DECEMBER
December 28th – Chivo Canyon Loop
18 hikers met on a chilly early-winter morning in Simi Valley near the mouth of Chivo Canyon in the Marr Ranch Open Space in northeast Simi Valley. After we “dropped” into Chivo Canyon, we hiked northward along the old Chivo Canyon (dirt) Road, passing a large oil seep along the way. At 0.7 mile we turned left (west) and entered a side canyon where we followed a loop trail as it climbed westward toward an overlook of Tapo Canyon that is now off-limits.
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Returning to Chivo Canyon we continued north to the beginning/end of the abandoned Marr Ranch Road and followed the “Buckhorn Trail” portion of it to the top of the ridge on the east side of Chivo Canyon where we had a sweeping nearly 360-degree view of the entire area including the snow-capped peaks of the Topa Topa Mountains to the northwest. We then continued south along the ridge on the Marr Ranch Road until we reached “Four Points,” where most of us continued south on the Cliff Trail along the cliffs overlooking Chivo Canyon until the trail (an old road) dropped steeply to Cottonwood Drive. We returned a short distance to our vehicles having completed a very pleasant 6.8-mile hike with a total gain/loss of about 1,500′. Those who didn’t continue along the Cliff Trail, “dropped” back down into Chivo Canyon at Four Points and then returned along the canyon bottom.
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December 21st – Malibu Creek State Park
15 hikers assembled at the starting (and ending) point of our planned loop hike in Malibu Creek State Park on a chilly beginning-of-winter morning. We began hiking northward along the North Grassland Trail as it passed through a landscape covered with bright green grass and dotted with oak trees blackened by last year’s Woolsey Fire. We soon reached the dirt Liberty Canyon Fire Road which we followed through the oak-dotted rolling hills of the Liberty Canyon Natural Preserve to the Phantom Trail’s northern trailhead.
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Eventually the trail dropped down to Mulholland Drive which we crossed to the Cistern Trail which led us to the Lookout Trail. As we descended the Lookout Trail we had views of Century Lake and the surrounding craggy mountains. We enjoyed a lunch/rest break along the shady shore of Century Lake and watched a few coots and mallard ducks floating on the water and searching for food. We then followed Crags Road eastward to the picturesque Rock Pool (along Malibu Creek) where quite surprisingly we were the only people there. However, we did pass a group of aspiring mountain climbers practicing rock-climbing as we neared the Rock Pool. Eventually we followed the High Road and the Grasslands Trail northward back to our vehicles parked along Mulholland Highway west of Las Virgenes Road and returned home having completed a scenic 8-mile hike with about 1,400’ of elevation gain/loss on what had become a very pleasant morning.
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December 14th – Work Party: Wild Animal Corridor and Cache In Trash Out Event (CITO)
It was cool and cloudy, the moring of the eleventh annnual Wildlife Corridor work party event. Fifteen people assembled near the trailhead at Camp Rotary in Corriganville Park. Three Trail Blazers and twelve Geocachers were in attendance. After a slight delay with our supplies, we headed up the trail to the Corridor, gaining 350′ in just 0.3 miles.
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NOVEMBER
November 30th – Escondido Falls Trail
6 hikers carpooled to Escondido Canyon Park at the junction of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and East Winding Way on a chilly cloudy winter morning. There was very little traffic although we didn’t leave Simi Valley until 8 AM.) NOTE: We had planned to hike in Charmlee Wilderness Park, but when we arrived there we encountered a closed gate and a “Keep Out” sign at its entrance, presumably as a result of last year’s Woolsey Fire).
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At just under a mile, we reached the signed trailhead where we began following a single-track dirt trail down into Escondido Canyon. We crossed the creek and turned left (upstream), following the nearly level forested trail as it crossed the winding stream several times. The hike was very pleasant as a result of recent rain; there was flowing water in the stream and there were several types of blooming plants along the way. Eventually the trail began rising, though not steeply, and we soon reached Escondido Falls. There was a slender waterfall flowing on the right side of the face of the wide lower waterfall as we stood in the lovely area at its base which was “surrounded by travertine rock.” After taking a break to enjoy the peaceful environment (there were no other hikers while we were at the waterfall), we reluctantly returned the way we came and returned to Simi Valley having completed a 3.8-mile hike with just under 600’ of elevation gain/loss on a great day for hiking.
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November 23rd – Ahmanson Ranch, Lasky Mesa, Las Virgenes Canyon Lollipop Loop
9 hikers carpooled to the trailhead at the north end of Las Virgenes Road in the Simi Hills on a pleasant autumn morning (cool temperatures, clear skies with good visibility, and intermittent light breezes (some stronger wind). A short distance after the hike began we reached a T-junction and turned right onto the East Las Virgenes Canyon Trail (ELVCT), a dirt road that winds through the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (aka Ahmanson Ranch) to the Victory trailhead at the west end of Victory Blvd in West Hills.
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NOTE: Lasky Mesa is named for Jesse L. Lasky, a key founder of Paramount Pictures. A number of famous movies were (partially) filmed here, including the sunrise scene in Gone with the Wind in which Scarlett O’Hara declares “As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again.”
After a short break we followed a trail (a dirt road at first which became a single-track trail after a while) down to the ELVCT which took us back to our vehicles. We returned to Simi Valley having completed a pleasant 6.8-mile hike with around 850’ of elevation gain/loss. NOTE: Refer to the following web site for an excellent and very interesting history of the Ahmanson Ranch (and surrounding) area: http://www.moviesites.org/laskymesa.htm .
NOTE: We had originally planned to hike in Cheeseboro and Palo Comado Canyons but parking was non-existent near the trailhead due to the SocalUltraRunning group’s “No Name 5030” foot races (13.1m, 15k, 10k, 5k, and 1m) that were in progress in the area when we arrived. A decision was made to avoid the parking “mess” and presumably hordes of runners by relocating our hike to the Ahmanson Ranch area (where there were no such “problems”). We anticipate rescheduling the Cheeseboro Canyon – Palo Comado Canyon Loop hike in 2020.
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November 9th – Simi Peak from King James Court via China Flat
13 hikers met along Lindero Canyon Road (near King James Court) in Oak Park on a pleasant autumn morning. Our hike in the Simi Hills began along a single-track trail, but soon continued along an old dirt-and-rock road as it rose steadily up the south side of the mountain, providing ever-expanding views to the south. Upon reaching the apex of the old road, we headed north and descended into lovely China Flat with its oak trees and sprawling golden meadows. Despite the recent drought and last year’s Woolsey Fire, many of the oak trees displayed bright green leaves and provided some much-appreciated shade as the morning grew warmer.
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When the trail “leveled out” in China Flat, we followed a single-track trail westward and climbed to Simi Peak (2,403’), the highest point in the Simi Hills (which occupy the area between Simi Valley and Hwy 101 and between Hwy 23 and the San Fernando Valley), where we were greeted by relatively clear vistas. We took a rest-and-snack break atop the peak and enjoyed the panoramic views including the Santa Susana Mountains, and two of the Channel Islands (Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands). After a while we returned to our vehicles the way we came, completing a 6.1-mile hike with over 1,500′ of elevation gain/loss on a beautiful day.
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OCTOBER
October 26th – Conejo Mountain
10 hikers assembled at the signed “Powerline Trail” trailhead on Via Ricardo in Newbury Park on a warm autumn morning on a much-appreciated break between high-wind advisories and red-flag warnings. The temperature was pleasant for hiking up the mountain and the air was surprisingly clear. The trail began gently enough and soon afforded us with views of Old Boney Mountain to the east.
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October 19th – Newton Canyon and the Backbone Trail
10 hikers carpooled to the Newton Canyon trailhead just north of Tunnel #1 on Kanan Dume Road in the Santa Monica Mountains on a cool autumn morning (which promised to warm up later). Our out-and-back hike covered a formerly (before 2018’s Woolsey Fire burned it) heavily-shaded section of the 67-mile-long Santa Monica Mountains Backbone Trail (BBT).
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After crossing Latigo Canyon Road, the trail dropped into another canyon as it headed northeast. The temperature was still pleasant so we continued hiking all the way to Corral Canyon Road. After a short break we turned around and retraced our steps to the original trailhead, marveling at nature’s ability to recover from a natural (wildfire) disaster. As we neared our starting point the temperature had risen to a slightly uncomfortable level so we were happy to reach our cars having completed a pleasant 8-mile hike with about 1,775’ of elevation gain/loss.
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October 5th – Camp Three Falls to Lilly Meadows
Eight hikers carpooled to the entrance to Camp Three Falls on Boy Scout Camp Road in Lockwood Valley on a cool autumn morning. We began our hike along the lower end of the North Fork [of Lockwood Creek] Trail (22W02). The first two miles of the hike were along a dirt road that led through the Boy Scout Camp and then continued through low hills dotted with pine trees and interesting rock formations until we reached North Falls, currently only a small trickle of water.
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SEPTEMBER
September 28th – Mission Point via Neon Way
14 hikers gathered in the parking lot at the entrance to O’Melveny Park (the second-largest park in Los Angeles County) in Granada Hills on a cool overcast morning with intermittent light drizzle and poor visibility. Not to be deterred by the weather, we began our hike by walking southwest along the nearby sidewalk on Sesnon Blvd to its junction with Neon Way. We then followed Neon Way three blocks north to the lower end of the Sulphur Spring Fire Road (aka the Dr. Mario A. De Campos Trail).
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When we reached Mission Point, the fog was pretty thick (as shown in the group photo taken at the small, stone monument memorializing Mario De Campos, a lover of the local mountains). After a short break we resumed our hike by retracing our route a short distance downhill to the junction with the Mission Point Trail which we followed northeast as we made our way down into Bee Canyon; the trail became increasingly steep as it lost elevation and was somewhat muddy, but visibility increased considerably as we neared the canyon bottom and we were treated to excellent views of the rugged landscape to the north. After reaching the floor of Bee Canyon we followed the trail downstream into beautiful 627-acre O’Melveny Park with its well-maintained green lawns shaded by oak and eucalyptus trees; there are still some citrus trees near the entrance to the park which were bearing fruit the day of our hike (signs forbade us from “picking fruit”). We reached our vehicles, completing our loop hike, having hiked 6.1 miles with nearly 1,500’ of elevation gain/loss. Several types of plants were blooming including lots of bush sunflowers and datura (aka Jimson weed), as well as a little bush mallow and tree tobacco.
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September 21st – Wildwood Park Loop
7 hikers arrived in the main parking lot in Wildwood Park at the west end of Avenida de los Arboles in Thousand Oaks on a cool late-summer morning [3 other hikers who arrived a bit late joined us near Lizard Rock for a total of 10 hikers]. After taking a group photo, we began our counterclockwise loop hike by heading west on the Mesa Trail as we enjoyed the company of good friends.
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After the three late-arriving hikers joined us just below Lizard Rock, we followed the Lizard Rock Trail down into Hill Canyon and soon headed eastward into heavily shaded Wildwood Canyon. We headed upstream to a large shady picnic area where we took a rest/snack/bathroom break. We then crossed the flowing water several times before reaching Paradise Falls where we enjoyed looking at and listening to the waterfall. Continuing on up the Wildwood Canyon Trail, we spotted several dozen mallard ducks in the stream above the waterfall. Eventually we reached the always pleasant Indian Creek Trail and followed it up to an unnamed trail that led us back to our vehicles, thus completing a 5.4-mile hike with 950’ of elevation gain/loss while “beating the heat.” We also spotted lots of Cattails and blooming Dudleya “Live Forever” chalk plants during the hike.
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September 9th to 14th – Yosemite National Park
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2019 — Arrival and Mirror Lake (4,094′) Loop
11 Rancho Simi Trailblazers gathered at the Upper Pines Campground (4,000′) in Yosemite Valley in western Yosemite National Park for several days of camping and hiking in one of the most beautiful areas in the world (a 12th hiker joined us on Wednesday). After setting up camp at the base of Half Dome, we hiked over to the Mirror Lake Loop trailhead and then hiked the easy loop trail as it followed the Tenaya Creek up Tenaya Canyon.
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 — Upper Yosemite Fall from Yosemite Valley (4,000′) to Yosemite Falls Overlook (6,526′)
7 participants boarded a Yosemite Valley shuttle bus at the entrance to the campground and disembarked at the Yosemite Falls stop (frequent shuttle buses make a loop around Yosemite Valley, making it easy to reach hiking trailheads and the many other activities available each day). We hiked a short distance to the Upper (rather than the Lower) Yosemite Fall trailhead and began our mostly upward journey.
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 — Yosemite Valley Floor Loop: Lower Yosemite Fall to Curry Village
We again boarded a Yosemite Valley shuttle bus at the entrance to the campground and disembarked at the Yosemite Falls stop. However, this time we visited Lower Yosemite Fall and then began hiking westward on the Yosemite Valley Floor Loop Trail. It skirts the base of the cliffs that surround the valley and is frequently well-shaded.
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 — Happy Isles TH (4,035′) to the Backpackers Campground in Little Yosemite Valley (6,100′) via the Mist Trail, returning via the John Muir Trail
We hiked from our campground to Happy Isles and began the climb toward Nevada Fall on another pleasant morning. When we reached a fork in the trail we “stayed left” and began hiking the strenuous Mist Trail which led us up to Vernal Fall and then on up to Nevada Fall. Both waterfalls had subsided considerably from their late spring/early summer volumes, but were still captivating.
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 — Glacier Point (7,214′) to Sentinel Dome (8,122′) to Taft Point (7,503′) and back
We carpooled to Glacier Point, which took about an hour. Once there we enjoyed the spectacular views of Yosemite Falls, North Dome, Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, Tenaya Canyon, Vernal Fall, and Nevada Fall as well as lots of distant mountain tops. We then followed the Pohono Trail to Sentinel Dome onto which we climbed and were rewarded with magnificent 360-degree views including (among many others) Half Dome, North Dome, Yosemite Falls, and El Capitan. We then continued along the Pohono Trail to Taft Point and the nearby Fissures and Profile Cliff.
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2019 — Strike camp and drive home (300+ miles)
We had a wonderful time in Yosemite Valley. The weather was prefect, the temperatures were mostly pleasant, the scenery was magnificent, and the company was congenial. Note: Two of the participants left on Sunday.
The TOTAL DISTANCE hiked as described above was 49.5 MILES with 8,313′ of elevation gain/loss.
September 7th – East Canyon to Mission Point
16 hikers met at the trailhead in the “East Canyon, Rice Canyon, and Michael D. Antonovich Open Space” section of the 4,000-acre Santa Clarita Woodlands Park via Interstate 5 and “The Old Road” in Santa Clarita. It was pleasantly cool as we began hiking southward along the non-maintained and somewhat-eroded East Canyon Motorway as it followed the small (dry) creek in the canyon bottom. The route was lined with bay laurel, black walnut, cottonwood, sycamore, and oak trees.
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AUGUST
August 31st – San Buenaventura State Beach
10 hikers traveled to the Greenock Lane “entrance” to San Buenaventura State Beach in Ventura on a pleasant somewhat foggy summer morning [Note: Greenock Lane is on the west side of Marina Park; parking is free]. As we began our out-and-back hike along the beach it was nearly deserted, making our walk along the shore easy to enjoy as we watched ocean breakers and various birds searching for food near the water.
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Since the “beach” had turned mostly to rocks by then we moved onto the paved walking and bicycling path for the remainder of the “out” portion of our hike. Continuing we passed under the Ventura Pier, walked through Promenade Park, passed by Surfers Point at Seaside Park (there were a couple dozen surfers in the water), and hiked beside the Ventura River Estuary (where the river flows into the ocean), passing by the Ventura County Fairgrounds as we did so (Note: There were no “deep-fried” goodies to be had there on this day). Turning around we hiked back to the Ventura Pier and then climbed up the stairs to the pier and hiked to its far end. There were several fishermen on the pier; unfortunately the marine layer over the ocean had not improved so visibility from the pier was poor. Regrouping we retraced our route to our vehicles and returned home having completed a 7.1-mile hike with about 120’ of elevation gain/loss [Note: By the time we turned around there were a lot more people along our way].
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August 24th – Ormand Beach to the Port Hueneme Lighthouse
12 hikers traveled to the gated Arnold Road entrance to Ormond Beach in Oxnard on a pleasant summer morning (Note: there is very limited parking at this entrance, so it’s best to arrive early). As we began the short walk from the parking area to the beach, we spotted over a dozen mallard ducks. The beach is “an 865-acre undeveloped beach in Oxnard that is off the beaten track.
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Eventually we reached Port Hueneme Beach Park, “a well-maintained, landscaped park to the southeast of the 1,600-acre Port Hueneme Naval Construction Battalion Center.” The 50-acre park “has a wide sandy beach and a T-shaped recreational Pier that extends 1,240 feet out to sea [with] great views of the Ventura County coastline and the Channel Islands.” Upon reaching our turnaround destination, the Point Hueneme Lighthouse, we learned that it is open for free tours on the 3rd Saturday of each month (sadly we arrived on the 4th Saturday of August).
As we started back the way we had come, we walked out to the end of the long fishing pier in Port Hueneme Beach Park and then continued back to our vehicles, returning home having completed an 8.5-mile hike with less than 100’ of elevation gain/loss on a beautiful day to be at the beach.
NOTE: The 3.6-mile (RT) Bubbling Springs Recreational Greenbelt Trail is also available from our route (though we did not hike it). Bubbling Springs Park “is a long, narrow greenbelt extending from the ocean at Port Hueneme Beach Park to Port Hueneme’s inner residential area.”
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August 17th – Temescal Canyon
16 hikers carpooled to the lower parking lot at Temescal Gateway Park. A lovely refuge from the nearby urban congestion, it borders Topanga State Park. Our hike began on a shady trail along the streambed in Temescal Canyon and led pleasantly past rustic buildings constructed in the 1920’s for the Methodist Church as a west coast center for the Chautauqua movement. The whole area is shaded by towering eucalyptus trees as well as oak trees and a variety of other non-native trees such as palms and conifers.
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We then descended along the Temescal Ridge (aka Viewpoint) Trail to the canyon bottom where we made our way to a different trailhead for the second part our hike. We hiked eastward on a shady trail over another ridge and down into Rivas Canyon where the heavily shaded trail followed a seasonal stream (dry this day). Using a short connector trail, we reached Will Rogers State Historic Park where we took a lunch break on the front porch of the old ranch house and enjoyed the views of the spacious green lawn and the nearby polo field. We then returned to Temescal Gateway Park and our vehicles via the Rivas Canyon trail, completing a 9.3-mile hike with over 2,000’ of elevation gain/loss on a pleasant day for hiking. NOTE: Though there weren’t many wildflowers at this time of year, there were lots of Cliff Asters blooming along our way.
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August 10th – Carpinteria Bluffs to Tar Pits State Park
This time of year is often the warmest, so we schedule hikes in locations that afford us a break from the heat. This summer has been relatively cool. Temperatures in Simi Valley were in the mid-eighties today. It was still a welcome 68 degrees when our hike was over. So, while Les was high up in the Sierras yet again (http://www.sierramulepacks.org/trips.html#trip4), this time chasing down somebody’s ass all morning, 10 hikers met at the trailhead next to Carpinteria Bluffs overlooking Bates Beach.
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Again this year, there were no seals to be seen at Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary, except for one bobbing around just off the shore. Passing Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve, Tar Pits Park was the next stop on our hike. It is second only in size to the famous La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. Next the trail took us to Carpinteria State Beach, where we left the trail to begin the first beach segment of our hike. We stopped briefly at at the San Miguel Campground facilities, where several of us took water shoes to better enjoy the walk on the beach. The beach was especially inviting, with it’s unusually high water temperatures, and a welcome change of pace from our usual hikes. Continuing past Marsh Park, we saw a large flock seagulls enjoying the day too. The turn-around point of our hike was Sand Point, where we took a break on the stairs for lunch and snacks. A welcome and cool ocean breeze started just in time for our return. Just past the Nature Preserve, we took a short and steep connector trail that took us down to Bates Beach. On the way back to Rincon Park, we enjoyed exploring the unusual rock formations, and finding shells along the tide-line. We found several Wavy Turban Snails, both alive and dead, in the surf. Our hike was 7.65 miles with with 200′ of elevation gain/loss.
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August 3rd – Serrano Canyon Lollipop Loop
11 hikers carpooled to the day-hiker’s parking lot at the Big Sycamore Canyon Campground on Pacific Coast Highway in Point Mugu State Park on a slightly overcast morning near the ocean. Our hike began by walking through the campground and then hiking 1.1 miles north on the dirt Sycamore Canyon Fire Road which we shared with bicyclists and scores of high-school-student runners.
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We emerged from the canyon into lovely Serrano Valley which is ringed on all sides by mountains; it consists mainly of large meadows covered by wild grasses and dotted with a few trees and some bushes along the seasonal streams. After resting briefly to enjoy a cool ocean breeze, we began hiking the Serrano Valley Loop in a clockwise direction, stopping briefly to examine an old water pump. Resuming our hike, we soon reached a fork in the trail; we took the right fork and headed northeast, eventually dropping to a dry creek bed which we crossed and then continued eastward, climbing uphill. Upon reaching a narrow single-track trail on our right, we followed it as it headed southwest, spotting four mule deer just before crossing the dry creek bed again, and eventually completing the loop portion of our hike. We then followed our initial route downstream through Serrano Canyon and then Big Sycamore Canyon reaching our vehicles having completed a nearly 8-mile hike with 1,000’ of elevation gain/loss on a surprisingly pleasant day for hiking (we “beat the heat”).
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JULY
July 21st to 26th – Little Lakes Valley Mule Pack Trip
During this morning’s MidWeek Mountaineers hike in Wildwood Park (Thousand Oaks) I was asked several times how last week’s Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Mule Pack Section’s camping-and-hiking trip to Little Lakes Valley (which I co-led) went. I was also asked if I had any photos I could share, so here goes – – –
1) A map showing the location of Chickenfoot Lake in Little Lakes Valley in the John Muir Wilderness in the eastern Sierra Nevada (mountain range) about 20 miles southeast of Mammoth Lakes, CA (Hwy 395). Our hike to our base camp (10,800’) near Chickenfoot Lake began at Mosquito Flat (10,200’) at the south end of Rock Creek Road [shown near the upper end of the map]. We dropped our camping gear and food off at the Rock Creek Pack Station (9,875’) across from Rock Creek Lake (9,695’) and then carpooled to Mosquito Flat. Then we hiked with day packs (rather than much heavier backpacks thanks to the mules) to the base camp location.
2) An activity diary describing mostly hiking activities during the mule pack outing.
Les
July 20th – Josephine Peak
While Les was high up in the Sierras (http://www.sierramulepacks.org/trips.html#trip1), riding somebody’s ass all morning, eleven intrepid Trail Blazers summited Josephine Peak. Les’ description warned us about a “use trail reportedly requiring some class 3 climbing,” but at the end, and our delight all we found was a short, single-track trail completing the final accent.
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July 13th – Tierra Rejada Park
10 hikers met at Stargaze Park in Simi Valley on a pleasant (but forecast to be the beginning of hot summer days) morning. After assembling and preparing for higher temperatures, we headed north to the trailhead entrance into Tierra Rejada “Park” where we took a group photo. As we continued, there were lots of rabbits running in all directions.
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July 6th – Mt. McCoy to the Reagan Library
15 hikers met at the carpool point near the intersection of Royal Avenue and Madera Road on an unusually cool summer morning and then (since trailhead parking is quite limited) walked from there to the Mt. McCoy trailhead on Washburn Street a few blocks to the west. The hike began along the trail heading south but it quickly began climbing gradually westward along the well-maintained (but frequently “cut” by bicycle riders) trail leading to the summit via a series of switchbacks.
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JUNE
June 22nd – Hondo Canyon to Topanga Lookout
Nine hikers arrived on a cool overcast morning at the trailhead located 0.4 mile northwest of “downtown” Topanga along Old Topanga Canyon Road where the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area’s “Backbone Trail” crosses the road. As we began our hike up the steep north-facing mountain slope we traversed our only wet stream crossing and soon passed through meadows filled with dry yellow grasses and dotted with oak trees and interesting rock formations.
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After negotiating a long series of heavily shaded switchbacks through the forest we neared Saddle Peak Road. However, we headed west on the Fossil Ridge Trail that paralleled/overlooked the road; it was also adorned with a variety of blooming plants, particularly phacelia. Upon reaching the old Topanga Tower Motorway, we left the Backbone Trail and headed north to the end of the road where there was once a fire lookout tower. After a lunch/rest break we retraced our steps and returned home having completed a 10.7-mile hike with 2,350’ of elevation gain/loss on a very pleasant day for hiking.
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June 15th – Switzer Falls and Bear Canyon
Seven hikers carpooled to the trailhead at the Switzer Picnic Area, about 10 miles up Highway 2 from its intersection with the 210 Freeway. Switzer Camp was founded in 1884 by a Pasadena carpinter named Perry Switzer. The camp was an arroyo rock village, and one of many privately owned attractions that dotted the front range of the San Gabriel mountains, hosted outdoor enthusiasts who hiked from one lodge to the next. All that remains of Switzer Camp today, are the chapel arches and the overgrown foundation of the lodge.
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June 8th – Matilija Falls
Eight hikers met at the trailhead at the west end of Matilija Road a few miles northwest of Ojai on a pleasant late-spring morning. The hike began along a road that headed west through the private Matilija Canyon Ranch Wildlife Refuge where we were greeted by a dazzling display of large Matilija poppies as we passed by a cage housing sheep and goats.
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After a while the trail began to descend to the creek (the last part of the trail down required special attention as it was very narrow and partially eroded in places). Upon reaching the wide boulder-strewn canyon bottom and agreeing that our hike now bore no resemblance (other than exhibiting mountains, a canyon, and a stream) to our prior visits. The canyon bottom was devoid of foliage and as we looked upstream we saw a series of small cascades in the stream and lots of rocks all around. After inspecting the area we spotted a pink ribbon (one of a series of such markers) across the stream, so we carefully crossed to the other side where there was an obvious trail heading upstream. After taking a rest/snack break we headed upstream along the trail. However, the trail soon began to deteriorate and eventually disappeared entirely, leaving us on a shelf above the stream. Spotting a solitary hiker heading downstream in the canyon bottom, we asked her if she had reached the waterfall. She said that she had but she was equipped with water shoes. Although we were happy to learn that we were headed in the right direction (despite its foreign-to-us look), we decided to turn around at this point since we were not equipped to hike in the water. We returned the way we came, all agreeing that although we didn’t make it to the waterfall it was still a beautiful outing. We returned home having completed an 8.5-mile hike with about 1,250’ of elevation gain/loss.
THE JUNE, 2016 VERSION OF THE TRIP REPORT – – –
“At about the 2-mile mark the dirt road became a narrow trail as it wound through a shady poison-oak-paradise stretch. In fact, since the route closely followed Matilija Creek the rest of the way, poison oak was frequently present [long pants and a long-sleeved shirt are recommended]. After a while we stopped by the flowing stream at a particularly lovely spot and took a short break (and some photos). Continuing upstream the maintained trail ended and we began to scramble and boulder hop, frequently finding short open stretches of trail. Occasionally we were required to cross the stream in order to continue. We were rewarded for our effort by beautiful scenery including the flowing creek, several large pools of water, vast expanses of sedimentary rock layers, an extensive riparian oak woodland, towering canyon walls, and many wildflowers including Matilija poppies.”
OUR CONCLUSION AS TO THE VAST DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE 2016 AND THE 2019 HIKES: Wildfire and subsequent flooding in the Matilija Creek Canyon since 2016 sculpted a barren rock environment in the canyon bottom and also led to a change in trail direction as a result, i.e., the steep climb up the mountain on the west side of the canyon, followed by the steep descent back into the canyon.
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June 1st – Mt. Lukens
Ten hikers carpooled to the Haines Canyon Trail trailhead at the upper (east) end of Haines Canyon Avenue in Tujunga on a slightly chilly, cloudy/foggy late spring morning to tackle hiking steadily uphill to the summit of Mt. Lukens, the highest peak (5,078’) in the city of Los Angeles.
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MAY
May 25th – Alamos Canyon
Sixteen hikers met at the Simi Valley Sanitation Department parking lot this morning. It was a clear and cool morning, unusual for late May. After crossing Easy Street and the railroad tracks, we continued north up the gated Los Alamos Canyon Road to the official trailhead, about a half mile up the hill.
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May 4th – WildWood Park Loop
10 hikers met at the Wildwood Park trailhead. Our hike started on a cool and foggy morning. We climbed to the top of Mount Clef Ridge, via the Santa Rosa Trail. From there we dropped down on the Shooting Star Trail to the Lower Santa Rosa Trail. The climb was steep back up to the ridge on the Lizard Rock Trail.
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APRIL
April 24th to 28th – Big Sur
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24 – Pfeiffer Big Sur Campground – Arrival and Valley View Trail
12 Rancho Simi Trailblazers gathered at the Pfeiffer Big Sur Campground along the Pacific coast of California. Half of the group came in recreation vehicles; the other half set up their tents on three adjacent campsites. We then walked along the campground road adjacent to the Big Sur River amid a forest of giant Coast Redwood trees to the trailhead of the Valley View Trail (traversing the short Nature Trail along the way).
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THURSDAY, APRIL 25 – Andrew Molera State Park: Creamery Meadow Trail, Ridge Trail, Panorama Trail, Bluffs Trail, and Spring Trail
After breakfast, we carpooled to the Andrew Molera State Park trailhead parking lot on the southwest side of Hwy 1. Shortly after we followed signs for the Beach Trail from the parking lot, we reached the Big Sur River where we switched to water shoes and then waded carefully through the cold above-the-knee flowing water.
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FRIDAY, APRIL 26 – Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park: Liewald Flat Trail AND Buzzards Roost Trail
After breakfast, we began a hike that included two trails in a figure-eight configuration. We started by walking on the campground road along the Big Sur River but without crossing the river to the opposite side as motor vehicles were required to do; instead we stayed on the same side of the river as our campsites.
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We then began hiking up the Buzzard’s Roost Trail (a lollipop loop itself) in a clockwise direction through the wooded mountainside (lots of wildflowers). When we reached Buzzard’s Roost there were few trees so we had views of the Santa Lucia Mountains and toward the Pacific Ocean. After a lunch/rest break we completed the loop and then returned the way we had come (skipping the Liewald Flat part) and arrived having completed a very pleasant 5.5-mile hike with 1,150’ of elevation gain/loss.
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After lunch several of us carpooled to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve where we paid the $10 entrance fee and then drove westward straight through the Natural Reserve to the Cypress Bay parking lot. We then braved a strong chilly wind and explored the trails above Cypress Cove and Headland Cove noting (and photographing) the marine flora (Monterey cypress and a surprising array of various hardy wildflowers) and fauna (seals, sea otters, sea lions, and cormorants) as well as awesome views of the rocky shoreline and its coves. We then drove to the southern end of the paved road and hiked the Bird Island Trail where we saw hundreds of cormorants nesting as well as sea otters in an estuary. We hiked an estimated two miles with 150’ of elevation gain/loss.
Pfeiffer Beach – While several of us were visiting Point Lobos, others explored Pfeiffer Beach. The road (Sycamore Canyon Road) leading down to the separate-fee-required parking lots near the beach is not signed but it’s a very short distance south on Hwy 1 from the entrance into Pfeiffer Big Sur Campground. Those who went there explored tide pools among other things.
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SATURDAY, APRIL 27 – Garrapata State Park: Soberanes Canyon Trail AND Soberanes Point Trails