this mystery.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Thanks for the info Phil.

When I was there last week I couldn't find the beginning of the trail.

I could see the stairs coming down like switchbacks across the cove from where I was standing, but I couldn't seem to find the beginning of a trail.

Also when I went to the street on the other side of the cove from Paseo del Mar and Via Neve and looked at the cove from that angle, I couldn't see a trail anywhere.

Could you give me an idea of where the trail starts to go down? I'm sure it will be easy to follow it from there. For instance, if I were looking at an arial photograph of the cove with a clock face overlaying the picture and 12 O'clock laying in the middle of the beach and the center of the clock in the water in the middle of the cove, what number would the beginning of the trail be? I feel a bit dense asking the question this way, but I kept looking over the edge and not seeing a trail when I was there.

This reminds me of a backpacking trip I took last May to the bottom of the Grand Canyon down the Hermit Trail. There were times when my buddy and I would look at each other and one of us would ask, "Are you sure that we are on a trail here, because I don't see it?" A couple of times we weren't really on it. It was an unmaintained trail kind of like this one.

Thanks again for helping me with this mystery.

Here's an aerial shot.
http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.cgi?image=8375&mode=sequential&flags=0
Notice the mud in the cove from the landslide. At 10:00 position from the center of the cove is the top of the trail. It begins just to the right of the shrubbery next to the house on the left. If you click on the picture it will enlarge dramatically, showing the trail.

 

[headhunter]

Here's an aerial shot.
http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.cgi?image=8375&mode=sequential&flags=0
Notice the mud in the cove from the landslide. At 10:00 position from the center of the cove is the top of the trail. It begins just to the right of the shrubbery next to the house on the left. If you click on the picture it will enlarge dramatically, showing the trail.

That's awesome!

I couldn't get it to enlarge, but I now see that I was looking everywhere but where the trail was.

Thanks again.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

That's awesome!

I couldn't get it to enlarge, but I now see that I was looking everywhere but where the trail was.

Thanks again.

The easiest way to find it is to go straight out from Via Neve toward the cliff.

 

[headhunter]

The easiest way to find it is to go straight out from Via Neve toward the cliff.

Thanks again. Should be easy to find now.

 

[sijtse]

I dove CTC last fall - it was a great dive, with interesting terrain and very good vis. The hike is tough, but can be done if everyone involved is in good shape and pretty strong. It gets better when you do it a few times. Probably the toughest hike in PV, though.

CTC was the first place I dove in PV, and still one of my favorites - if the conditions are right. Odds are there will not be too many other divers crowding at CTC...

 

[headhunter]

I dove CTC last fall - it was a great dive, with interesting terrain and very good vis. The hike is tough, but can be done if everyone involved is in good shape and pretty strong. It gets better when you do it a few times. Probably the toughest hike in PV, though.

CTC was the first place I dove in PV, and still one of my favorites - if the conditions are right. Odds are there will not be too many other divers crowding at CTC...

Now that I know where to find the trail, it is definitely back on the list of places to enjoy. I don't mind a hike, since another hobby of mine is backpacking. It can't be as tough as my trip down the Hermit Trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon with a 60 pound pack last year!

Thanks for the review. It confirms that the dive is still as nice as I remember it.

Christian

 

[ifukuda]

Gentlemen,

Do you dive PV on a regular basis? Would you be interested in maintaining a PV dive condition thread? Personally, I find viz and surf information very useful when deciding where to dive.

Between spring and fall, my dive buddy and I alternate between dive sites at PV and Laguna. I'll go ahead and post dive condition info everytime I dive PV (usually Haggerty's). I plan to dive there on Saturday (4/18).

 

[headhunter]

Gentlemen,

Do you dive PV on a regular basis? Would you be interested in maintaining a PV dive condition thread? Personally, I find viz and surf information very useful when deciding where to dive.

Between spring and fall, my dive buddy and I alternate between dive sites at PV and Laguna. I'll go ahead and post dive condition info everytime I dive PV (usually Haggerty's). I plan to dive there on Saturday (4/18).

That sounds like a great idea!

I am still preparing to get back into the water after a few years, and will start by doing some easy beach dives. After that, I will probably dive PV often because I've always liked the dives there.

Laguna and La Jolla happen to be other favorites, by the way. They're just a longer drive.

Christian