| 11 hikers met on a windy Saturday morning in Simi Valley to carpool to the dirt parking lot at the east end of Broadway Road north of Moorpark. The wind had subsided as we hiked one mile to the entrance to Happy Camp Canyon, “a lush riparian oak woodland with an intermittent stream.” We followed an old ranch road eastward as it rose gradually in the canyon bottom between Oak Ridge and Big Mountain. At 4.5 miles we passed an oak grove with picnic tables and hitching rails; we continued past it and climbed steeply for 0.5 mile up Big Mountain to the Middle Range Fire Road via an abandoned, partially eroded dirt road. Once we reached the ridge we were treated to distant views to the south and west including the Santa Monica Mountains and two of the Channel Islands. We were bedeviled by gale force winds for most of our return trip along the ridge. We eventually made it to the parking lot, having completed a 10.9-mile hike with 1,200’ of elevation gain/loss. |
January 14th 2012 - Liebre Mountain via the Pacific Crest Trail
| 12 hikers carpooled to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) crossing (4,000’) on Pine Canyon Road (N2) a few miles south of Gorman, CA, stopping on the way to leave a shuttle vehicle on the Old Ridge Route Road (8N04); we were joined by a 13th hiker at the trailhead We followed the PCT as it rose gradually up Liebre Mountain through manzanitas, digger pines, and black oaks via long switchbacks; many large California buckeye shrubs had shed their chestnuts along the trail. After passing Horse Camp, the trail rose more steeply through a bigcone-Douglas-fir forest to unpaved Liebre Mountain Road (7N23) on the oak-dotted crest line (5,759’). Leaving the PCT, we headed west following an abandoned stretch of the PCT and then descended on the “Golden Eagle Trail” through a lovely forest until we again met 7N23. Somewhat disoriented, we confirmed our location and decided to descend 7N23’s long switchbacks to 8N04. We were aided in our descent by hitching rides from a couple of passersby, retrieved our shuttle vehicle, and eventually returned home, having completed a 12.1-mile hike with 2,010’ of elevation gain. The views from Liebre Mountain were fantastic, the scenery was beautiful, and it was a perfect day for hiking. |
January 7th 2012 - La Tuna Canyon Park to Plantation Lateral
| Fifteen hikers met at the Stearns Street Park & Ride and carpooled to the trailhead at La Tuna Canyon Park. It was a perfect hiking weather day with clear skies to the north, and low ground-hugging clouds to the south. We hiked up the shady side on the mountain, where there were new grasses growing and wishbone in bloom. When our small trail reached the fire road, there were large strategically placed lounge-chairs, affording a perfect place to enjoy the view out to the ocean on a clear day. After eating lunch, we proceeded to the very top of the mountain, where we saw a communications site with tall towers, antennas, cement foundations and a cistern. We hiked back down the same trail and carpooled back to Simi Valley. There are many more trails in the area, so we plan to return and do some exploring in the future. |