Midweek Mountaineers
2022
AUGUST
August 3rd – Los Robles Trail via the Los Padres Trail and Oak Creek Canyon
10 hikers met at the Los Padres Trail trailhead in Thousand Oaks on a nice summer morning. We began our hike through a very pleasant oak woodland into the hills south of Thousand Oaks. This initial stretch of trail and its many oak trees and other flora provided a dreamlike experience (there was even a short stretch of flowing water in the creek). When we reached a dirt access road, we followed it up to its junction with the Los Robles Trail (the primary trail in Thousand Oaks). Upon reaching the trail junction, 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’s a bench) which provides panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and grasslands. 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 proceeded on to a junction with a connector trail that led us to the upper (south) end of the Oak Creek Canyon Loop Trail.
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JULY
July 27th – Tapo Canyon Open Space Trail and Chivo Canyon
6 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. As we began our hike we headed northward along the nearly flat dirt road/trail which was bordered by tan/yellow grass dotted with healthy-looking green oak trees but very few blooming plants. We encountered quite a few other people on this first part of the hike. 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. The sky was a pretty blue color and was dotted with puffy white clouds. Continuing, we turned right and began hiking the T23 loop which took us along a dirt road/trail that led downward through an oak woodland toward its eastern junction (1,276’) with itself.
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July 20th – Corriganville Park, Hwy 118 Tunnel, Rocky Peak Fire Road, Stagecoach Trail Loop
5 hikers met at 7:00 AM at Corriganville Park at the east end of Simi Valley on a pleasant summer early morning. We began our hike along the primary north-south dirt road in Corriganville. After passing Camp Rotary we followed a single-track trail as it snaked uphill to the east to the wildlife tunnel under Hwy 118. We headed north through the tunnel and then followed the steep unnamed “use” trail uphill northeast to the Rocky Peak Fire Road. As planned, we were in the shade for most of this section of our hike. There were views of the rocky surroundings but the blooming-wildflower season has ended.
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July 13th – Las Llajas Canyon to the Abandoned Coquina Mining Operation
Six hikers met at the trailhead on Evening Sky Drive on a pleasantly cool summer morning. We began our hike by descending a short paved section of road into the canyon bottom; from there we followed the wide well-graded dirt road upstream to the north 1.8 miles, crossing the very dry streambed three times. We then followed a single-track “use” trail (the remnants of an old mining road) bordered with desiccated plants as we climbed up the eastern slope of the mountain, atop which we enjoyed panoramic views of the surrounding area including parts of Chivo Canyon, Las Llajas Canyon, the Santa Susana Mountains, and Simi Valley. There were a very few “late bloomer” plants along the way. We took a break when we reached our goal, the site of a coquina (a soft whitish limestone formed of broken shells and corals cemented together and used for road building) mining operation. Various mining equipment artifacts are strewn about near the mining site, most notably a P&H Model 206 gasoline-powered shovel. We encountered only a few other people during the hike and only two bicycle riders once we left the canyon bottom. We returned to our vehicles having completed a pleasant 6-mile hike with about 1,050’ of elevation gain/loss having “beat the heat again.”
July 6th – Porter Ranch Loop
8 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 on a pleasantly cool summer morning (which grew warmer as the hike progressed). We began our clockwise-loop hike by dropping down into Aliso Canyon; we then followed the wide dirt trail southward toward (nearly all the way to) Rinaldi Street and Aliso Canyon Park. The Aliso Canyon Trail was nearly level and was dotted with large oak trees (many of which had been damaged by wildfire) and lots of blooming sunflowers so it was a pleasant stroll through the canyon, though the streambed in the shady canyon was dry. We then followed a well-defined connector trail that led somewhat steeply upward to Eddleston Park at Reseda Blvd. Crossing to the west side of Reseda Blvd, we hiked northward a short distance on an unnamed trail to the eastern trailhead for the Palisades Trail which we followed westward. The wide well-maintained Palisades Trail provided excellent views of the surrounding area mainly to the south.
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JUNE
June 29th – Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park Counterclockwise Loop
6 hikers met at 7:00 AM in the dirt parking area along Lilac Lane at the upper end of the Chatsworth portion of the Stagecoach Trail in the Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park on a pleasant summer morning (which promised to heat up as the day progressed). We began our hike by heading northeast into the park via the Mattingly Trail which we followed to the Upper Meadow Trail which led us to a rocky overlook of Chatsworth Park South and the surrounding area. We then followed a short connector trail northward to “Five Points” where we continued following the Mattingly Trail to the northeast to the Williams Trail which led downhill toward the Spahn Ranch [there’s little to see there now] and the El Camino Nuevo Trail which headed west and connected to the Sanchez Trail which we followed to the paved Santa Susana Pass Road (SSPR). A short distance westward along SSPR brought us to the northern end of a nameless dirt trail that we followed southward to our vehicles. Our route provided us with many picturesque views (mountains, rock formations, etc.), but the landscape was “bone dry” due to the ongoing drought. There were intermittent areas of shade during the hike (thanks in large part to our early start) and a cool light breeze during much of the last quarter of the hike. Not unusual, we encountered no other hikers or bicyclists (and almost no blooming plants) during our hike. So it was a pleasant outing, particularly the opportunity to spend time with friends.
June 23rd – North Ridge Trail, Chumash Trail, Simi View Ridge, Mt. Sinai Cemetery
5 determined-to-hike hikers met at 7:00 AM at the North Ridge Trail trailhead on Evening Sky Drive in Simi Valley on a soon-to-be-quite-hot early summer morning with a somewhat cloudy sky (NOTE: This trailhead is almost directly across the street from the Las Llajas Canyon trailhead). As we began our hike the trail rose gradually to the south and then east to the Broken Arrow Street trailhead. We then continued on to the Chumash Trail trailhead on Flanagan Drive. We hiked up the Chumash Trail a mile or so as it rose to a junction (on the right) with the unmarked Simi View Ridge Trail which provided broad views of eastern Simi Valley as we headed mostly down to a large water tank which we skirted. We then continued downhill along a maintained dirt road near the eastern side of Mount Sinai Cemetery. When the road leveled out we turned left (northeast) onto the remains of a dirt road leading into what was once Douglas White Oaks Park ( https://www.beyondtheacorn.net/articles/simis-summertime-past-douglas-white-oaks-park/ ) but is now “A few crumbling stone foundations dotting a small canyon in northeastern Simi Valley,” all that’s left of what was once a 355-acre ranch property used by Douglas Aircraft Company as a recreation area for its employees.
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June 15th – Devil Canyon to Browns Canyon Road
4 hikers met at 7:00 AM at the starting point of the hike on Poema Place in Chatsworth on a very pleasant late spring morning. We began our hike by descending into the heavily shaded bottom of Devil Canyon where we followed the remnants of the Devil Canyon Motorway upstream as it frequently crisscrossed the mostly dry streambed. Despite the ongoing drought there were quite a few blooming plants along the way. Eventually we reached the large check dam at the junction with the mouth of Ybarra Canyon (which extends north to the Regional Park at Joughin Ranch). This first part of our hike led through a mostly heavily shaded environment bordered with interesting rock formations.
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June 8th – Wildwood Park: Mesa Trail, Stagecoach Bluff Trail, Lizard Rock Trail, Paradise Falls, Wildwood Canyon, Indian Creek Trail Loop
7 hikers met at 7:00 AM in the dirt parking lot at Wildwood Park at the west end of Avenida de los Arboles in Thousand Oaks on a cool overcast “June gloom” late spring morning. The hikers began their counterclockwise loop hike by heading west on the Mesa Trail as they enjoyed the company of friends. They soon turned left, hiked a short distance south on the Tepee Trail, and then took the Stagecoach Bluffs Trail westward but the usual views down into Wildwood Canyon were severely limited due to the fog as we hiked through a display of prickly pear cactus and a few cholla cactus. Upon rejoining the Mesa Trail, we hiked westward up to a trail junction just below Lizard Rock. The scenery was dominated by buckwheat which grew on the hillside after a wildfire burned the area a few years ago.
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June 1st – Sage Ranch Loop
After successfully navigating Black Canyon Road, 5 hikers arrived at the lower parking lot in Sage Ranch Park in the Simi Hills on a pleasant late spring morning. The 625-acre park is located just north of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) (aka Rocketdyne/Boeing) at an elevation of 2,000’. It is chock-full of world-class sandstone rock formations and has several picnic tables shaded by large oak trees. A lone coyote strolled near the parking area before our hike began. Shortly after we began our counterclockwise loop hike, we followed a side trail to a nice overlook with sweeping views of Simi Valley, and the Santa Susana Mountains. After hiking along the main Loop Trail and various somewhat overgrown “use” trails for a while including a view of the imposing Turtle Rock, we climbed up on Sandstone Ridge (aka “Sugarloaf”), a long, steep rock formation rising alongside the trail near the southwest corner of the park; it afforded us with excellent views of the once-bustling SSFL (most of the structures have been removed from the property as the “cleanup” effort continues).
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MAY
May 18th – Big Sky Trail Loop
5 hikers met along Big Sky Place (970’) in Simi Valley on a very pleasant spring morning for a familiar neighborhood hike. After a short walk northward on a sidewalk along Erringer Road where we admired the rose beds and waterfalls at the entrance to the Big Sky neighborhood, we turned east onto the well-signed Big Sky Trail. After crossing a dry streambed, we began the counterclockwise loop portion of the hike as we climbed fairly steeply up to the north-south ridge to the east of the housing development. Upon reaching the ridgetop, we enjoyed unobstructed views of the surrounding area including Whiteface Mountain. However a marine layer restricted the distant views, particularly to the southwest.
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May 18th – Chivo Canyon (T22) to Buckhorn Trail to Marr Ranch Road to Cappocchi Trail to the T23 Loop
9 hikers met at 7:00 AM at the “trailhead” on Cottonwood Drive in the Wild Horse Canyon development on a pleasant spring morning with a blue sky (just right for hiking). After we “dropped” into Chivo (goat) Canyon, we hiked northward along a single-track “use” trail and then the old Chivo Canyon (dirt) Road (T22) to its junction with the Buckhorn Trail, passing a couple of large oil seeps and a possibly (black mustard obscured our view) abandoned bee apiary along the way. Somewhat surprisingly there were still lots of blooming plants along the route of our hike. When we reached the Buckhorn Trail we followed it uphill to the Marr Ranch Road atop the eastern ridge of Chivo Canyon.
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May 11th – Santa Rosa Valley Park (Conejo Canyons Open Space)
8 hikers met in a dirt parking area on the left (east) side of Hill Canyon Road in Santa Rosa Valley Park (10241 Hill Canyon Rd, Camarillo) on a chilly spring morning (just right once we reached direct sunlight). 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 flowing water. We then hiked along the Hill Canyon dirt road; it followed the creek upstream to a trail intersection that we’ve named “Five Points” where we followed a short nameless spur trail down to the creek where we noted that the “temporary” dam was no longer there and there were no waterfowl in evidence upstream.
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After a short break we retraced our steps to the Western Plateau dirt road and headed northward on it for a very short distance to its junction with the Plateau Rim Trail which we followed to an overlook above a seasonal waterfall (where there is a bench) and continued north/northwest to a different junction with the Plateau Rim Trail (near the beginning of the Volcanic Trail) and followed it to Five Points where we retraced our steps along the Hill Canyon dirt road to our starting point. We reached our vehicles having completed a pleasant 6-mile hike with about 700’ of elevation gain/loss. We encountered several hikers and bicyclists during the hike. The blooming plants we saw included (but were not limited to) black mustard (lots of it), caterpillar phacelia, sunflowers, morning glories, sticky monkey flower, deerweed [sic], California poppies, Catalina mariposa lilies, cliff asters, purple sage, elegant clarkia, Turkish rugging, bush mallow, Mexican elderberry, and thistle.
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May 5th – Mission Point Loop via Neon Way and O’Melveny Park
5 hikers gathered in the parking lot at the entrance to O’Melveny Park (the second-largest city park in Los Angeles) in Granada Hills on a chilly spring morning with the promise of higher temperatures ahead. We began our hike by walking southwest along the nearby sidewalk on Sesnon Blvd to its junction with Neon Way (enjoying some blooming “domestic” plants along the 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). We began the steady climb along the fire road to Mission Point in the Santa Susana Mountains. As we gained elevation the temperature was quite pleasant and we were caressed by a cool breeze; there were lots of blooming plants, particularly caterpillar phacelia, sunflowers, and black mustard. Though smog shrouded distant views, we were able to see the nearby Los Angeles Reservoir (which replaced the Van Norman Reservoir whose dam nearly failed during the 1971 Sylmar earthquake). Eventually we reached a bench beneath a large oak tree; there was a somewhat obscured “million-dollar view” of the San Fernando Valley. After taking a short break we continued a short distance up to Mission Point with its small, stone monument memorializing Mario De Campos, a lover of the local mountains. The view from the top was fairly good despite the distant smog. The wind was stronger at the top and was somewhat annoying.
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APRIL
April 28th – Joughin Ranch to Oat Mountain
Five hikers carpooled to a parking lot on Browns Canyon Road [the northern extension of De Soto Avenue in Chatsworth] at the Michael D. Antonovich Regional Park at Joughin Ranch (1,893‘) on a chilly foggy spring morning. After paying the $5.00 parking fee at the “iron ranger,” our hike began on the asphalt-paved road that climbs steadily to the western end of Oat Mountain (3,740’). NOTE: As anticipated there are still signs intended to prevent you from driving up Browns Canyon Road to the parking lot despite the residents having been told repeatedly to take them down. Shortly after we started our hike, the name of the paved road changed to the Oat Mountain Motorway (and Browns Canyon Road headed westward as a dirt road). After hiking 0.7 mile northward on the Oat Mountain Motorway, we passed through the abandoned site of a 1950’s Nike missile base (2,307’), once manned by U.S. soldiers but used more recently (but no longer) by LAPD SWAT for training. NOTE: Attached photo #30 shows the western part of the missile base (where the soldiers lived); it was completely destroyed by a wildfire several years ago. Attached photo #33 shows the eastern part of the missile base (where LAPD SWAT trained). These photos were taken in September, 2006.
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April 20th – Lang Ranch Open Space, Chumash Interpretive Center, Rocky Incline Trail, Long Canyon Trail, Counterclockwise Loop
8 hikers met at 7:00 AM in the Long Canyon Trail parking lot in Wood Ranch on a chilly spring 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 an unnamed [as far as we could tell] 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. Despite the continued drought there were lots of blooming plants along the way. We headed eastward within the wooded area containing the Chumash Interpretive Center until the trail became so overgrown as we approached Elephant Rock that we exited onto the Albertson Motorway [just west of where it was blocked off after a wildfire in the area several years ago].
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April 13th – Los Robles Trail via the Los Padres Trail and Oak Creek Canyon Double-loop
6 hikers met at the Los Padres Trail trailhead in Thousand Oaks on a chilly spring morning. We began our hike through a very pleasant oak woodland into the hills south of Thousand Oaks. This initial stretch of trail and its many oak trees and other flora provided a dreamlike experience. When we reached a dirt access road, we followed it to its junction with the Los Robles Trail; having been shaded all the way up, we were happy to be in the direct sunlight when we reached the trail junction. 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’s a bench) which provides panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and grasslands. After stopping to take a short break – during which we spotted a coyote in the distance – 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 proceeded on to a junction with a connector trail that led us to the upper (south) end of the Oak Creek Canyon Loop Trail.
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April 6th – Corriganville, Lilac Lane, Five Points, Spahn Ranch Lollipop Loop
7 hikers met at 7:00 AM at Corriganville at the east end of Simi Valley on a slightly chilly, but fortunately windless, spring morning (Note: An 11 AM Heat Advisory and a Wind Warning were both forecast for this day but neither warning affected us during our early morning hike). We began our hike along the primary north-south dirt road in Corriganville. After passing Camp Rotary we followed a single-track trail as it snaked uphill to the east enjoying a variety of wildflowers but the California poppies had not opened yet. When we reached the junction with the trail leading on up to the wildlife tunnel under Hwy 118, we turned right instead and followed the Simi Valley portion of the old Stagecoach Trail until we reached the Santa Susana Pass Road opposite the north end of Lilac Lane. We then followed Lilac Lane to the Stagecoach Trail kiosk in the dirt parking area at the upper end of the Chatsworth portion of the Stagecoach Trail in the Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park (SHP).
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NOTE: During our hike we observed many types of wildflowers including (but not limited to) fiddleneck, Catalina mariposa lily, blue dick, purple nightshade, caterpillar phacelia, bush mallow, morning glories, sticky monkey flower (3 different colors), deerweed (sic), Mexican elderberry, black mustard, yerba santa, and wild cucumbers.
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MARCH
March 30th – Tapo Canyon Open Space Trail (T23) and Chivo Canyon Loop
9 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 chilly spring morning. As we began our hike we headed northward along the nearly flat dirt road/trail which was bordered by green hillsides, interspersed oak trees, and a variety of blooming wildflowers (especially fiddleneck and sunflowers). 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. Continuing, we turned right and began hiking the south side of the T23 loop which took us along a dirt road/trail that led downward through an oak woodland toward its eastern junction (1,276’) with itself.
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NOTE: During our hike we observed many types of wildflowers including (but not limited to) fiddleneck, bush sunflowers, lupine, Catalina mariposa lily, blue dick, phacelia, prickly phlox, bush mallow, morning glories, sticky monkey flower, penstemon, deerweed, Mexican elderberry, black mustard, sage, and a few white lupine plants.
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March 23rd – Las Llajas Canyon to the Abandoned Coquina Mining Operation
Eleven hikers met at the trailhead on Evening Sky Drive on a pleasant warmer-than-usual early spring morning. We began our hike by descending a short paved section of road into the canyon bottom; from there we followed the wide well-graded dirt road upstream to the north 1.8 miles, crossing the mostly dry streambed three times. We then followed a wildflower-bordered single-track “use” trail (the remnants of an old mining road) as we climbed up the eastern slope of the mountain, atop which we enjoyed panoramic views of the surrounding area including parts of Chivo Canyon, Las Llajas Canyon, the Santa Susana Mountains, and Simi Valley. The mountainsides boasted beautiful displays of a variety of plants (for the most part there were individual displays of the blossoms of a single type of plant at a time in large swatches of it, e.g., a display of hundreds of lupine in a single area).
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March 16th – MWM Johnson Motorway to Rocky Peak Fire Road
Eight hikers met at the trailhead on Iverson Road just outside the gated southern entrance to Indian Springs Estates in Chatsworth on a cold fairly clear late-winter morning. We were greeted by a chilly intermittent wind encouraging us to begin our hike (and generate some body heat). We walked through the upscale gated community on the designated pathway/easement, enjoying the beautiful flowers maintained between the pathway and the walls separating the homes from the pathway. Eventually we reached the beginning of the unpaved Johnson Motorway (once a toll road). The trail (an old dirt and sandstone roadbed) rose westward until it met a short “driveway” leading north to the ruins of the ranch house that was built by Ann and Neils Johnson who were the first English-speaking homesteaders in the San Fernando Valley; they had built their primary home in “Chatsworth Park” in the 1870’s. After admiring the view to the north of Devil Canyon and Oat Mountain, we followed the Johnson Motorway as it passed through a landscape of dramatic rock formations, climbing steadily, but not steeply, toward the Rocky Peak Fire Road. The sun gently warmed us and we generated heat as we climbed upward so we soon removed our outer layer of warm clothing. After 3.5 miles we reached the fire road where we took a short break. We then we retraced our route downhill back to our vehicles and returned home having completed an invigorating 7.25-mile hike with about 1,450’ of elevation gain/loss. There was a variety of wildflowers along the trail/motorway including sunflowers, purple nightshade, blue dick, prickly phlox, morning glories, and Indian paint brush; it was all-in-all a nice mid-week hike.
March 9th – Long Canyon Trail, Oak Canyon Trail, and Canyon View Trail Loop
14 hikers gathered at the Long Canyon Trail trailhead parking lot at Wood Ranch in Simi Valley on a chilly winter morning with a clear blue sky. We began hiking up the frequently used Long Canyon trail as it climbed steeply 0.7 mile to a trail junction atop a ridge overlooking western Simi Valley to the north as well as the Lang Ranch Open Space to the south. The trail was adorned with blooming wildflowers including purple nightshade, lupine, blue dick, morning glories, and wild cucumber vines with white blossoms. There was evidence of erosion caused by winter rains. Since it was early on a weekday we had the area to ourselves. Continuing, we followed a “use” trail down to the dirt road in Oak Canyon while enjoying views of the beautifully green surrounding mountain slopes as well as lots of wildflowers.
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March 2nd – Tierra Rejada Park Exploratory
Five hikers met at 7:00 AM at Stargaze Park in Simi Valley on a chilly, clear winter morning. As our hike began we headed north toward Tierra Rejada “Park” and the Arroyo Simi, but soon headed uphill to the west along an Edison Road. The formerly tan hillsides were displaying recently grown bright green grass and lots of wildflowers including large patches of lupine, smaller patches of California poppies, lots of sunflowers, and some purple nightshade, blue dick, prickly phlox, and wild cucumber vines with delicate white blossoms (and a few wild “cucumbers”). At one point we spotted a couple of rabbits which quickly disappeared into the chaparral, one coyote, and two red-tailed hawks flying overhead. It wasn’t long before the sun warmed us and we shed our jackets; the sky was a pretty blue.
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FEBRUARY
February 23rd – Porter Ranch Loop
3 hikers met at 7:15 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 on an unusually chilly winter morning (which grew a bit warmer as the hike progressed). We began our clockwise-loop hike by dropping down into Aliso Canyon; we then followed the wide dirt trail southward toward (nearly all the way to) Rinaldi Street and Aliso Canyon Park. The Aliso Canyon Trail was nearly level and was dotted with large oak trees (many of which had been damaged by wildfire) and lots of blooming sunflowers so it was a pleasant stroll through the canyon, especially since there was running water in the stream in the shady canyon. We then followed a well-defined connector trail that led somewhat steeply upward to Eddleston Park at Reseda Blvd. Crossing to the west side of Reseda Blvd, we hiked northward a short distance on a short trail to the eastern trailhead for the Palisades Trail which we followed westward. The wide well-maintained Palisades Trail provided excellent views of the surrounding area mainly to the south. There was stark evidence of a recent wildfire as we passed a formerly beautiful grove of pine trees which is now a stand of burned-and-blackened skeletons. The trail then rose fairly steeply just before dropping down to Tampa Avenue.
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February 16th – Wildwood Park: Mesa Trail, Stagecoach Bluff Trail, Lizard Rock Trail, Paradise Falls, Wildwood Canyon, Indian Creek Trail Loop
[NOTE: The author of this trip report was not able to participate in the outing so it may not be exactly accurate] 9 hikers met at 7:00 AM in the dirt parking lot at Wildwood Park at the west end of Avenida de los Arboles in Thousand Oaks on a clear chilly winter morning. The hikers began their counterclockwise loop hike by heading west on the Mesa Trail as they enjoyed the company of good friends. They soon turned left, hiked a short distance south on the Tepee Trail, and then took the Stagecoach Bluffs Trail westward which provided views down into Wildwood Canyon as they hiked through a display of prickly pear cactus and a few cholla cactus. Upon rejoining the Mesa Trail, they hiked westward up to a trail junction just below Lizard Rock. The scenery was an attractive green (especially after the brown/tan color caused by the ongoing drought).
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February 9th – Hummingbird Trail to Rocky Peak Fire Road
5 hikers met at 7:00 AM at the trailhead next to the paved parking area just outside the gated entrance to Hummingbird Ranch at the north end of Kuehner Drive in Simi Valley to hike up the Hummingbird Trail (and back). The temperature was pleasant as we braved intermittent wind gusts and began our 2.4-mile eastward climb to the Rocky Peak Fire Road. It wasn’t long before we were passing through (and on) a variety of imposing sandstone rock formations along the way including very large boulders and giant slabs of sandstone rock, many with small “caves.” We had the trail almost entirely to ourselves thanks to our early start, the fact that it was a weekday, and the intermittent strong wind. As we gained elevation the views of the surrounding area expanded. There was lots of bright green grass in patches on the rocky mountainside and there were some wildflowers, especially wild cucumber vines.
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February 2nd – Long Canyon Trail, ‘Joe Beautz Ridge Trail,’ Albertson Motorway, Rocky Incline Trail Lollipop Loop
7 hikers met at 7:00 AM in the Long Canyon Trail parking lot (1,103‘) near the junction of Wood Ranch Parkway and Long Canyon Road on a chilly and windy mid-winter morning. We began our hike by climbing the moderately strenuous Long Canyon Trail to a ridge east of Simi Valley; along the way there were good views of the west end of Simi Valley and beyond, including the Bard Reservoir. After a brief rest we headed east along an unnamed dirt road to the beginning of a single-track “use” trail which we’ve named the “Joe Beautz Ridge Trail” [Joe was the creator of this hiking group nearly 11 years ago]. There was some greenery along the trails as well as some wildflowers including purple nightshade and wild cucumber vines.
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JANUARY
January 26th – North Ridge Trail, Chumash Trail, Simi View Ridge, Hummingbird Ranch Overlook, Mt. Sinai Cemetery
5 determined-to-hike hikers met at 7:00 AM at the North Ridge Trail trailhead on Evening Sky Drive in Simi Valley on a chilly windy winter morning with a clear sky (NOTE: This trailhead is almost directly across the street from the Las Llajas Canyon trailhead). As we began our hike the trail rose gradually to the south and then east to the Broken Arrow Street trailhead. We then continued on to the Chumash Trail trailhead on Flanagan Drive. We hiked up the Chumash Trail a mile or so as it rose to a junction (on the right) with the unmarked Simi View Ridge Trail which provided views of eastern Simi Valley as we headed mostly down to a large water tank which we skirted. We then continued downhill along a maintained dirt road near the eastern side of Mount Sinai Cemetery. When the road leveled out we turned left (northeast) onto the remains of a dirt road leading into what was once Douglas White Oaks Park, but is now “A few crumbling stone foundations dotting a small canyon in northeastern Simi Valley,” all that’s left of what was once a 355-acre ranch property used by Douglas Aircraft Company as a recreation area for its employees.
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January 18th – Tapo Canyon Open Space Trail to Chivo Canyon Lollipop Loop
13 hikers met at 7:30 AM in the dirt trailhead parking area (1,136’) for the Tapo Canyon Open Space Trail (T23) in Simi Valley on a chilly winter morning. As we began our hike we headed northward along the nearly flat dirt road/trail which was bordered by lots of new bright green grass, a very few wildflowers, and quite a few leafy oak trees (despite most of them having been damaged by wildfire in the past). 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. Continuing, we turned right and began hiking the T23 loop which took us along a dirt road/trail that led downward through a nice oak woodland toward its eastern junction (1,276’) with itself. We then continued eastward on T23 to the “floor” of Chivo Canyon where we observed a nearby apiary which had seen better days.
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January 12th – Woodridge Trail, Sunrise Trail, Long Canyon Trail Counterclockwise Loop
11 hikers met at 7:30 AM in the Long Canyon Trail parking lot in Wood Ranch on a chilly winter morning. We began our hike along the Woodridge Connector (trail) heading southwest to a junction with the Woodridge Loop Trail which we then followed westward near the fenced-off Bard Reservoir to our north which we were able to see at one point. The trail rose gradually until we reached a junction with the Sunset Hills Trail [where there should have been a sign, but there wasn’t]. We took the left/south) fork and followed it downhill to an entrance to the gated community along Sunset Hills Blvd that the Woodridge Trail loops around. [Not entering the gated community] we crossed Sunset Hills Blvd and continued hiking on the Woodridge Trail (now on the south side of the gated community). We continued eastward until we reached the Sunrise Trail in the Lang Ranch Open Space which we followed for a short distance until we reached the Autumn Ridge Trail which we followed uphill until it met with an [apparently] unnamed trail where we turned left and followed it to the upper end of the “West Long Canyon Trail” which we descended to the parking lot where our hike started, having completed a sometimes windy 4.9-mile hike with an estimated 900’ elevation gain/loss. There were a few wildflowers thanks to recent rain. We only encountered a few other hikers, all during our descent to the parking lot.
January 8th – Big Sky Trail (lollipop loop)
9 hikers met along Big Sky Place (970’) in Simi Valley on a chilly winter morning for a familiar neighborhood hike. After a short walk northward on a sidewalk along Erringer Road where we admired the rose beds and waterfalls at the entrance to the Big Sky neighborhood, we turned east onto the well-signed Big Sky Trail. After crossing a wet streambed, we began the counterclockwise loop portion of the hike as we climbed fairly steeply up to the north-south ridge to the east of the housing development. Upon reaching the ridgetop, we enjoyed unobstructed views of the surrounding area including Whiteface Mountain. The hillsides were at least temporarily not “bone dry” thanks to the recent heavy rainfall. After reaching the highest point (1,463’) in our hike, we took a short break and then continued on to the northernmost point (1,357’) in our hike where the trail turned sharply to the southeast, winding its way along the oak-lined streambed that runs through the Big Sky development. We finished our invigorating outing having completed a 4.6-mile hike with a little over 800’ of elevation gain/loss on a nice morning for hiking. We had the trail almost entirely to ourselves during our hike (only a couple of hikers and no bicyclists).