Author: Bryan Conant

Freezing Gates of the Los Padres

Posted on by Bryan Conant
Big Sur Coastline, Making Even the Worst Photographer Look Good
BigSurCoast
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Chances are you’re reading this with a few more layers of clothes on and a few more windows closed than you had at this time last week.  The storm that just passed (or is passing) is our first winter storm of the season.  Rain totals across the forest have varied greatly with the Northern LP getting well over an inch of rain and as much as 2 inches in certain areas.  The rain totals dwindle heading south with SLO backcountry in the half inch range, SB backcountry in the quarter inch and Ventura backcountry in the tenth of an inch range.  Of course there are outliers and areas that received more rain than others.  BUT the exciting thing, if you get excited about things like this, is that this storm will mark the first time this season that much of the backcountry will experience freezing or near-freezing temperatures.  Low temps should be around freezing up through the high 30’s for most of the Los Padres over the coming two nights.  A taste of things to come.  Temps will warm up heading into what looks to be a perfect weekend for a hike or ride.  Great time of year!

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Shutting of the Gates
LockedGate GATE CLOSURES

As winter arrives, along with it we usually see a few more seasonal gate closures across the forest.  Knowing the status of gate closures is tricky and it can certainly ruin your weekend outing if you come across a locked gate you expected would be open.  Some gates are opened/closed solely on established dates.  What this means is that there are rules for certain roads/gates where they are recommended to be closed or opened on certain dates regardless of weather.  The big dates across the forest are November 1, December 15 and May 1.  Other gates are opened/closed around storm systems and weather events – open during dry times and closed when rain is forecast.  It’s really hard to know for sure if and when a gate will be open/closed.  Best advice for any of you heading to the mountains is to do your homework ahead of time.  First check two online sources:

• The Forest Service has a page dedicated to road and campground closures:

• HikeLosPadres also has a page designated to the status of certain gates around the forest.  The gate list is not complete but it is updated as closures happen.  NOTE: If you have any updates or would like any gates added, please let HLP know.

Then, in addition to the online resources, I’d also recommend calling the Ranger District you plan on visiting and double checking the status of the gate closures.  There is almost nothing worse than getting shutdown by a locked gate before you even get to a trailhead.  Research ahead of time can solve most of those headaches.

GATE UPDATES

Again, check the resources mentioned above but here are a few closures to keep an eye on:

  • Dough Flat, above Fillmore, will be closing December 15 this year.
  • Middle Lion Campground, near Piedra Blanca, will be closed December 1.
  • Santa Barbara Canyon gate, at Reyes Ranch, is scheduled to be closed November 1.
  • Reyes Peak / Pine Mtn is scheduled to be closed December 15.
  • West Cuesta Rd above SLO will be closed for repairs from November 1, 2015 – October 31, 2016.

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Rik’s Army of Packs, Waiting for YOU!
RikBackpacks

And don’t forget the Used Gear Sale this weekend in Santa Barbara!  Check out the link below for more information:


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UPCOMING EVENTS

November 7: Used Gear Sale, Tucker’s Grove Site 5, Goleta
December 4-6: LPFA Lower Mono-Alamar Trail Project

* It’s harder to schedule events this time of year, sorry there isn’t more on the schedule.  If you want anything added, please let us know.

LPFA Used Gear Sale

Posted on by Bryan Conant
Los Padres Spring Trail
TrailCrystalize
LPFA USED GEAR SALE

NOVEMBER 7, 10am – 2pm
TUCKER’S GROVE, SITE 5
SANTA BARBARA / GOLETA
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The LPFA is really excited to announce a used backpacking/camping gear sale on November 7 at Tucker’s Grove in Goleta / SB.  This is a great opportunity to buy some great secondhand gear at reduced prices and also to donate or sell on-consignment some of your old gear.  The sale will feature secondhand camping / backpacking gear including camp stoves, tents, backpacks, camping technology, cooking gear, hiking poles, etc…..  If you’d like to participate or help, here’s how:
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DONATE / SELL GEAR:
• If you can’t make it on November 7th but would like to donate some of your gear, we will be collecting gear starting Monday October 19th at the Forest Service Supervisors Office in Goleta.  The collection hours are Monday through Friday 8am – 12:00pm, 1pm – 4:30pm.  Ask for Jennifer Gray and she’ll have all the information you need for donating your gear or putting it on consignment.  We’ll provide tax donation receipts for ALL gear donated!
• We’ll also be collecting used gear on November 7 starting at 8am at Site 5 Tucker’s Grove.  We’re hoping to gather all the used gear by 10am when the sale starts.  Bring it early, we’ll have a team of gear gurus on-hand to help price the gear and get it lined up for the public.  Any questions, let us know: INFO@LPForest.org
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GET SOME GEAR:
• If you want to check out the gear, show up on November 7 between 10 and 2pm at Site 5 Tucker’s Grove.  We’ll have gear gurus available to talk about sizing or any other gear questions you might have.  We’ll have maps, books and other LP-centric products available as well.  We’ll also have some Dutch Oven cooking available for sampling compliments of Rich Scholl.
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VOLUNTEER:
• If you are interested in helping with the sale, we certainly could use volunteers to help with the process. Email INFO@LPForest.org if interested in helping!  
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This will be a great way for you to gear up for the upcoming backpacking season and also a fun way to give some of your used gear back to the trail community.  Not to mention all proceeds are going to the Los Padres Adopt-A-Trail program which is launching later this fall.  Hope to see all of you there.

GearSaleFlier

LPFA Used Gear Sale: NOVEMBER 7, TUCKER’S GROVE

Posted on by Bryan Conant
Down to Indian Creek, October 2015
IndianTrail

Hello Everyone,

Wow, did you get to see the thunderstorms yesterday?  A good portion of the LP had some fantastic thunder and lightning yesterday afternoon.  While the fireworks were impressive, most of the forest received just traces of actual rainfall.  Outside of the Sierra Madre’s, which received nearly half an inch, most of the weather stations across the forest had totals under a tenth of an inch.  More unstable weather is on tap for this afternoon but probably not like what we had yesterday.  I keep thinking that our first freeze has to be coming soon but so far our weird summer of weather continues to throw curve balls.  Probably has something to do with the irregular climate changes affecting the equatorial Pacific right now.  😉

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UsedGear
LPFA USED GEAR SALE

NOVEMBER 7, 10am – 2pm
TUCKER’S GROVE, SITE 5
SANTA BARBARA / GOLETA
The LPFA is really excited to announce a used backpacking/camping gear sale on November 7 at Tucker’s Grove in Goleta / SB.  This is a great opportunity to buy some great secondhand gear at reduced prices and also to donate or sell on-consignment some of your old gear.  The sale will feature secondhand camping / backpacking gear including camp stoves, tents, backpacks, camping technology, cooking gear, hiking poles, etc…..  If you’d like to participate or help, here’s how:

DONATE / SELL GEAR:
• If you can’t make it on November 7th but would like to donate some of your gear, we will be collecting gear starting Monday at the Forest Service Supervisors Office in Goleta.  The collection hours are Monday through Friday 8am – 12:00pm, 1pm – 4:30pm.  Ask for Jennifer Gray and she’ll have all the information you need for donating your gear or putting it on consignment.  We’ll provide tax donation receipts for ALL gear donated!

• We’ll also be collecting used gear on November 7 starting at 8am at Site 5 Tucker’s Grove.  We’re hoping to gather all the used gear by 10am when the sale starts.  Bring it early, we’ll have a team of gear gurus on-hand to help price the gear and get it lined up for the public.  Any questions, let us know:  INFO@LPForest.org

GET SOME GEAR:
• If you want to check out the gear, show up on November 7 between 10 and 2pm at Site 5 Tucker’s Grove.  We’ll have gear gurus available to talk about sizing or any other gear questions you might have.  We’ll have maps, books and other LP-centric products available as well.  We’ll also have some Dutch Oven cooking available for sampling compliments of Rich Scholl.

VOLUNTEER:
• If you are interested in helping with the sale, we certainly could use volunteers to help with the process. Email INFO@LPForest.org if interested in helping!

We’ll have fliers going out next week to further promote the event but this will be a great way for you to gear up for the upcoming backpacking season and also a fun way to give some of your used gear back to the trail community.  Not to mention proceeds are going to the Adopt-A-Trail program which is launching later this fall.  Hope to see all of you there.

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Bear Family Tracks, Mono Creek
BearTracks
UPCOMING EVENTS

October 8-28: ACE Trail Crew on Alamar Trail
 October 16-18: LPFA Madulce Trail Crosscut Sawyer Project
October 17-18: VWA Big Sur Trail Project
 October 17: Backpacking Made Easy, Santa Barbara, James Wapotich
October 17: Trails, Ales, and Photography benefit for Franklin Trail

Los Padres Volunteer Hours & Water Reports

Posted on by Bryan Conant
Pine Mountain Alpenglow, October 2015
SespeSunset

Hi Everyone,

A little official business to take care of today.  The Forest Service reports volunteer hours in conjunction with their fiscal calendar, which runs from October 1 – September 30.  For those of you who regularly volunteer, you’ve most likely already been contacted by the FS requesting you to report your hours.  It might seem like a pain to track and report your volunteer hours but it’s really important for the FS to have an accurate count on the volunteer hours being spent within their districts and across the forest.  In general, the Project Leader is supposed to take care of tracking and then reporting the hours for her/his project.  If you haven’t reported your hours or have any questions about the process, please contact either your Trail Leader, the organization sponsoring your project or the FS District you worked within.  And if all else fails, feel free to contact Jasonn Beckstrand:  JasonnB@LPForest.org

Along those lines, late last year John Ziegler from www.HikeLosPadres.com was nice enough to create an online volunteer hour project tracker.  Again this should be managed by the Project Leader but after a project is complete you can report the hours of all the volunteers and the project specifics within the HLP tracker.  It only takes a few minutes and at the end of the year it’s very easy to pull spreadsheet reports which break down volunteer hours by individual, by district, by organization, by trail, etc…..  This is the first year the online project tracker has been used and it’s been a huge help for reporting and tracking hours.  BUT it’s only as good as the information that is input into the system.  If you are not using HLP to report your hours, you should probably check it out.  For more information check in with Jasonn, see email address above.

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HikeLosPadres Water Table
HLP_Water
WATER IN HLP
As long as we’re at it, HikeLosPadres.com is an awesome site.  Call me biased but the information that is being shared through the site is incredible.  Probably most important right now is the sharing of water availability.  Check the Water Report link posted below.  This allows you to see all the water reports that have been posted within HLP across the forest.  You can sort by clicking on the red text at the top which allows you to see which camps have water and when it was last reported.  With water scarcity being an issue, this is a great tool for helping plan your next trip.  Check it out and be sure to post what you find when you get back.

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http://www.hikelospadres.com/los-padres-forest-water-reports.html
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PicoBlanco
And if you’re interested in peak bagging, there’s a great discussion right now about Los Padres peaks.
Check it out on the Facebook page, click here.

LOS PADRES: Madulce Trail Project & Upcoming Used Gear Sale

Posted on by Bryan Conant
Hi Everyone – Happy Wednesday!

We wanted to pass along two upcoming projects/events that the LPFA will be sponsoring in the coming months.  Hope you can make it.  Thanks and more to come soon……


Madulce Trail Collage

MadulceCollage
MADULCE TRAIL PROJECT
OCTOBER 16-18
The LPFA is hosting a 2-3 day trail project the weekend of October 16-18 and could use your help on the volunteer trail crew.  We’re hoping to have a morning and afternoon departure time on Friday the 16th from Upper Oso Campground to drive the 1.5hrs out to Bluff Cabin.  We’ll most likely be using Bluff as our basecamp for both Friday and Saturday nights.  Those who arrive Friday morning will spend Friday afternoon working the Alamar Trail to remove 12 trees that remain across the trail from our project earlier this month.  Saturday will be our big trail day and we’ll work the first 2 miles of the Madulce Trail from the Buckhorn Rd down towards Madulce Camp.  There are at least 20 downed trees (ranging from 18-36″) along this section of trail and some trail tread work needed as well.  The trail starts around 6,000ft in elevation so the temperatures will be cooler and most of the work will be amongst mature pine trees.  LPFA will be providing food for dinner Friday and Saturday and breakfast Saturday and Sunday.  We have room for 30 volunteers.  If you’d like to sign up or for more questions, please contact project leader Mike Smith:  TrailSmith@LPForest.org

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Just a few of the packs looking for a new home, photo Ranger Rik
RikBackpacks
VWR / AAT BACKPACKING GEAR SALE
NOVEMBER 7
For those of you gearing up for the 2015-16 backpacking season, or those looking to pass along your used gear from the 2014-15 season, we’ve got an event for you.  On Saturday November 7 the LPFA will be hosting a used gear sale in Santa Barbara.  We’re still working out the details but be sure to put the date on your calendar.  This is a great opportunity for you to pick up some great high quality second hand gear or to bring your great high quality second hand gear and sell it to a new owner.  Most of the gear will be of the backpacking variety but all camping gear will be available for purchase and sale.  In addition to the gear, we’ll be having some Volunteer Wilderness Ranger demonstrations, booths from trail organizations, Adopt-A-Trail introduction, food and an opportunity to learn as much as you possibly can about the Los Padres trails and camps.  If you have any questions please let us know and remember to put November 7 on your calendar:  INFO@LPForest.org

Autumn Backpacking is Here

Posted on by Bryan Conant
VWR Greg Jenkins came upon this stubborn bear literally in the middle of the Madulce Trail, Summer 2015
JenkinsBear

Season’s Greetings Everyone!

Today is the autumnal equinox here in the northern hemisphere.  This happens once a year when the sun is positioned directly over the equator on it’s journey north and marks the official end of Summer and the start of Fall.  For many LP locals this is a time to rejoice and start preparing for the start of our backcountry season.  Soon the temperatures will start to drop, water will flow and before we know it the land will be turning green once again.  It’s always strange seeing most of the rest of the country turning brown right when we are turning green.  Anyway, right now is a good time to start prepping for your dream week-long LP backpack trip, bagging that peak on your list or getting ready for that ride you’ve always wanted to do.  Enjoy the equinox……..

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Davy Brown Trail Project, National Public Lands Day, 2014
NPLD_DavyBrown
 NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY
This Saturday, September 26, is the 22nd annual National Public Lands Day.  NPLD is the single largest day of volunteerism across the United States.  The Los Padres is very fortunate to have a series of volunteer events organized across the forest.  In the chance that you are free on Saturday and feel like giving back, check out the list below and sign up to help.  Thank you everyone!

Alamar Trail: LPFA, Santa Barbara Back Country
http://www.publiclandsday.org/npld-sites/alamar-trail-sawyer-and-maintenance-santa-barbara-county-los-padres-national-forest
http://www.meetup.com/Santa-Barbara-Trail-Volunteers/events/224909222/?a=ra1_vl&_af=event&_af_eid=224909222

Cold Spring Trail: Santa Barbara Front Country
http://www.publiclandsday.org/npld-sites/los-padres-national-forest-upper-cold-spring-trail

Carrizo Plain: Friends of Carrizo Plain
http://www.publiclandsday.org/npld-sites/carrizo-plain-national-monument

Gridley Trail: Ojai Forest Service, Ojai Front Country
http://www.publiclandsday.org/npld-sites/gridley-trail

Ventana Wilderness Trail Project: VWA, Monterey County
http://www.publiclandsday.org/npld-sites/ventana-wilderness-los-padres-national-forest

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Learn to safely backpack, photo Honest Mike

HonestMikeMadulce
INTRODUCTION TO BACKPACKING
Over the past few years there have been some great programs designed at teaching adults the basics of backpacking.  While it’s never too late to learn how to backpack, it can be intimidating and scary to learn without proper instruction.  For those of you interested in learning from some of the best, we are fortunate to have programs across most of the Los Padres that offer an introduction to backpacking.

Over the past few years the Los Padres Chapter of the Sierra Club has been offering a course called Backpacking Basics.  The course is held each Spring and is based in Ventura.  Earlier this year the LPFA hosted a program called Backpacking Fundamentals.  We had a lot of fun organizing the class and made some great friends along the way.  It was cool to see some of the students backpacking together even after the class ended.  James Wapotich and Sierra Butler also taught a course called Backpacking Made Easy, based out of Santa Barbara.  And of course there are plenty of classes hosted by REI from Monterey to Ventura that also teach backpacking basics.

FALL 2015 CLASSES OPEN NOW
• The LPFA is proud to announce that we’ll be hosting our second Backpacking Fundamentals Course starting this October.  The class will be hosted in Santa Maria and we’re hoping to get some of the North SB County and South SLO County backpackers to attend.  If you are interested in signing up or hearing more, check the Meetup Link here.

• James Wapotich and Sierra Butler will also be teaching a second Backpacking Made Easy class this Fall in Santa Barbara.  Check the link here for more details.

it’s never too late to take up backpacking and we’ve found that even the seasoned backpackers can learn a lot by attending the classes.  Check it out and hope to see you on the trail, or in the classroom!

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Along the recently burned Chorro Grande Trail, photo Bardley of Ojai
ChorroBardley
WHAT’S GOING ON?
Actually quite a bit going on at the moment.  Here’s a taste!

TASSAJARA FIRE
Earlier this week a fire broke out just north of the Los Padres in Monterey County near the town of Jamesburg.  Named the Tassajara Fire, it moved quickly and grew to over 1,000 acres in just a few hours.  Fire crews got on it quickly and have been able to hold the fire at bay.  It currently stands at 81% contained with 1,086 acres burned.  Sadly 22 structures including 10 homes were destroyed.

SUPER MOON LUNAR ECLIPSE
Nope, not a new character from Incredibles 2 but this Sunday we’ll be able to experience a rare phenomenon called a super moon lunar eclipse.  A super moon occurs when the moons closest orbit around the Earth happens to coincide with being a full moon.  This happens often enough but the twist this time around is that there is a lunar eclipse at the same time.  We’ve not had a super moon lunar eclipse since 1982 and the next one won’t occur until 2033.  So literally, this could be a once in a lifetime experience.  The eclipse should last 72 minutes and is visible for us on the west coast of North America.  For more information search the World Wide Web, there is no shortage of hype.  If you get a great photo, we’d love to see it!

RAIN, RAIN
Most of the Forest got a little taste of rain last week.  It’s been an interesting Summer with now three tropical storms making it far enough north to drop rain around the Los Padres.  While most of the rain totals from the latest storm were less than half an inch, we have reason to celebrate!  For the first time in a long time we have above normal rain totals.  YIPPEE!  Santa Barbara is currently at 133% of normal for the rain season. Of course, don’t get too excited, the rain season goes from September 1 – August 30.

Some of Ranger Rik’s Quiver, available soon!
RikBackpacks
BACKPACK GEAR SALE, ADOPT-A-TRAIL, VWR EVENT
The LPFA will be hosting a backpack gear sale on Saturday November 7 in Santa Barbara.  We’re still working on specifics but put it on your calendar.  If you are a backpacker or lover of the Los Padres, this will be a really cool event!  SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7.  More to come………

UPCOMING EVENTS
Quite a few events upcoming.  Here are a few:

September 25-27: LPFA NPLD Alamar Trail Crosscut Sawyer Project

September 26-27: VWA Pico Blanco NPLD Trail Project
September 26: NPLD Santa Barbara, Upper Cold Spring
September 26: NPLD Ojai Gridley Trail
October 3: Wild and Scenic Film Festival, Monterey in support of the VWA
October 7: Chuck Graham, Ventura Library
October 8: Exploring the Sespe Wilderness Slideshow, James Wapotich, Santa Barbara
October 13: LPFA Backpacking Fundamentals Class, North Santa Barbara and SLO Counties

October 16-18: LPFA Madulce Trail Crosscut Sawyer Project (NOTE NEW DATE)
October 17: Backpacking Made Easy, Santa Barbara, James Wapotich
October 21: Lanny Kaufer, Ventura Library
October 24: Wilderness Symposium, Ojai, Los Padres Chapter Sierra Club
October 28: Craig Carey, Ventura Library
November 7: AAT Launch, Backpacking Gear Sale & VWR Appreciation, Santa Barbara
December 4-6: LPFA Lower Mono-Alamar Trail Project

Labor on Adopt-A-Trail

Posted on by Bryan Conant
Bombing Cuesta, photo Shaw
Cuesta Fire Drop

Happy Labor Day Everyone,

I love Labor Day, it’s our day!  Right?  Labor day is “a public holiday or day of festivities held in honor of working people”.  That’s what I’m talking about, a break from work to celebrate the fact that most of your time is spent working.  I’m okay with that.  Labor Day also marks the end of summer and the oncoming of Fall or backcountry season here in the Los Padres.  You can see it coming.  Trees are changing colors ever so slightly, it’s dark now at 8pm and the mornings are just a little cooler.  It’s always a little sad to say goodbye to summer but I get really fired-up saying hello to Fall and Winter.  Bring it on……

Speaking of labor, big thanks to everyone who fought the Cuesta Fire in SLO County.  The fire is now 100% contained and even with a few flareup scares over the past weeks; the FS, CalFire and others were able to fight it back and keep it under control.  Cuesta ended up burning 2,446 acres and lasted nearly two weeks.  Great work and thank you to everyone involved, I hope you also find some downtime this weekend to celebrate your labor!

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AAT Off and Running, photo Spicer
REI Check
ADOPT-A-TRAIL  LOS PADRES
The LPFA is excited to announce that we won an REI partner grant and will be kicking off and publicizing an Adopt-A-Trail program in the Los Padres.  While Adopt-A-Trail is nothing new and there are dozens of similar programs around the country, there hasn’t been a large scale active program in the Los Padres.  We’re looking forward to working with the Forest Service, trail organizations, corporate sponsors and volunteers to help facilitate a program where everyone can help make a difference on their favorite trail.  Many many more details to come.  We’re hoping to officially launch the program in early November during a Volunteer Wilderness Ranger BBQ event.  Again, more details to come.  We hope you’re all excited about the potential of being able to help your favorite trail.  If you have any questions or need more information, please contact AAT@LPForest.org
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Another New Kiosk Installed, Lower NIRA Trailhead, photo Fosters
NIRA Kiosk
EVENTS UPCOMING

September 17: Wilderness Protection Summit, Santa Cruz Sierra Club & VWA
September 25-27: LPFA NPLD Alamar Trail Crosscut Sawyer Project

September 26-27: VWA Pico Blanco NPLD Trail Project
September 26: NPLD Santa Barbara, Upper Cold Spring
October 3: Wild and Scenic Film Festival, Monterey in support of the VWA
October 16-18: LPFA Madulce Trail Crosscut Sawyer Project (NOTE NEW DATE)
October 24: Wilderness Symposium, Ojai, Los Padres Chapter Sierra Club
November 7: AAT Launch & VWR Appreciation, Santa Barbara
December 4-6: LPFA Lower Mono-Alamar Trail Project

If you have any events to share, please send them our way.
Enjoy the long weekend…….

Cuesta Fire Dodging Lead Bullets

Posted on by Bryan Conant
Image, NASA
NasaImage

A series of fires were started last Sunday evening as a result of a northbound truck along Hwy 101 in SB and SLO Counties dragging a chain and the sparks from that chain igniting roadside vegetation.  The largest of these fires has become the Cuesta Fire and was started along the Cuesta Grade just outside of San Luis Obispo.  The fire started along the south slope of East Cuesta and has spread quickly from there.  As of now the fire has grown to 3,500 acres and is 20% contained.  Thanks to the diligence of the fire fighters and support crews, the fire heading towards containment and the evacuation order for Santa Margarita residents has been lifted.  Currently the fire is being pushed east into the Santa Lucia Wilderness.  Word on the street is that the fire will be fully contained by the middle of next week.  Good news is that the onshore marine layer appears strong over the coming days and below average temperatures are expected into early next week.  Many many thanks to everyone helping with the fire.  With all the fires raging across the West, resources are thin and the amount of work and planning that goes into fighting a fire is astounding.  For those of you in Twitter land, following fires through social media brings you the best and most up-to-date information possible.  You can follow the Cuesta Fire here.

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Photo, Ventana Wildlife Society
CondorLead
GET THE LEAD OUT

As you might be aware, most of the Los Padres is currently in A-Zone South hunting season.  One of the hot local hunting topics over the past decade has been trying to ban lead bullets and instead use copper.  The use of lead bullets is directly related to condor mortality.  You can browse online for days and days about this topic but real quick:- Hunter shoots deer with lead bullet.
– Deer runs away before dying in bushes.
– Hunter is unable to find dead deer.
– Condors feed on dead deer.
– Condors ingest lead bullet fragments.
– Condors get lead poisoning.
– Condors get sick or die.

It is strongly encouraged for hunters within the Condor Range to switch to copper instead of lead.  For those who want to learn more or make the switch, Salinas based Ventana Wildlife Society has tons of information online and they even host a monthly free copper ammunition giveaway.  You enter your name into the drawing, fill out a few questions and each month they raffle out free copper ammunition.  It’s a great program, to say the least.  You can learn more on the Ventana Wildlife Society’s page here.

 

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Finish Line, Santa Barbara 100 Endurance Run
RaceStartFinish
ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET, GO!

Are you an athlete?  Runner?  Mountain Biker?  Just like to get out, exercise and participate?  Well, chances are you’ll be interested in one of these upcoming events:

SANTA BARBARA 100 MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE: October 3, 2015
This 100 and 50 mile ride crosses the SB Backcountry utilizing a series of dirt roads and single tracks.  This will be the 2nd annual running of the event and it got rave reviews last year.  If you are a mountain biker, be sure to check this out.  More information:
http://www.santabarbaramtbclassic.com/?q=home

BIG SUR RIVER RUN: October 24, 2015
Now in its 35th year, the Big Sur River Run offers a 5k walk and 10k run through the redwoods at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.  Proceeds from the event support the Big Sur Health Center and the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade.
http://www.bigsurriverrun.org/

PATAGONIA SALMON RUN: November 8, 2015
This year marks the 22nd year of the Patagonia Salmon Run in Ventura.  The Salmon Run is a fun spirited 5k race that follows the banks of the Ventura River.  Don’t let the fun spirit foul ya, there are some fast runners in the field as well.
http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=15737

Hope to see you at one of the upcoming races…….
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Say cheese!
An all-star crew of Los Padres VWR’s took a summertime field trip to work the
Manter Meadow and Woodpecker Trails in the Southern Sierras’ Domeland Wilderness.
SawyerSierras
CALENDAR

September 25-27: LPFA NPLD Alamar Trail Crosscut Sawyer Project
September 26-27: VWA Pico Blanco NPLD Trail Project
September 26: NPLD Frontcountry Santa Barbara, Location TBD
October 9-11: LPFA Madulce Trail Crosscut Sawyer Project

More details on each event in coming e-newsletters………

Be safe everyone and don’t forget to check us out on Facebook, where right now we’re discussion best ways to wash your down sleeping bag.  Amazing the things you can learn on the internet.

Thanks for the read……..

Sunny Days & Meteor Nights

Posted on by Bryan Conant
SUN

Howdy Everyone,

SUN is the word of the week as some of us are bracing for what is looking like a hot weekend across the Los Padres.  By Saturday most of the LP should be seeing temps in the low to mid 90’s with some places creeping into triple digits.  Even coastal areas will be seeing hotter than usual temperatures.  While the nights have been feeling a tad bit ‘fallish’ over the past few days, most of the forest will see warm evenings to match the hot days.  This is the second weekend of A-Zone South hunting, if you are heading into the forest be sure to bring lots of water and drink it.  For those needing their NDD (Nature Deficit Disorder) fix, your best bet might be along the Big Sur coastal trails in Monterey County.  Be safe and be sure to share what you find on HikeLosPadres.com when you get back.
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Not that hard to get away from lights in the Los Padres
Lights
PERSEID METEOR SHOWER

Each August the night skies above the Los Padres come to life with the Perseid meteor shower.  While the meteor shower happens annually, this year is especially vivid due to the lack of a moon this week.  Below is a link which helps explain all the details, rules, this/that and the other…… BUT your best bet is to get outside, away from the lights, take some time, lay back and enjoy the show……


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San Luis based VWR Bill Obermeyer, escorting Smokey during the Fiesta Parade
Horse
FOREST  NEWS
CHORRO FIRE CONTAINED
The Chorro Fire, which started August 2 along Hwy 33 above Ojai, is now 100% contained.  Great work to the fire crews and Forest Service for knocking it back as quickly as they did.  The fire burned 282 acres and the closure of trails within and around the fire area has been lifted as of today.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation.  Remember that the Los Padres is in level III fire restrictions, more information here and here.

DON VICTOR DOWNED PLANE
A small Cessna plane crashed in the Los Padres near Don Victor Valley on the night of August 6.  The plane had taken off from Lompoc and was headed to Carlsbad when the pilot called out reporting engine failure.  Sadly when the SAR crews arrived both the pilot and passenger were found dead.

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LPFA_Sawyer
NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY: September 26
More information to come but the LPFA will be hosting a trail project on the weekend of September 25-27 along the Alamar Trail in the Dick Smith Wilderness.  The last report we had from the trail was from summer 2014 when Forest Service interns reported at least 300 downed trees within the first mile and a half of the trail.  YIKES!  The Alamar Trail was burned in the Zaca Fire and the thick forest of coulter pines were utterly destroyed.  While the burned skeletons stood for a few years after the fire, almost all of them have now fallen leaving the trail tread buried under hundreds and hundreds of fallen pines.  The great news is that a new thick blanket of sapling coulters are now clawing up to replace the old forest.  The babies are now in the 6-8ft range and extremely healthy.  Nature taketh and nature giveth back, or something like that.  Anyway, back to the trail work: almost all the work will be crosscut sawyer cutting out trees from the trail corridor.  If you are a sawyer or would like to learn more about the sweet science of sawyering, this is a great trip for you.  More information can be found here or email to sign up: INFO@LPForest.org.

National Public Lands Day 2015: Alamar Trail

Posted on by Bryan Conant

Alamar Canyon Overview

AlamarOverview

The LPFA is proud to announce that we’ll be hosting our third consecutive National Public Lands Day (NPLD) project during the weekend of September 25-27.  NPLD is officially Saturday September 26.  NPLD is the nation’s number 1 day for volunteerism.  You can learn more about NPLD here.  In 2013 we hosted a project in the Mt Pinos Ranger District along the Boulder Canyon Trail and in 2014 we worked the Davy Brown Trail in the Santa Lucia Ranger District.  This year we’ll be doing sawyer work and trail maintenance on the Alamar Trail in the Santa Barbara Ranger District.

Details will be announced as the date approaches but the plan is to drive into either Bluff Camp or Alamar Saddle on Friday September 25 and set up a basecamp.  Dinner will be provided for the volunteers.  On the morning of Saturday September 26, we’ll get to work clearing the trail of downed trees and brushing as needed.  The hope is to work approximately 2miles down the canyon to where the trail reaches the headwaters of Alamar Creek.  We’ll reconvene Saturday afternoon back at basecamp, where once again dinner will be provided for the volunteers.  Sunday morning will be set aside for exploring the area and Sunday afternoon we’ll pack up and head back home.

This years NPLD Alamar Trail Project will be a great opportunity to work on a remote trail within the Dick Smith Wilderness, meet like-minded volunteers, give back to the trails you love and get involved in the effort to help the Los Padres National Forest.  The project is open to all levels of trail volunteers and will be limited to 20 volunteers.  For more information contact the LPFA at INFO@LPForest.org.

AlamarSatellite

We’ll be working the section shown in BLUE heading down-canyon from Alamar Camp into the Dick Smith Wilderness.