THE NORIEGA TRAIL

In 1858 the federal government surveyed the Simi Valley and other areas to establish the Township and Range system, complete with section numbers. The survey was horizontally precise. The map is exhibited on the wall of the northernmost room of the Simi Adobe at the Strathearn Historic Park. At the time of the survey, Jose De la Guerra still owned El Rancho Simi. On the map is shown a trail between the Simi Adobe ("Sime Ranch House") and the De la Guerra Adobe ("Noriegas Tapo"). The trail ran down Gillibrand and then Tapo Canyon, then westerly north of the first ridge on the northern side of the valley, just below the Whiteface escarpment ("Cuchilla de Huarache") through what is now the Lost Canyons Golf Courses, down Dry Canyon to its mouth (north of the Simi Valley Hospital), then hugged the foot of the mountains westerly to the mouth of Sand Canyon (west of Erringer Road), and finally southwesterly to the Simi Adobe ("Francisco de la Guerra y Noriega").

This trail represented the shortest route between the two adobes and included several sources of water between Tapo Canyon and the head of Dry Canyon. It also was the most logical and well-watered route between the historic Chumash villages of Ta'apu and Simi'. Since nearly all of the residents of Simi Valley at that time were Chumash Indians, it undoubtedly followed the path of the Indian trail between the two villages. The increased opportunity for water was important, because during the prehistoric period, the only source of transportation was by foot. Walking remained a primary source of transportation during the Spanish/Mexican period.

A trail seems to have existed from that trail near the divide between Tapo and Dry canyons which extended to the north over the first saddle in the Whiteface escarpment (Cuchilla de Huarache) east of Whiteface itself. That trail represented the shortest way into “the Tripas". (Tripas is a Spanish term which refers to the interior of something - in this case referring to the large interior valley extending westerly from the Gillibrand sand and gravel operation.) A rock cairn of unknown origin was located near the trail junction.

We don’t have a clue as to the Chumash name of the trail. The trail connected the villages of Simi’ and Ta’apu, however, a Simi’ and two Ta’apu trails already existed. It is still possible that the trail was also referred to as the "Ta'apu" trail after the village that it went to. After all, Ta'apu was the largest village in the area, with a population that may have been about twice that of Simi'. The village of Ta'apu was the only village in the Simi with a resident chief ("wot"). For convenience, I here refer to the trail by the maiden name of Jose de la Guerra’s mother - a seemingly inappropriate application by Anglo-American settlers.

The Lost Canyons Golf Courses now occupy that route off of Tapo Canyon and

through Dry Canyon. So, you have to be a golfer to see it.

                                                                                    Mike Kuhn

12-5-04