1 Million, B.C. Traditional Cache

ROUNDTRIP DISTANCE: 3.3 miles
ELEVATION CHANGE: Approximately 390 feet
HIKE DURATION: Approximately 2 hours (or less)

Meanwhile, millions of years ago. . .
As we chase geocaches around Palos Verdes we often give little thought to the birth of the peninsula itself. Although it was created through a number of geological processes, much of Palos Verdes is volcanic in origin. It all began deep under the ocean. Slowly and relentlessly, volcanic rocks were lifted up from the sea floor until they broke through the ocean waves, making Palos Verdes an island. As the uplifting continued over countless millennia, the land eventually ascended high enough to connect "Palos Verdes Island" to mainland California, resulting in the peninsular landform we know and love today.

Millions of years ago, long before Palos Verdes existed, hot lava flowed from volcanic vents in the ocean floor into the cold Pacific waters. The frigid waters quickly cooled the hot magma creating "pillow lava." This is the virtual part of our cache, and as you look at it in the hills you can see how it got its name. As you walk toward waypoint LAVA 1 (see list below) you'll climb a ridgeline with rust colored rocks eroding out of the hilltop. When you reach LAVA 1, a closer look reveals the lava's pillow shape, or bulges. The impression of having oozed out of the vents is unmistakable, for it looks just like toothpaste squeezed from a tube. Contact with the cold water abruptly solidified the lava in its primordial state, preserving its unusual shape. Some of the lava is split open, and a closer look reveals the effects of this fast cooling. The outside, or crust, of the lava is darker in color because the rapid cooling slightly altered its chemical makeup from that of the slow cooling interior, which is lighter in color. Some geologists liken these differences to the rind surrounding the inside of a melon.

Before we go to the cache site, look up and down the cliff face to the north. Do you see all the colorful stripes in the cliff? Each of the dark stripes represents a "sheet" of lava that flowed from an underwater vent and covered a huge swath of the ocean floor, much like the way a spilled bucket of motor oil would cover your garage floor. The vent would spew lava for a period of time then quiet down for many years. For a time each sheet was the top layer of the ocean floor, but sand and other particles suspended in the water (called sediment, and usually lighter in color than the lava sheet) sank to the bottom and covered it, gradually building up the thickness of the ocean floor. Sedimentary rock is a common place to find fossils, although my research doesn't tell me if this rock holds any. After a time the vents would burst with another lava sheet and add another layer (stripe) to the ocean floor, then settle down again and let sediment build up once more. Repeated "on-off" flow episodes is what led to the striped cliff before you. Thousands of years after the eruptions stopped geologic forces thrust this section of cliff upward and exposed the striping.

Now we'll move on to the cache site via waypoint T-5. Again we're greeted by pillow lava. Look closely at some of the rounded lava rocks. Can you see that many have a cracked or dried up look on the outside. Again, this is from the cold water cooling the outside of the lava faster than the inside. A good analogy to explain this appearance is freshly baked brownies. When brownies come right out of the oven they often have a hard, cracked crust, but the inside is soft and gooey. It's the same way with freshly made pillow lava. The creation of pillow lava is also a noisy event. Researchers watching from submarines frequently comment on the sizzles, pops and cracks heard while watching it form. What's going on? While the boiling magma is flowing from the vent, hot gases trapped inside expand and explode, breaking the crust. Obviously these mini-explosions are going to create a lot of noise, and they contribute to the cracked appearance of the crust.

Something equally amazing is the age of these rocks. They're estimated to be at least one million years old! Have you ever touched something that old? If not, now's your chance!

If you're a fan of National Geographic you might think of the submarine Alvin and it's visits to volcanic vents thousands of feet below the ocean's surface. Here in PV we have two prehistoric examples of those vents, and it's a real treat to visit such an unusual formation from the comfort of dry land.

After you've taken a few moments to ponder the pillow lava, take some time to enjoy the beautiful view from your vantage point high up in the hills. On a clear day you can see Catalina Island off in the distance. Although it looks like two islands, a tiny isthmus connects the two landmasses together. Hundreds of feet below you is the famous Portuguese Bend Landslide. It's name comes from the Portuguese whalers that operated in the region in the mid-1800's. It's the largest area of natural vegetation remaining on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and it's one of the most geologically active sites in North America. Known the world over, students and scientists come here from many lands just to learn its secrets. The slide itself is ancient, originally becoming active and going dormant tens of thousands of years ago, back when mammoths and saber-toothed tigers called Los Angeles home. In 1956, County work on Crenshaw Boulevard reawakened the slide, and it's slowly sliding into the sea. About 160 homes have been affected to date, and no new construction has been allowed here for over 50 years.

Before Europeans moved into Palos Verdes, Gabrielino Indians called this place home. Spanish settlers eventually moved in and used the area for cattle ranching and farming, and many non-native plant species from that era cover the hills. However, the indigenous plants and animals that remain are very unique because many of them can only be found on the Channel Islands far off the coast. Because of this, Portuguese Bend has been likened to a convenient research laboratory for naturalists.

WAYPOINTS
Portuguese Bend is popular with hikers, equestrians, and mountain bike riders, and they've crisscrossed it with a web of trails. To avoid confusion, use the list of waypoints below. "T" stands for trailhead. Navigate them in the order they are listed and you'll have no problem finding your way. Better yet, enter them into your GPS as a route rather than entering them on the fly, and follow the beeps! (These waypoints are also found in the table near the bottom of the page)

PARKING
The waypoint list includes a point for parking on Schooner Drive. However, permits are needed there btween 9am and 5pm (as of May 2004), so use it to get yourself into the general area and park on an adjacent street. Parking is not recommended on the street running parallel to Palos Verdes Drive South because you also need a permit to park there (between 9am and 5pm).

Some cachers suggest parking at Del Cerro Park at the end of Crenshaw Blvd and walking down Burma Road to the cache site. It reduces some of the parking hassles and hiking time, but the trip back is all uphill. It's your choice.

FINDING THE CACHE
To keep the hike comfortable and fun, I'd recommend bringing a hat, proper hiking shoes, plenty of water, sunscreen, a camera and maybe a snack.

Rattle snakes have been seen in the area (and around other, nearby caches), so be careful. Make noise as you walk and be careful as you poke around rocks and crevices. A walking stick is good for that.

I'm not really sure how to rate the terrain so use your best judgement before starting out. I've seen lots of senior citizens walking this trail, proving you don't need to be an athlete, but you should still be reasonably fit. The first 4/10ths of a mile are on flat, paved streets and dirt areas. The real hiking begins at a chain-link gate (waypoint T-1). After the gate, the first half-mile or so is a well-packed fire road with a modest but constant elevation gain. After you start climbing the main ridge (at T-2) you'll be tackling steeper inclines broken up with relatively flat areas. You will definitely get some exercise! That said, retirees and older kids cross these hills all the time, so don't get scared off too easily. Click here for a picture of the terrain.

THE GEOCACHE
I averaged over 100 coordinate readings at the cache site and the accuracy is in the 8-foot range. Although it is hidden from the casual passerby, it can be found easily enough if you know where to look. It has a little "camouflage" placed on it to break up it's outline, so please be sure to put it back on when you are done.

The cache container is a 6-1/2" X 7-1/2" X 13-1/2" ammo box painted various shades of brown. It can handle large trades.

Geology students and hikers come by frequently, so please be sure to hide the cache from casual onlookers.

SPOILER PICTURES (Don't peek if you want a challenge!)
Ammo Box with original contents
Cache location - 10 feet away
Cache location - overhead