Moments in Dirt and Ink

Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa Point Mugu State Park Click for map. Back not far from where I was hiking last week, I am out to either hike up to Tri Peaks again or take a big loop along the side of Boney Mountain. I probably should have chosen before starting, but I am still pondering. Although I want to go up to Tri Peaks again, I sort of want to do it via a different route than the one I have already done, so most likely this will be the larger loop to new spots. My start is new too. Previously, I started from by the cultural center, which has parking behind a gate that locks at sunset giving an annoying deadline for getting back. This time I am using the trail at the end of Windy Drive that everyone else seemed to be using so that I have no timing worries. Wide trail past informative signs to start off at the end of Windy Drive. The trailhead has a sign about fire inspired by the Springs Fire of 2013. My previous trip was just 3 months after that fire, so this whole ...

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Point Mugu State Park There was an offer out to join a group doing a shuttle hike up and over Sandstone Peak and out the bottom of Big Sycamore Canyon. Do I really want to face the maximum downhill that the Santa Monica Mountains are capable of throwing at me, going from the highest point in the range to nearly sea level? Well, they are not all that high and there is nearly 15 miles to lose all that elevation in, so I grabbed my poles to help take on some of the impact and joined up. Making a start on the Sandstone Peak Trail. The Backbone and Mishe Mokwa Trails can be combined for a nice loop. The trail shows signs of erosion from the rains and is set with sandbags to form water bars. Today is a single day window between brief storms. The last one brought over an inch last night, but there is little mud on the trail. It is generally a little rocky and well drained. The mountains come quickly into view as we make the...

Point Mugu State Park I thought it might be time to wander down highway 1 a little again, and settled on a very little bit indeed in going for Mugu Peak. A postage stamp of dirt across from a guard tower on the naval base is the parking lot for the Chumash Trail and my starting point. It is nearly full of cars and people are moving in groups, often 4 or 5 strong, up and down the steep trail. The two year old burn on the hillsides still looks fresh in some places. A sign at the bottom warns me that a trail I want to take is closed below where I will hike it. This parking lot seems to be constantly almost full. Past the naval base guard tower, there is the shadowy Anacapa Island. The climb is quite steep, but the footing is usually pretty good. Tiny wiggles try to make the climb a little less steep. It almost works. The trail finds a little valley of sorts and a little more room to climb as it works toward the saddle above. It is not so steep until one last surge t...

Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa, Santa Monica Mountains NRA Boney Mountain State Wilderness, Point Mugu SP Locate the trail head. The predicted temperatures inland range right up to 100°F, but on the coast there are still areas expecting a nice 70°F. Being somewhat suspicious of the predictions, I pack enough water for hiking in over 80°F temperatures and decided to climb Boney Mountain from the Thousand Oaks side. The area has been recently burned and the weatherman isn't predicting for the mountain top, so I wasn't going to take any chances with the precious liquid. Normally, a recent burn would put an area off limits, but the relevant agencies have decided that all may continue to use the land as long as they stay on established trails and keep to the hours of sunrise to sunset. There is danger from fire smoldering inside trees, but this can be carefully checked for along the trails and there are a few reasons to invite the public back onto the land. Setting off ...