Los Padres National Forest
Locate the trailhead.
I have a list of potential hikes that seems to add items faster than they get done, and many hikes I do do not even come from this list, so when Bernard said, "We should have another 20 mile hike," I jumped at the chance to check the item "Old Man Mountain" off of it. Then I remembered him mentioning that he was not a fan of fire roads and tried to backtrack on this suggestion because this route is almost entirely on fire roads. It was too late, the suggestion was made, it was declared that a fire road might be alright once. The Matilija Trailhead has cars stacked in everywhere, but not so many as I expected and it is easy to find a spot. This area got almost 18 inches of rain by one gauge, so maybe people are worried the creek is still uncrossable.
Online USGS stream gauges include one below the dam which indicates water flow is already below normal for this time of year. It is an illustration of the need for a long, soaking rain before the big storms to get as much as we can out of them. I was worried that with the road closed preventing access to popular areas, everyone might be coming here. Luckily, I am also wrong, or at least not yet correct.
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Still somewhat early, but not too terribly early, on the gated part of Matilija Canyon Road. |
For once, there is no watering going on along the first ranch. We admire the peacocks and the fat geese as we walk past their cage. The two creek crossings are easy, but delightfully full. We are feeling the slightest bit of warmth of the day as we come to the Murietta Canyon Trail and duck down it under the trees. The trail seems to have suffered nothing in the heavy rain of the last storm, but a much older oak fall forces a sudden divergence from the set route. The camp is empty when we arrive, which is also unexpected. Before long, we climb back out of the trees and onto the road again. The climb under oaks and past a stream that dives underground as it hits the road is rather pleasant. As we come to the flow from the spring toward the top, the sound of water and birds grows louder. It is a very pleasant climb to the divide between the Santa Ynez and Ventura River watersheds.
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The rocky peak that is the highest point in the Santa Ynez Mountains rises above Murietta Canyon. |
At the saddle, we turn north along Monte Arido Fireroad and climb the divide. The climb is quickly broken with a drop past a small lake behind the earthen Murietta Dam. Climbing again, Garth notes that it is already 87°F according to his watch. The rest of us disagree that it could be that hot already, maybe partly out of wishful thinking, and he hooks the watch so that he is not heating it up himself, but it refuses to read lower. A multitude of breezes off the ocean help to keep us cool as the sun tries to heat us on the south slope climbs. It is quickly apparent that visibility is somewhat limited by moisture haze.
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Garth and Bernard check out the Santa Ynez basin and a little bit of water. |