2024

NOVEMBER

November 30th – Santa Rosa Valley Lollipop Loop

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November 16th – Work Party: Mt. McCoy Trail

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On a perfect sunny morning, three volunteers met at the western end of Washburn Street at the Mt. McCoy trailhead.  The first thing we did was to widen the trail where it passed through its prickly pear cacti grove.  As we made our way up the trail, using Shovels and pick mattocks, we removed buried stones that were tripping hazards.  One volunteer did a little trail widening using a gas-powered hedge trimmer.  Further up the trail, part of the trail needed shoring up to prevent side sloping.  We trenched in a 2’x8’x10’ redwood plank and leveled the trail using stones and dirt.  It was a good morning thanks to Paul Friedeborn, Mike Kuhn and Martin DeGoey.

November 2nd – Las Llajas Canyon Trail

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OCTOBER

October 26th – Corriganville Loop and the Stagecoach Trail

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7 hikers met at 8:00 AM at historic Corriganville Park at the east end of Simi Valley on a cool pleasant autumn morning.  We began our hike along the primary north-south dirt road in Corriganville.  After passing Camp Rotary we started up the Loop Trail in the western section of the park by crossing the (dry) creek that flows through the park.  The trail rose gradually to the west bordered with plants that had been blooming a few months earlier.  Soon we reached a 3-way trail junction; we took the middle trail and followed it in a counterclockwise direction as we descended into a large open space until we reached the primary trail (dirt road) on the south side of the open space.  Soon we reached the southwest part of the park where many of the mostly western movies were filmed; there are several signs showing pictures and brief descriptions of parts of this area [a couple of decades ago there were still parts of some of the movie sets but over the years mother nature has destroyed nearly everything that was left].  We finished the Loop Trail by crossing the creek a short distance past the “Robin Hood Lake” crossing and returned to Camp Rotary.

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Five of the hikers decided to return to the parking lot; the other two hikers followed the Wildlife Corridor Trail with its switchbacks uphill to the “wildlife tunnel” that passes under Hwy 118 [Note: the ”Wildlife Corridor Trail” rises steeply from the north end of the tunnel until it meets the Rocky Peak fire road; warning: if you choose to take the Wildlife Corridor Trail beyond the tunnel, be sure to take the right fork part way up the trail].  Next we followed the Lower Stagecoach Trail to its junction with Santa Susana Pass Road where we turned around and returned to our vehicles; the temperature had risen some so we were grateful for many stretches of shade in the canyon portion of the Stagecoach Trail.  We completed our outing having hiked 4 miles with 747’ of elevation gain/loss.  Although there were no blooming plants we did see several rabbits during our nice hike.

NOTE: The following web link points to a very well-written description of the history of Corriganville – – –

    The World’s Most Famous Movie Ranch: The Story of Ray “Crash” Corrigan and Corriganville – Museum of Ventura County (venturamuseum.org)

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October 19th – Work Party: Lower Stagecoach Trail

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Four volunteers met in the parking lot at Corriganville Park.  After reviewing the safety guidelines, we walked to the trail where we would be working, the Lower Stagecoach Trail, Corriganville Trails (rsrpd.org).  We used Pick Mattocks and shovels, filling in ruts, two large ruts in particular.  Ruts that require good size rocks and rubble to be used as filler.  The time was well spent, with thanks and appreciation for Boy Scout Troop 605 Parler Bedford, Jake Stewart, Mike Kuhn and Martin DeGoey.

October 12 – Danielson Memorial via the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center at Rancho Sierra Vista

5 hikers met on a pleasant cool early autumn morning at the Wendy Trail trailhead on Potrero Road at the south end of Wendy Drive in Newbury Park (which borders the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area). We began our hike by following the Wendy Trail to the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center (with restrooms) at Rancho Sierra Vista and then heading diagonally southeast across the adjacent grassland to the Danielson Road leading to the Danielson Memorial. The trail (a dirt road) climbed for a while before dropping into Upper Sycamore Canyon and crossing its creek with flowing water.

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After taking a short side trail to a nearby waterfall (with water), we returned to the main trail and followed it as it rose up Old Boney Mountain via shaded switchbacks, soon providing us with sweeping views of the northern portion of Big Sycamore Canyon and its surrounds (NOTE: the uphill stretch of the trail could use some pruning but it was easy to push the overgrown plants aside. There were few blooming plants but we did spot several “chalk plants” (Dudlea llive forever) growing on nearby rock faces. Eventually we reached the tree-shaded Danielson Memorial and the ruins of the nearby Danielson Cabin (only a chimney remains).  After a rest break in this beautiful spot, we began returning along the Danielson Road. When we reached the edge of the sprawling Rancho Sierra Vista grassland we followed a different trail up its center back toward the dirt parking area on Potrero Road. Reaching our vehicles, we completed a very pleasant 6.5-mile hike with 1,387’ of elevation gain/loss.

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SEPTEMBER

September 28th – Lang Ranch Open Space, Chumash Interpretive Center, Long Canyon Loop

4 hikers met at 7:30 AM in the Long Canyon Trail parking lot in Wood Ranch on a cool early autumn morning. We began our hike along the Woodridge Connector (trail) heading southwest to a junction with the Woodridge Loop Trail which we then followed southward into the Lang Ranch Open Space and then followed a short trail that connected us to the Autumn Ridge trail which we followed toward the Lang Ranch Parkway which in turn led us to the entrance to the Chumash Interpretive Center portion of the Oakbrook Regional Park. We headed eastward within the wooded area containing the Chumash Interpretive Center until we approached Elephant Rock. We then exited onto the Albertson Motorway [just west of where it was blocked off after a wildfire in the area several years ago; the blockade is still in place].

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Almost immediately we took the Long Ridge (workaround) Trail to its junction with the Rocky Incline Trail which we followed as it climbed northward up to the Alapay Trail. A short distance to the north we turned west onto the Sunrise Trail and soon reached the upper end of the “West Long Canyon Trail” which we descended to the parking lot where our hike started, having completed a 5.6-mile hike with 962′ of elevation gain/loss. We had most of the hike to ourselves (and lots of crows in the trees around the parking lot when we began the hike as well as several cottontail rabbits during the hike).

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September 21st – Dawn Peak (Tarantula Hill) and the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden

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Five eager hikers started their hike at the Conejo Community Park parking lot at the southeast end of Jeaunine Drive.  Hiking north we crossed under Gainsborough Road through a drainage tunnel that led us to the Dawn Peak (Tarantula Hill) trailhead.  A steep paved road wound 0.5 mile up to the top of Dawn Peak while gaining 249′ of elevation.  The morning was a little hazy but the view was still fabulous.  We returned to the parking lot along Jeaunine Drive and after continuing a hundred feet or so we turned right and entered the wondrous Conejo Valley Botanic Garden. There were various paths leading to a wide variety of specialty gardens such as Trail of Trees, Rare Fruit Orchard, Hilltop Desert Garden, Tranquility Garden, and many others.  We went up and down and back and forth on the well-maintained paths, looking at the interesting trees, bushes, cacti, and succulents with an occasional bird flyby.  After stopping at the top of the Garden for a short break we continued on taking the Nature Trail.

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The Nature Trail started off as an arid stretch for a few hundred feet and abruptly transitioned to a splendid wooded riparian trail.  As we hiked amidst the shady live oaks, the trail continued closer to a refreshing stream where we stopped and looked at small crawdads.  Leaving its riparian proximity, the trail went up a short way and continued, still lined with lots of trees; it soon ended at the Garden’s gate a short distance from our vehicles.  Very pleased with our 3.5-mile hike with 642′ of elevation gain/loss we left looking forward to our next outdoor adventure.

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September 14th – Los Robles Trail via the Los Padres Trail

2 hikers met at the Los Padres Trail trailhead in Thousand Oaks on a cool ‘foggy’ (marine layer) late-summer morning. We began our hike through a pleasant oak woodland into the hills south of Thousand Oaks.  There was a small amount of water flowing in one of the tributary streams along part of the trail.  When we reached a dirt access road, we followed it up to its junction with the Los Robles Trail. We headed west on the Los Robles Trail but soon turned right onto the “Scenic Loop” trail which led us to the Conejo Valley Scenic Overlook (where there are a couple of benches) which provides panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and grasslands (though not so much today as a result of the marine layer). After stopping to take a short break, we continued on along the Los Robles Trail as it descended to a nice oak-shaded picnic area (with a table and benches) and then to a junction with a connector trail that led us to the upper (south) end of the Oak Creek Canyon Loop Trail. We decided NOT to hike the Oak Creek Canyon Loop Trail this day (Note: The western 0.4-mile section of this trail is called the Oak Creek Canyon Whole Access Interpretive Trail and is a mostly shaded oak grove area that is accessible by all, including equestrians, bicycles, hikers, wheelchairs, disabled and blind individuals; there is actually a “guide cable” along the fence as well as informational signs in braille).

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Instead we continued along the connector trail that led us to the south end of Moorpark Road. We returned to our vehicles about a block away and returned home invigorated, having completed a 3.6-mile hike with about 625’ of elevation gain/loss. Although there were no blooming wildflowers we did spot a coyote and a rabbit and we encountered a lot of hikers and bicyclists during the second half of the hike.

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AUGUST

August 31st – Wildwood Neighborhood Park Lynnmere Trail Loop

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Four hikers met at the Baseball Field Parking Lot across the street from the trailhead, at the junction of Avenida de Los Arboles and Canna Street in Thousand Oaks on a pleasant overcast spring morning.  We began our hike by crossing Avenida de Los Arboles to the east and descending into a tunnel under Avenida de Los Arboles.  We then climbed some stairs and crossed Arroyo Conejo on a bridge and headed through a neighborhood with its interesting variety of landscapes that led us to the Las Flores Trail.  The trail gave us glimpses of the backside of the neighborhood on one side and a heavily wooded ravine on the other side.  We followed the trail to Lynn Road where we connected to the Lynnmere Trail and followed it westward to the Wildwood Canyon Trail that eventually turned eastward going back to the Wildwood Neighborhood Park.

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The mountainsides and canyons were alive with birds and provided extraordinary views while hiking Wildwood Open Space.  Crossing over Wildwood Canyon stream and hiking alongside it on Wildwood Canyon Trail was pleasurable with its many trees and refreshing water way.  We reached our vehicles having completed a 4.8-mile hike with 771 feet of elevation gain/loss on a nice morning for hiking.

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August 24th – Chivo Canyon and Tapo Open Space Loop

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5 hikers met on Westwood Street in the Wild Horse Canyon housing development in northeastern Simi Valley on a cool early-summer morning. After a short walk to the mouth of nearby Chivo (“goat”) Canyon we began hiking northward in the canyon bottom. At 0.7 mile along the trail we reached a trail junction. We turned left (west) and followed a short connector trail and soon began hiking the Tapo Open Space Loop trail (thereby leaving Chivo Canyon for a while). We followed the fairly well-maintained trail westward as it wound through a grassy valley and then rose somewhat steeply up to the high point of our hike where we took a short break and enjoyed the views.

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We then continued along the loop trail which soon descended eastward back to the connector trail which we followed back down into Chivo Canyon where we turned right (south) and returned to our vehicles thus completing a pleasant 4.4-mile hike with 604’ of elevation gain/loss.

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August 17th – Porter Ranch Counterclockwise Loop 

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Early on an overcast summer morning 3 hikers met at 7:00 AM at the Canyon Trail trailhead just below Porter Ridge Park at the east “end” of Sesnon Blvd at the north end of Reseda Blvd in Porter Ranch.  We began our counter clockwise-loop by walking up Sesnon Blvd. towards Tampa Avenue to the trailhead at the north end of Limekiln Canyon.  The early morning hour afforded us shade and tranquility for a short distance through Limekiln Canyon. The shade continued after crossing Tampa Ave. onto and along the wide well-maintained Palisades Trail, that provided views of the surrounding area mainly to the south.  We saw a vulture sitting atop a lamp pole that we thought was fake until its head moved. There were hawks and birds and bush rabbits popping up everywhere.

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After coming to Reseda Blvd. and crossing where the trail continued at Eddleston Park, we dropped down into Aliso Canyon Trail that was nearly level and was strewn with large oak trees and an intermittently flowing stream.  Going north, towards Sesnon Blvd. We encountered a large group, mainly kids, doing a cross country run.  Also, we ran into a long-time hiking friend, Lily.  It’s always a pleasure to see friends on the trail.  Tackling a last sunbaked uphill trek to our vehicles, having completed a 4.5-mile hike with about 700’ of elevation gain/loss, it was a very enjoyable hike.

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August 10th – Santa Rosa Valley Lollipop Loop

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7 hikers met in a dirt parking area on the left (east) side of Hill Canyon Road in Santa Rosa Valley Park (10241 Hill Canyon Road, Camarillo) on a cool early summer morning [which would become very hot as the day progressed].  We began our hike into the Conejo Canyons Open Space just west of Wildwood Park by crossing 25-foot-wide Arroyo Conejo Creek via a nice bridge that provided excellent views of the year-round creek which had lots of flowing water.  We then hiked along the Hill Canyon dirt road; it followed the creek upstream toward a trail intersection that we’ve named “Five Points.”  Slightly before reaching Five Points we followed a short nameless spur trail down to the very strongly flowing creek and then returned to the main trail.

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We then made our way the short distance up to “Five Points” where we continued southeast to a trail junction with the  recently completed Conejo Canyons Bridge near the Hill Canyon Treatment Plant.  After walking across the bridge and then back across we headed back a short distance the way we came until we reached the Hawk Canyon Trail (a dense riparian woodland with lots of plants).  The shaded canyon trail led us along a seasonal feeder stream (presently dry) to the Western Plateau dirt Road.

Two of the hikers returned to the trailhead via the Hawk Canyon Trail and the Hill Canyon dirt road.  The remaining five hikers turned right onto the Western Plateau dirt Road which we followed as it climbed steadily uphill to the west; it then leveled out and we followed it to the northeast and then down to “Five Points”; we then turned left and followed the Hill Canyon road back to our vehicles [which were quite hot inside] thus completing a mostly pleasant hike of 5.77 miles with 645′ of elevation gain/loss.  There were a few types of blooming plants, primarily lots of bush mallow and datura with a couple of nice displays of wild roses; we were by ourselves during most of the hike but we saw quite a few bunnies.

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August 3rd – Wildwood Park Loop

The morning sky was a bright summer blue behind scattered high clouds when six hikers met at 7:00 AM at the main Wildwood Park parking lot at the west end of Avenida De Los Arboles in Thousand Oaks.  We began our counterclockwise loop hike by heading west on the Mesa Trail.  Soon we turned left (south) and hiked a short distance on the Tepee Trail until turning right (west) when we came to the Stagecoach Bluffs Trail which afforded us with views of hillsides dotted with prickly pear cactus and we could look down into Wildwood Canyon below.  Eventually the Stagecoach Trail came to a junction (further west) with the Mesa Trail.  We turned left (west) and followed the Mesa Trail up to its junction with the Lizard  Rock Trail.  After taking a short break we followed the Lizard Rock Trail southward down into Hill canyon.

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We then headed into heavily shaded Wildwood Canyon.  As we headed upstream we crossed flowing water several times on short wooden bridges. When we reached Hoegeman’s Hollow, there were several picnic tables (and bathrooms). We took a short break and continued on upstream to Paradise Falls where we enjoyed looking at and listening to the waterfall. Continuing on up Wildwood Canyon we eventually reached the always pleasant Indian Creek Trail and followed it up to a short unnamed trail that led us back to our vehicles, thus completing a 5.0 mile hike with 928’ of elevation gain/loss.

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JULY

July 27th – Big Sky Trail Loop

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Four hikers met near the waterfall on Big Sky Place on a sunny early morning.  Walking north on the sidewalk of Erringer Road, for about ¼ miles we came to the Big Sky Trail entrance.  Going east and crossing the dry stream, we took the left fork for a clockwise loop.  Walking along the mostly arid trail we came upon some healthy looking milkweed.  Soon the trail dipped down into the riparian, well maintained section of the Big Sky Trail.  The shade was very agreeable on a summer morning.  Coming to an end where the trail begins its up and down trek that follows the Big Sky ridge line, three hikers chose to go back the way they came, hiking a total of 2 miles 200’ of elevation gain/loss.   One hiker continued on the loop, completing a 4.5-mile hike with 895’ of elevation gain/loss. He reported quite a few sunflowers along the way.

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The three hikers, while returning the way they came, saw a couple native flowers, datura and ox-tongue and a non-native honeysuckle type flower called Glossy Abelia.  As we were hiking and talking, the subject of insects and their eggs came up leading to the subject of the Tarantula Hawk.  Low and behold, a little ways down the trail we spotted one, feeding on milkweed. It had a bright blue belly.  The female tarantula hawk will paralyze the tarantula by stinging it, and then lay eggs inside the spider’s body. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae will eat the tarantula from the inside out.  Not to mention its sting is one of the most painful in the world.  It was a fun morning.

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July 20th – Tapo Canyon Open Space (lollipop loop)

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4 hikers met at 7:00 AM in the dirt trailhead parking area (1,136’) for the Tapo Canyon Open Space Trail (T23) in Simi Valley on a cool summer morning which was to grow quite hot as time passed.  As we began our hike we headed northward along the nearly flat dirt road/trail which was bordered by a variety of plant life; the primary blooming plant was white datura.  After a mile or so the road/trail rose steadily to a narrow pass and a dirt-road junction (1,535’) where we took a break and enjoyed the views of the “valley” before us and the rows of mountainous ridges to the northeast.  Two of the hikers decided to return the way we had come; they completed a 3.0-mile hike with 364’ of elevation gain/loss.

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The other two hikers turned right and began hiking the T23 loop which took them along a dirt road/trail that led downward through an oak woodland (with lots of shade) toward its eastern junction (1,276’) with itself.  They then turned right (leaving the loop) and descended into Chivo Canyon (1,224’) where they took a short break; then they retraced their steps to the T23 loop where they took the right fork and followed T23 back to the narrow pass (completing the loop) and then they returned to the original trailhead.  They completed their mostly pleasant outing having hiked 5.1 miles with a total elevation gain/loss of 713’.  There were almost no wildflowers (except for datura); there were several rabbits, a few other hikers, and lots of bicyclists.

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July 13th – Westward Beach to Point Dume to Paradise Cove

6 hikers traveled to Malibu and Westward Beach Road where some of us took advantage of free parking along the road and then hiked to the parking lot trailhead while others paid to park in the parking lot (which was nearly empty when we arrived).  There was a marine layer and the temperature was quite pleasant as we began hiking up onto Point Dume.  After an easy climb, we turned right (south) and hiked along a narrow trail in a counterclockwise direction, stopping now and then to look at (and listen to) seals in a rookery on the rocks down below us.  There is a maze of trails surrounded by a “forest” of dormant coreopsis plants covering much of the peninsula with a breathtaking view of Dume Cove and the Pacific Ocean on the east side. Note: the coreopsis plants are beautiful when blooming but are singularly ugly when dormant.  After gawking at the seals we continued around to the east side of the point and headed north to the beautiful “new” (it replaced the old rusty stairway that was used for a long time) stairway and we descended to Dume Beach.

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We enjoyed looking at the oceanic sea creatures that were visible thanks it being shortly after low tide.  We headed north along the beach being careful not to slip and fall as we had to cross a lot of rocks along the beach.  Note: Two of the hiking leaders stated that there was a lot more rock and a lot less sandy beach than there had been in August, 2023.  Eventually we tired of the stress (and risk) caused by the loss of a lot of sandy beach in the past year so we turned around and headed back along the beach the way we had come and then climbed back up the new stairway with its couple of hundred steps.  After climbing back onto Point Dume, we found our way through the maze of trails to the trail leading us back down to Westward Beach.  Note: There had been a “straight” east-west trail connecting the two sides of Point Dume but it no longer exists.   We then made our way back to our vehicles, returning home having completed a pleasant 2.85-mile hike with about 334’ of elevation gain/loss.  Note: When we finished our hike there were lots of people and every parking space was taken.

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July 6th – Mt. McCoy and the Reagan Library

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5 hikers met at the former carpool point near the intersection of Royal Avenue and Madera Road on a pleasant early 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 fairly well-maintained trail leading to the summit via a series of switchbacks.  As the trail rose up the mountainside, we were rewarded by views of the western end of Simi Valley, including Sinaloa Lake, Wood Ranch, and the Bard Reservoir.  There is a white concrete cross (erected in 1941) as well as two concrete benches at the summit, from which the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library can be seen.  The temperature rose gradually but was still fairly pleasant (though the weather forecast was for a high in the nineties in the afternoon); the recent very hot days had decimated most of the blooming plants.

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After a short break to enjoy the panoramic views of the landscape, we split into two groups: two hikers decided to return the way we came and the other three hikers hiked southwest to Presidential Drive (where we spotted a few dozen blooming California poppies) and then hiked along it to the west side of the library where President Reagan was buried in 2004 (and Nancy Reagan in 2016).  The setting of the library is quite beautiful and there is nice view to the west (particularly at sunset); the east side of the library boasts  a fairly new statue of Nancy Reagan as well as an older statue of President Reagan on the east side of the library.

NOTE: There are several signs that ban backpacks from the grounds around the library (or inside) so this may limit repeats of this hike to only Mt. McCoy.

After resting a while outside the library the three hikers decided to take a different route back (down Presidential Drive to a “use” trail leading to a tunnel heading eastward on a trail north of the homes parallel to the north side of Madera Road.  After a while the trail petered out and we walked along the sidewalk on the north/west side of Madera Road for the rest of the hike (to a block from our vehicles); by the time we reached Madera Road the day was hot in the direct sunlight.  The advantages to this different route were (1) avoiding almost any uphill hiking on the way back and (2) intermittent shade and cool breezes; the major disadvantage was the noise made by the traffic along Madera Road; also it was somewhat longer than returning the way we came.  By the time we completed the hike it was very hot in the direct sunshine; we were grateful for the shade that was available.  All-in-all it was a nice 5.3 mile hike with 704’ of elevation gain/loss (for the group of three).

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JUNE

June 29th – Mammoth Highlands Loop

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15 hikers met at 8:00 AM along College Heights Drive in Moorpark, CA not far from the 6786 residence on a pleasant early summer morning.  We headed west along a well-maintained trail passing Moorpark Highlands Park.  After crossing Ridgecrest Drive we began gaining elevation as we climbed up to a ridge that afforded us with expansive views of Happy Camp and northern Moorpark.  Since the early morning was somewhat foggy we couldn’t see Santa Cruz Island in the distance but we enjoyed the views that we did have.  The trail continued along the perimeter of a gated residential area which we followed until we reached an intersection with a steep single-track trail that led up to an overlook with a covered bench.

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Next we followed a rapidly descending trail back to Ridgecrest Drive and then back to the original trailhead via Moorpark Highlands Park.  Note: Near the end of the hike 8 of the hikers chose to follow a trail that led them one mile each way to an overlook of downtown Moorpark before finishing a nice 4.5-mile hike with 524’ of elevation gain/loss (the other 7 hikers finished their 3.1-mile hike with 440’ of elevation gain/loss).  Despite the recent high temperatures (which we mostly avoided) there were still a few blooming plants including a large patch of California poppies near the trailhead.

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June 22nd – Corriganville Loop and the Stagecoach Trail

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7 hikers met at 8:00 AM at historic Corriganville Park at the east end of Simi Valley on a pleasant-but-soon-to-be-hot early summer morning.  We began our hike along the primary north-south dirt road in Corriganville.  After passing Camp Rotary we started up the Loop Trail in the western section of the park by crossing the creek that flows through the park.  As the trail rose to the west both sides of the trail were adorned by lots of a variety of blooming wildflowers.  Soon we reached a trail junction; we turned right (north) to stay on the Loop Trail as it rose more steeply in a counterclockwise direction; soon the trail narrowed due to overgrown bushes for about a fourth of the length of the loop.  At the highest point on the Loop Trail we had an excellent view of about half of the park.  Next we reached the southwest part of the park where many of the mostly western movies were filmed; there are several signs showing pictures and brief descriptions of parts of this area [a couple of decades ago there were still parts of some of the movie sets but over the years mother nature has destroyed nearly everything that was left].  We finished the Loop Trail by crossing the creek at the “Robin Hood Lake” crossing and returned to Camp Rotary.

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Next we followed the Wildlife Corridor Trail with its switchbacks uphill to the “wildlife tunnel” that passes under Hwy 118 [Note: the ”Wildlife Corridor Trail” rises steeply from the north end of the tunnel until it meets the Rocky Peak fire road; warning: if you choose to take the Wildlife Corridor Trail beyond the tunnel, be sure to take the right fork part way up the trail].  Next we followed the Lower Stagecoach Trail to its junction with Santa Susana Pass Road where we turned around and returned to our vehicles; since the temperature had risen we were grateful for many stretches of shade in the canyon portion of the Stagecoach Trail.  We completed our hike having hiked 4.6 miles with 863’ of elevation gain/loss.  Blooming plants that we encountered included bush mallow, California everlasting, sticky monkey flower, deerweed, morning glories, golden yarrow, sunflowers, penstemon, elegant clarkia, and yucca; we also saw several rabbits and lots of lizards.

NOTE: The following web link points to a very well-written description of the history of Corriganville – – –

    The World’s Most Famous Movie Ranch: The Story of Ray “Crash” Corrigan and Corriganville – Museum of Ventura County (venturamuseum.org)

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June 15th – Work Party: Upper Stagecoach Trail

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Four volunteers met at the trailhead for the Upper Chumash Trail off Lilac Ln. Simi Valley, CA.  The morning was already warm and sunny.  One volunteer went first up the trail using a gas powered hedger.  He trimmed the brush that was blocking the trail, making way for the other volunteers.  Two volunteers used a pick mattock and shovel to chop out thicker weed growth and remove the hedge clippings, and did some ground work.  Another volunteer used a gas powered weed whacker to clear the edges of the trail, which was mostly dried star-thistle.  Many thanks go to Brian Dennert, Paul Friedeborn, Mike Kuhn and Martin DeGoey for a job well done on a hot day.

June 8th – Spring Wildflower Walk: Creekside & East Long Canyon Trail

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Fourteen hikers met at 9:00 AM at the Challenger Park Trailhead to the Creekside & East Long Canyon Trail, on a pleasant, partly cloudy spring morning.  Located at; 105 Challenger Park Rd. Simi Valley, CA 93065.

One of the first flowers we identified was a sticky monkey flower (1). Then hiking a few yards was an elegant clarkia (2).  As we continued further up the trail we identified some fennel (3).  Fennel is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region where it has been cultivated for centuries for culinary and medicinal properties. In California, it presumably escaped cultivation in the mid-1800s.  Next we identified a not so often seen flower, a chaparral honeysuckle (4).  Continuing on, the vegetation thickens where we saw most of the common native flowers such as prickly phlox (5), bush mallow (6), California everlasting (7), chamise (8), purple sage (9).  As we approached the end of our Wildflower Walk we identified a common vervain (10) and quite a few cliff asters (11).

The walk was a little over 1.0 miles and another 0.8 miles along long Canyon road on the way back to the vehicles.  Thank you  Mike Kuhn, RSTB and Simi Valley Recreation and Park District for another great Wildflower Flower Walk.

MAY

May 25th – Spring Wildflower Walk: The Chumash Trail

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Fifteen hikers met at 9:00 AM at the Chumash trailhead on a refreshing, partly cloudy spring morning, located at 3200 Flanagan Drive, Simi Valley, CA. Walking a short distance from the start of the trailhead we identified our first flower by the shape of the leaves, a morning glory (1). Then once we hiked further up the trail, where the trail hugged the hillside, flowering plants became more plentiful.  On the north side of the trail, across a ravine, there was a huge fully blooming chaparral yucca (2).  On the downhill side of the trail there was chamise (3 & 16)black sage (4 & 8)lemonade berry (5), and wild cucumber (6).  Then both sides of the trail became infested with blooming plants such as, owl’s clover (7 & 11)purple sage (9)yellow mariposa lily (10)California buckwheat (12)deerweed (13 & 19), and false bindweed (14).  One way to distinguish morning glory from false bindweed is the presence of a pair of small leaf-like bracts on the stem of the bindweed flower.  The hikers passed a lot of golden yarrow (15 & 23) and the ¾ mile mark that led them to a ridgeline.  There the hikers saw woolly blue curls (17, 18 &19)bush mallow (20 & 25) and silver puffs (21).  The prize flower of the walk was butterfly mariposa lily (22) and last but not least was an elegant clarkia (24).The walk was a little over 1.0 miles before the hikers headed back to their vehicles.  With thanks to Mike Kuhn, Jeannie Budfuloski, RSTB and Simi Valley Recreation and Park District, it was a beautiful morning.

May 18th – Work Party: Lower Chumash Trail

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Eleven volunteers met at the trailhead for the Lower Chumash Trail at the end of Flanagan Drive in Simi. Once again, the morning was cool and overcast. After reviewing the safety guidelines and picking out our tools, one volunteer choosing a power string trimmer (weed whacker) and one volunteer choosing a gas powered hedge trimmer, we began going uphill. The person with the hedge trimmer went up first, hedging brush on both sides of the trail defining a standard width of about 4 ft. The group went up next using shovels, pick mattocks, loppers and a McLeod. They cleared mustard, California sagebrush, deerweed, and star-thistle. Then the volunteer with the string trimmer (weed whacker) came up next, clearing grasses and smaller plant growth. A couple of late volunteers came up from behind and cleaned the trail with leaf rakes. We made it up to the 1/2 mile mark just before it was time to head back. There is a bench there where we rested a bit, rehydrated and chatted. Going back down was very gratifying when we remembered how overgrown the trail was after the winter rains. Thank you so much; Heidi Kwok, Jake Stewart, Andres Rieder, Curtis Bedford, Parker Bedford, Paul Friedeborn, Mike Kuhn, Stephanie Kennedy, Tamera McIntyre, John McIntyre and Martin DeGoey for an incredible job.

May 11th – Spring Wildflower Walk: Las Llajas Canyon

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On a sunny spring morning, six hikers met at 9:00 AM at the Las Llajas trailhead, located at 5715 Evening Sky Dr. Simi Valley, CA. The walk began downhill on a paved service road where we identified our first two flowers, California poppy (1) and a wild sweet pea (2).  Once the pavement ended and the road leveled out we began seeing white sage (3), some narrow-leaved bedstraw (4), a lot of purple sage (5) and a blossoming castor bean (6).  As we continued our walk, there was no shortage of wildflowers; bush sunflowers (7) and blossoming elderberry (8) were everywhere.  In a slightly shadier area there were prickly lettuce (9), purple nightshade (10) and horehound (11).  With friendly conversation we came upon a patch of Fremont cottonwood (12), where the seed fluffs were a fun topic.  Two more hikes joined us as we continued on with a seemingly endless amount of wildflowers to identify.  Other wildflowers photographed were; Indian paintbrush (13), Chinese houses (14), lupine (15), slender sunflower (16 & 17), yellow sweet clover (18), yellow mariposa lily (19 & 20), wild cucumber (21), golden yarrow (22), black sage (23), Santa Barbara locoweed (24), milk thistle (25), tamarisk saltcedar  (26), sugar bush (27), hollyleaf cherry (28), black walnut (29 & 32), chaparral yucca (30), yerba santa (31). After walking about a 1.5 miles we viewed our last wildflower, sticky Phacelia (33) and headed back to our vehicles.  It was a great morning, thanks to Mike Kuhn, RSTB and Simi Valley Recreation and Park District.

APRIL

April 27th – Spring Wildflower Walk: Oak Canyon Community Park

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On a calm sunny spring morning, six hikers met at 9:00 AM at Oak Canyon Community Park.  We started the walk on a paved service path, in a traditional park setting with manicured grass on one side of the path and a mix of native and domestic shrubs on the other side of the path.  Our first flowering shrub identified was Sugar Bush (1 & 3). As we proceeded down the path, in friendly conversation, the next flowering shrubs we saw were Flannel Bush (2 & 7), Black Sage (4), California Bush Sunflower (5) and Greenbark Ceanothus (6).  Along the way, while leaving the traditional park setting behind, where both sides of the path changed to a natural setting, we identified, Owl’s Clover (8) and Purple Nightshade (10) and not to mention a dead tree bearing rocks (9).  There was one rare plant identified, in the wake of the tree bearing rocks, a native plant on the federal endangered species list, Braunton’s Milk-Vetch (11 & 12).  A short stretch of the path we passed through was thick on both sides with Australian Golden Wreath Wattle (13).  Shortly after, we encountered California buckwheat (14 & 17), a small patch of whispering bells (15) and some California Yerba Santa (16).  We left the paved path going west on a narrow dirt road where there were other flowering plants pointed out such as Italian Thistle (18), Scarlet Pimpernel (19 & 20) and Fiddle Neck (20).  Soon we were back to the Community park where there were people enjoying the beautiful California morning.

April 20th – Work Party: Mt. McCoy

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Thirteen volunteers met at the western end of Washburn Street at the Mt. McCoy trailhead.  On a perfect overcast morning, we reviewed the safety guidelines and picked out our tools.  One volunteer chose a power string trimmer (weed whacker) and one volunteer used a gas powered hedge trimmer.  The others chose shovels, loppers, a pick mattock and leaf rakes.  We cleared the edges of the trail from heavily sprouting mustard and brush overgrowth.  The volunteers cleared the trail to a good 4 ft. width, more than halfway to the top (.5 miles).  Part of the trail needed shoring up to prevent side sloping due to erosion.  One person, earlier in the week, volunteered to haul a 2”x12”x8’ plank half way up the trail.  We didn’t get around to installing it.  Thank you so much for a super incredible job to;  Ian Nelson, Millie Plisley, Nicole Jordan, Keri Nelson, Tamara McIntyre, Marie-France Bauer,  Norman Liss, Paulette Kawasaki, Raquel Margo, Kurt Kawasaki, Paul Friedeborn, Mike Kuhn and Martin DeGoey.

April 6th – Spring Wildflower Walk: Mt. McCoy Trail

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It was an incredibly nice spring morning where six hikers met at 9:00 AM at the Donut Delite, located at the northeast side of the Royal Avenue and Madera Road intersection.  We made our way, walking on the sidewalk, to the trail’s trailhead at the corner of Washburn and Los Amigos Ave.  There a group picture was taken. The first flower we identified at the beginning of the hike was long-beaked stork’s bill.  Then we pasted a grove of prickly pear.  As we continued up the trail’s many switchbacks, we began identifying more and more wildflowers; bush sunflower, golden yarrow, purple nightshade, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry.  Stopping for a moment we saw a western fence lizard.  As we continued up the trail, among the various sages that had not bloomed yet, there was one little caterpillar Phacelia, a lot of golden leaf mountain mahogany, some soap plant, (long slender leaves, no flower).  Once we hiked to the more arid upper portion of the trail we saw a lot of goldfields, deer weed, Catalina mariposa lilies and California buckwheat.  Then nearly at the top, there was wild onion, California poppy and owl’s clover.  On the way down there was some blue-eyed grass that the flowers had opened as the day grew warmer. We had a wonderful morning just being outside and meeting old and new friends. Thank you Mike Kuhn, RSTB and Rancho Simi Recreation and  Parks District.

MARCH

March 16th – Work Party: Lower Stagecoach Trail

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Nine volunteers gathered near the picnic area at Corriganville Park on a calm and sunny morning.  We reviewed safety guidelines, the tools we would be using, and outlined our objective.  We started at the beginning of the Lower Stagecoach trail, Corriganville Trails (rsrpd.org).  We used Pick Mattocks, shovels and McLeods, for filling in ruts, clearing and creating water bars (drain dips).  The soil conditions were perfect.  Thanks and appreciation goes to Boy Scout Troop 605 Jim Ratto, Nathin Ratto, R Wietney, Parler Bedford, Aarron Wietney, Mike Kuhn, and Martin DeGoey.

FEBRUARY

February 17th – Work Party: Hummingbird Creek Trail

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There were six volunteers participating in the February work party, at the Hummingbird Creek Trail.  It was a very productive morning, filling in ruts, clearing and creating water bars (drain dips).  One volunteer used a Weed Wacker and loppers to clear overgrowth from the trail and he cut down a bunch of Arundo.  It was a perfect day for working on the trail.  The weather and the ground conditions couldn’t have been better.  Appreciations go to Paul Friedeborn, Geneen Garcia, Monty Gonzales, Mason Gonzales, Mike Kuhn, and Martin DeGoey.

JANUARY

January 27th – Work Party: Long Canyon

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On a slightly breezy morning, three volunteers participated in the January work party at the Long Canyon Trail.  We did some weed whacking and clearing growth along the trail.  We filled in ruts, cleared and created water bars (drain dips).  It was a good day for trail work, the ground conditions were perfect.  Appreciations go to Paul Friedeborn, Mike Kuhn, and Martin DeGoey.