Moments in Dirt and Ink

Gaviota State Park Gaviota State Park seems to be out to get all its trails back. There was a while when there were about twice as many on the map as on the ground. Exploring one of these reworked trails is most easily done starting at the park entry by Las Cruces. I picked up a couple sisters from by the old adobe stage coach stop and after having a look at that, proceeded to the gated end of the road and the start of the hike. It is a little warm although I can just see the fog hanging above the break in the rocks made by the pass. We start off down the fire road and quickly come to a trail junction. Before, this junction was easily missed and only one trail showed at all. Now it has an information kiosk and trail signs marking the Ortega Trail that follows near the creek and the Yucca Trail that climbs along the ridge. Both easily found and followed. After a brief discussion, we head up the Yucca Trail, the one that was previously invisible. It climbs quickly. Lo...

Gaviota State Park Map link. The local chapter of the Sierra Club was offering a hike to the Gaviota Wind Caves, but with a twist. They were planning to hit some extra caves on a cross country route. I decided to go. We total five hikers as we arrive in Gaviota to find it cooler than expected. A light breeze makes the day even more comfortable for a little walking. We start off heading up the Beach to Backcountry trail to the wind caves along it. Robert, who is leading, says this is the opposite direction from how he usually does it. Most of the rest of us agree that it will be doubly new to us this way, since we have not done it. Dark spots in the rock mark the wind caves that will be seeing at least a hundred visitors today. We stop at the viewpoint at the top of the hill to look over the ridge on the far side. It is pock marked with the caves we will be visiting later. I cannot see much trail around them, but there is a spot below them with a well established ...

Gaviota State Park It looks like the heat may be breaking a little as we continue through a season that is hard to call "winter", and it may be a good day to take in a short hike in Gaviota. Everyone else seems to think so too, as cars are parked around the entire lot leaving little space for new arrivals. A grandpa with a couple youngsters is finishing as I start. Behind them, a couple that look like they have been soaking in the hot spring are wandering down greeting the world with smiles. At the junction, a family is deciding which way to go. I turn up Trespass Trail, and the crowd thins out. The hills are still green from the rains and the flowers are starting to burst. White petals tinted with lavender are especially happy to pop up in the middle of the fire road. Since the freeway goes right up the middle of the park, it is hard to get away from. The oaks look a little better to me.

Gaviota State Park Los Padres National Forest Locate the trailhead. In looking at the benchmarks in Gaviota in the NGS database, I noticed quite a few of them are referenced to "weather vane". Curiously, this point is up high on the ridge south of Gaviota Peak. There is no information on this point except the name, location, and identification number. It seems likely that this was not a monument, but an actual weather vane, an item that usually sits on top of something else. What might it have been sitting on, if it was? Is there anything left of it? One way to find out would be to go and look. It also gives me an excuse to explore east along the ridge a bit further. It might be tempting to do it via a much lesser known route just on the ridge, but I go for Trespass Trail. There is some construction in the lot and along the road, but there is still parking for state park users. The trek up to the saddle is the usual hot and exposed route with a single repriev...

Gaviota State Park Locate the trailhead. It seems like time to go after the benchmark on the top of the grassy hill on the southwest side of Gaviota. Of course, not simply by climbing the hill northward from the road as described by the reach. I will have another look at the wind caves, look out over the tunnel, and then push through the brush and what trail there is along the ridge to drop down onto the hill from the north. Also, bring plenty of water because it is going to be a hot one. The paved road to start is easy enough to travel, but the first, small outcrop of caves brings welcome shade after the first part of the climb. Looking past the edge of the first wind cave and its helpful oak to the trail up. This particular cave has two pillars and some nice seating, but is also heavily carved by recent visitors. The upper outcrop of caves looms above. Note the blue through the top hole.

Gaviota State Park Map link. I have not had a useless search for boundary posts that are likely not there, or might not even be recognizable to me as boundary posts if they are there, in a while. There are a couple up on the ridge marked on the far west of Gaviota State Park that I have been eyeing. I thought I might have a look for them while taking in the loop on the west side of the park on a sunny day, check out the spurs along the way, try out some further ridge route stopping by a hilltop benchmark (that may or may not be there), drop off a geocoin, and check for other geocaches along the way. The whole nine yards. There are three possible trailheads for this. I select the one that requires the least gas and make the left turn into the campground by the beach, but take a right at the fork to the free trailhead parking. There is a lot of traffic coming from Hollister Ranch and a few groups on the trail up to the wind caves. Head out along the pavement. It is only ...

Los Padres National Forest Map link. To finish off the year, I decided to hike the Santa Ynez Mountains above Gaviota. The plan is to go past the hot spring to a random peak with a marker. There are many trails shown on the map around this far western section of Camino Cielo with one headed past another spring. This looks like it could be interesting if the trail actually exists. Heading back, I'll hit the peak and make an attempt at Tunnel View Trail with a short excursion to find another monument. The route out to Posta and back is supposed to be 10 miles, so this should come in around 12. There is no one in the parking lot as I arrive at the trailhead. It is still a $2 parking fee for this spot in the Gaviota State Park. Hours are 8AM to sunset, but it doesn't look like the gate has been closed in years. The morning air is very crisp, but starting up the climbing road soon makes it very comfortable. The stink of sulfur comes on quickly, but then fades again...

Gaviota State Park Los Padres National Forest Map link. When I first hiked the loop to Gaviota Peak, I looked across to the ridge between it and the ocean and saw something that looked like it might be ruins at the top. I was informed by a frequent hiker of the area that they were not and better visibility and better zoom made it seem unlikely, although there is clearly an old road cut. The tinge of curiosity never quite went away and there is a very serviceable use trail along the road cut, so I decided to set out to explore it. I headed up and around the point and into the little lot for the hot spring and peak. Lots of civilization is tucked away in these hills. The freeway twists off to the left, a couple cell sites each with a couple towers stand upon the hills, and homes and a school are tucked into the corners. Starting up the hill, I am warned of mountain lions as I pass giant fallen oaks that are none the worse for it. The road soon splits offering the hot s...

Gaviota State Park and Los Padres National Forest Click for map. I decided to go up to the top of Gaviota Peak, partly since there'd been some rain to help clear up the haze of the air and partly because I'd been thinking about going up but not gotten there. Since I failed to find the path under the highway and the rest of the trail on the other side, I decided to try from the fire road off the southbound side. After the "end freeway" sign, there is quickly a bridge and a few feet later, the bit of paving marking the road. I park to the side of the gravel just after the pavement ends and before the gate, then go looking for the pedestrian underpass. The hint from looking at the satellite photos suggest it's a bit to the north where apparent paths seem to come from the highway. I cross over Gaviota Creek and up the concrete hill northward and around some vegetation to find it a bit south again. The creek is well shielded from it, just as it was well shie...

Gaviota State Park Locate the trail head. The icons that indicate the predicted weather all turned to thunder storms the day before and were now promising rain, as was, if I'm honest, the sky. I drove toward the south end of Gaviota State Park, and right into the rain. Nothing particularly hard, but definitely rain and not mist. I drove out the other side of it, too. Strips of blue sky can be seen out over the point, but not quite in a way that implies clearing. It is dry as I start down the paved fire road that starts off the route to the wind caves. Starting off down the paved fire road, the trail twisting along the hill beyond. A few small paths lead through the thick growth beside the pavement and up the hill, some heading back to the main road and some heading up toward the ridge. They are likely to be deer trails, at least originally. Eventually a large path leads through the growth and I turn down it. It snakes up the hill in a way that is a bit too stee...

Gaviota State Park Map link. The Sea to Backcountry trail was the 20 year (or so, according to faint memory) dream of, well, someone, and one Saturday for Trails Day nearly another 20 years ago, a mismatched group of volunteers and professionals gathered together to help make it a reality. The trail had been flagged, but it needed some tread and brush work as well as a touch of dynamite. As part of the unskilled volunteer force, I think I cut a bit of brush. Others scraped a line through the bright yellow mustard. I still haven't been to see what the final trail was like and would like to. This didn't turn out to be the day to see the trail, but, getting up to the wind caves, I did get to see what has become of our volunteer hours. Coming from the south on highway 101, I hung a left into the south end of the state park. The road splits and parking for the trail is very soon up the hill to the right while information can be found at the kiosk to the left. From the ...

Gaviota State Park and Los Padres National Forest Locate the trailhead. Out past Gaviota beach, the wrong way on the exit to Lompoc (and right again), is the trail head for the hot springs and peak. The peak is about 3 miles by the springs and about 3.5 miles by trespass trail. Together, they make a loop. Trespass trail is on south and west facing slopes with more obstacles to following the trail. A second trail leaves to the right at the saddle to what may or may not be something interesting. Going straight goes past a dry lake and connects up with the trail up the mountain. Going left would connect up with the trail faster, but there is very little trail there. The route past the hot springs is more direct and road-like almost the entire way, which is mostly western and northern slopes. We (mom and I) headed out a bit past noon on the trespass trail because it is winter and won't be too hot to hike a southern slope even this close to sea level. Also, it apparently h...