Category: Uncategorized

Summer is Off to the Races

Posted on by Bryan Conant
Old Man Mtn Bike, photo Cotton Rockwood CottonBike

Hi Everyone,

We hope your summer is going along swimmingly.  For those of you who wish it was more swimmingly, you are not alone.  Swimming holes across the Los Padres are drying up and it was just announced that Lake Cachuma has hit an all-time low water level, yikes!  That being said, there are still those epic year-round pools hidden here or there and plenty of water flowing in the creeks across the Big Sur region.  There’s also some areas that still have green grass and wildflowers for those of you interested in heading to the high country.  All this being said, it’s still a great time to get out and enjoy the Los Padres.  Just be sure to plan accordingly, bring more water than you think you need and remember no campfires in the backcountry!  And when you get back, we’d love to see some photos or hear your tales…….


Buckhorn Aid Station
BuckhornAid
OFF TO THE RACES

For those of you who are trail runners, here are a few upcoming events that you might be interested in:

SANTA BARBARA 100 ENDURANCE RUN: July 8-10
Robert Gilcrest is once again hosting this 100 mile and 100 kilometer endurance run across the Santa Barbara Backcountry and Frontcountry.  The race begins at Lower Oso and winds its’ way up, down, across, over onto the frontcountry, back up, over towards Divide Peak and then back again to Lower Oso.  100 miles!  It’s pretty amazing to see these athletes challenge themselves over that distance.  For those of you who might want to give it a shot, signups are still available, click the link above.

The LPFA will be helping the event by overseeing an Aid Stations along Buckhorn Rd above Upper Oso.  We’ll be out there helping the runners from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning.  If you’re interested in helping, please let us know.  Even a few hours of support would be greatly appreciated.  Our job is to make sure the runners get whatever water and nutrition they need in order to finish the race.  And then we cheer them on and have a great time while doing it.  If interested, email INFO@LPForest.org to sign up.

REI TRAIL RUN SERIES 5K at ELINGS PARK: July 24
REI is sponsoring the 2nd annual REI Trail Run 5k Race at Elings Park, Santa Barbara on Sunday July 24.  If you would like to join the race, check the link above.  They are also looking for a few volunteers who might be able to help with the race in the morning from 7-11am.  If interested let us know, INFO@LPForest.org

ISLAND VIEW TRAIL RACE: September 11
Another cool looking running event scheduled for later this summer is the inaugural Island View Trail Race along the newly rediscovered Franklin Trail above Carpinteria.  The course is 4 miles long, follows the Franklin Trail and all proceeds from the event go towards the Santa Barbara County Trails Council as they continue working towards restoring the Franklin Trail.  If interested, check the link above.

UPCOMING EVENTS
A few upcoming dates, events, projects, presentations or things you might want to know.
If you have any forest-related events to add to this list, let us know and we’re more than happy to pimp your event!


June 30: Mountain Bike Activism Presentation at Patagonia, Ventura

July 7: SBMTV Not2Bad Film Screening, Bicycle Bob’s Goleta
July 8-10: Santa Barbara 100 Endurance Aid Station, Volunteers Needed!
July 21: LPFA Trail Talk Series, Condor Trail
July 24: REI Trail Run Series, Elings Park

August 11: Santa Ynez Valley Historic Museum, Chumash Trails
August 11-13: LPFA Madulce Trail Sawyer Project
August 13: A-Zone South Hunting Season Starts

September 8: Santa Ynez Valley Historic Museum, Walking El Camino Real
September 11: Island View Trail Race
September 14: LPFA Backpacking Fundamentals Class
September 24: National Public Lands Day Trail Project, Lion Canyon Trail, Ojai

October 13: Santa Ynez Valley Historic Museum, Rangers of the San Rafael Wilderness
October 16: D-13 Hunting Season Starts
October 22: LPFA Used Gear Sale
October 29: LPFA First Aid & CPR Training

GreenPineMtn
I told you there’s still a little green out there, even in the golden hour, Pine Mtn Campground, June 24

Wild.Fire.Restrictions

Posted on by Bryan Conant
  FireRestrictions
LEVEL III FIRE RESTRICTIONS

Earlier this week the Los Padres National Forest went into Level III fire restrictions.  Level III restrictions are generally announced annually around this time of year.  By comparison, in 2015 the forest went into Level III restrictions on May 5 and it was May 19 in 2014.  What does Level III mean?  See the attached PDF for the official declaration but here’s the Cliff Notes details:

  • No backcountry campfires within the Los Padres Forest.
  • You can use camp stoves in the backcountry as long as you have a California Campfire Permit.
  • There are designated campfire use sites (see PDF).
  • No target shooting outside of designated special-use permit sites.
  • See PDF for more specifics……
SCHERPA FIRE
We have another wildfire in the Los Padres.  The Scherpa Fire started on Wednesday afternoon just west of Goleta along the Gaviota Coast.  The cause of the fire is under investigation but it is currently holding at 1,200 acres with little containment.  Scherpa has not been too active today but with sundowners in the forecast fire crews are working hard to box it in as best they can before the afternoon winds.  We’ve found that the best way to track fires is through Twitter.  Follow #ScherpaFire and you can get up to the minute updates from around the fire.  And just in, a second fire was just announced up near Knapps’s Castle, Santa Ynez Mtns.  Best of luck to all the fire crews and lets hope they can get it under control before the weekend hot-spell kicks in.


Chances are you’d rather be on this Big Sur trail than wherever you happen to be reading this!
If you’re somewhere better, let us know, we’d love to hear about it……
BigSurTrail
FOREST FOUR ONE ONE

Geology ROCKS!: Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center
Are you interested in geology?  Looking for something to do this Saturday?  We’ve got the answer, come to Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center outside of Ojai this Saturday at 1pm.  Learn about rocks, geology, great time for the kids, fun stuff!  For more information check the link below:
https://lpforest.org/wheeler-gorge-event-schedule/

Las Flores Ranch Work Days: June 25 & 26
Las Flores Ranch is hosting a weekend trail project on June 25-26.  Las Flores is a fantastic open space located outside of Santa Maria and is home to a bunch of multi-use trails.  For more information check the link below:
http://goo.gl/forms/xxeZOHhNUy

Lanny Kaufer Guided Hike: June 26, Pine Mountain
See attached for details.


San Emigdio Mesa, photo Morgan Jones
SanEmigdio

 

 

2016_June13_Level_III_Fire_Restrictions_Page_1 2016_June13_Level_III_Fire_Restrictions_Page_2

Los Padres Forest: Springing into Summer

Posted on by Bryan Conant
Why did the bear cross the road?
Well, obviously to scratch his/her back against the tree.
photo Humphrey
ScratchingBear
While we are technically still in Spring, it sure feels a lot like Summer doesn’t it?  Over the past week we had triple digit heat across much of the Los Padres, we’re getting the typical summer ritual of creeks starting to dry up and unfortunately we’re seeing some wildfires around the forest as well.  The Coleman Fire is currently the largest wildfire in California and is located on the Los Padres just southwest of King City on the outskirts of the Ventana Wilderness.  Coleman started last Saturday during the height of the heat-spell and has burned around 2,500 acres while being just over 40% contained.  The fire crews have been taking advantage of the cooler temperatures and are making good progress on the fire.  They expect containment next Monday June 13.  In the meantime there are currently no fire restrictions across the Los Padres but we expect some sort of restrictions to be implemented within the next week or two.  Stay tuned and we’ll share any updates both with Coleman and fire restrictions as soon as we hear anything……..
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CalienteSnakeRATTLESNAKE SEASON
While the coming of summer can mean warmer nights, backcountry swimming holes or one step closer to hunting season, it also means that we’re squarely within rattlesnake season.  We’ve had quite a few reports from across the forest of rattler sightings and while fortunately most of them have resulted in happy endings for both snake and human, it’s never a bad idea to learn how to avoid or deal with a bite in the chance that one were to happen.  Here’s a few resources and articles for what to do when dealing with a rattler or bite.  Be careful, stay alert and remember that having a cell phone, SPOT or other form of communication is never a bad idea…….
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The Madulce Village, during May 2016 Working Vacation
MadulceVillageFOREST FOUR ONE ONE

An assortment of this and that from across the forest, click the links for more information.

FIRST AID / CPR TRAINING

The LPFA will be hosting a First Aid / CPR class at some point this Summer or early Fall.  Super volunteer Susie Thielmann will be the instructor and the class will either be in Santa Barbara or Ventura County.  It is open to the first 15 people who sign up.  We’ll figure out dates around the availability of interested persons.  If you need first aid for a sawyer certification, in order to be a trail leader or want to do it just because it’s a good thing to have, let us know and we’ll put you on the list.  INFO@LPForest.org

 


ROBERT STONE HIKING GUIDES PHOTOGRAPHY

Robert Stone is a local author who writes trail guide books.  He will be publishing an updated version of his Ventura County and Santa Barbara County guide books.  He’s looking for some great photographs that can be used as a cover photo or along the back of the book.  If you have any photos of the area that might make a good cover, let us know and we’ll put you in contact with Robert.  Compensation will be provided for selected photographs.  INFO@LPForest.org

ROCKFRONT OHV CLOSURE, SLRD

NATIONAL TRAILS DAY – FRANKLIN TRAIL, SBRD

NIGHT FIRE FLYING EXERCISE – CHUCHUPATE, MPRD

MISSING PERSON IN BIG SUR, MRD

Forest Gates Opening & Late Spring Trail Projects

Posted on by Bryan Conant
Otis Calef, One of the Countless Ways he Supports the Trail Cause, Mono Canyon
OtisMono

Good Day Everyone,

Busy times across the forest right now.  Trail projects up and down the LP, some flowers are wilting while others are just blooming, most creeks are still flowing, temps are rising, flash floods around Cuyama, rain here but certainly not there and did we mention trail projects?  We’ll spend some time soon helping to document all the trail work accomplishments around the forest but for today we’re going to focus on access and promoting a few upcoming trail projects.  Lets get to it…..


RainbowGates
OPEN THE GATES
With the winter and rains now clearly behind us, the FS started opening the gates that were closed due to mandated seasonal closures.  Most of the gates across the forest are now open.  There are a few here or there that remain closed due to slides (Dry Cyn, MPRD) or other closure policies (Cherry Creek, ORD) but chances are you shouldn’t be stymied by a surprise closed gate for whatever adventure you might be planning.  It’s never a bad idea to check before you head out to make sure the road to your trailhead is open.  Best thing to do is call the Ranger District you plan on visiting.  Other very reliable sources are the Alerts & Notices section of the FS website as well as the gates section on HikeLosPadres.com.  Which reminds me, if there are any gates to be added to HikeLosPadres, please let us know at Support@HikeLosPadres.com.


Down the Jackson Trail to Sycamore Camp, San Rafael Wilderness
SycamoreWorkingVacation MIDDLE SISQUOC WORKING VACATION
May 20-30, Sycamore Camp

The LPFA will be hosting a Working Vacation later this month along the Sisquoc Trail in the San Rafael Wilderness.  We’ll be basecamping at Sycamore Camp and working the Sisquoc Trail from Sycamore downstream to Abel Camp.  The work will be primarily brushing and reestablishing trail tread with some crosscut mixed in for good measure.  The project lasts 10 days but has smaller time chunks available for people who can only make 3-4 days at a time.  We’ll work around your schedule.  The LPFA is arranging stock support for the project as well as a camp cook and all the food for volunteers.  This is a great way to visit this remote and wild portion of the forest and is open to volunteers of all skill and experience levels.  Come one, come all.  John Franklin and Steve Cypher will be leading the project, email INFO@LPForest.org for more information or to sign up.  See you out there……..

Shady Waterfull Alder Creek
FranklinTrail NATIONAL TRAILS DAY: Franklin Trail, Alder Creek
June 3-5, Middle Santa Ynez Camp
June 4 is National Trails Day, yippee!  There will be a bunch of projects across the forest that we will share in the next few weeks.  This is the third year the LPFA will be participating in NTD.  Last year we worked the North Cold Spring Slide and this year we’ll be moving a little to the east to work the North Franklin Trail along Alder Creek in the Carpinteria backcountry.  We’ll be basecamping at Middle Santa Ynez Campground and then driving to the trailhead near Jameson Lake to work the trail.  Food will be provided for all volunteers and we’ll be sure to mix in enough fun around the trail work to make it a good time for everyone.  Bring the family, enjoy the nearby hot springs, help clear the historic trail, sign songs around the campfire, laugh with friends and we hope to see you there.  Sign up at INFO@LPForest.org.
Old Man Sunrise, May 2016
LPSunset

Lost Valley Trail Maintenance Working Vacation

Posted on by Bryan Conant

Lost Valley Trail Maint. Working Vacation

Los Padres Forest Association        

April 8th – April 17th 2016

 

Trip Purpose – The main purpose of this trip was to perform brushing and tread-work in the areas heavily covered in brush. Remove debris slides and cut out and remove the estimated 10 downed trees blocking the Lost Valley Trail from the lower trailhead starting at the Lost Valley/Manzana trail intersection and ending at the Hurricane Deck trail intersection. This trail took heavy debris damage during the August 2015 thunderstorms.

Water Conditions – Water conditions were about as expected considering 5 years of drought. The creek bed had some wet areas in the lower 2 miles. The dependable wet area, ¾ miles below twin oaks, was wet and vulture springs was trickling. Packers brought us water for camp every other day or so.

Weather Conditions – We experienced rain the first 3 days of the project and stayed at NIRA, then moved camp to Twin Oaks and finished the project from there. The remaining 7 days were mostly clear with highs in the high 70’s and low 80’s.

Description of Work/Surveys Accomplished

Project Overview

  1. Bucked out 10 fallen trees along the entire Lost Valley Trail.
  2. With the total length of the Lost Valley Trail being about 8 miles, we cleared the first 5 miles to Vulture Springs to full LPFA standard. We also completely cleared the remaining 3 miles from Vulture Springs to hurricane deck of all trees and heavy brushing and worked on tread areas in problem spots.

Trip Overview – This 10-day working vacation was originally planned for the Madulce Trail. However, rainy weather during the first few days, caused concern for getting pack animals safely in and out of camp and up the infamous heartbreak hill.

So we moved the project to the Lost Valley Trail, which sustained heavy damage during the August 2015 thunderstorms. That particular weather event brought down trees and debris slides, making the trail nearly impassable to hikers.

We car-camped the first 3 days of the project at NIRA while working on the first few miles of the Lost Valley Trail. After the weather cleared, and the remaining work was farther up the trail, we moved to Twin Oaks Camp to continue our efforts.

The trip was very successful overall, especially as an alternate to the original plan. Each day we broke into several teams, performing brushing, tread-work and/or tree removal as needed.

Future Projects for the area – The remaining 3 miles, from Vulture springs to hurricane deck, need to be completed to Full LPFA standard. A multi-day trip, with workers staying at cowboy camp and packers bringing water to camp, will make working this section feasible. This will allow us to work on the East Hurricane deck section simultaneously.

Backcountry users observed in the area – We observed several groups of day-hikers and backpackers in the Manzana trail and NIRA camp areas. On the final day of the project, a couple of backpackers who hiked the middle-deck loop mentioned that they were very pleased to hike a freshly worked Lost Valley Trail.

April 16, 2016 – Weekend Activity Guide

Posted on by Bryan Conant
Poppie Pano, Fig Mtn, April 2016
PoppyPanoSpring is still in full swing!  It’s a busy weekend on the forest with things to do and trails to see.  Hoping you get out this weekend to camp, ride, drive, sight-see, backpack, swim, jump, worm or explore.  Whatever you’re looking for, chances are it’s out there this weekend, go get it!  Now, if you’re looking for some things to do, we’ve got a few suggestions below:

WheelerOpenHouse2016 WHEELER GORGE OPEN HOUSE
Saturday 4/16: 10am – 2pm
Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center

This Saturday is the 11th annual Wheeler Gorge Open House at Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center, Ojai Ranger District.  The Open House marks the start of the Wheeler Gorge summer season of activities and interpretive events.  The Open House features booths from a variety of educational organizations around Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.  Most of the booths are setup for the kiddies, this is a great event to bring the family.  There’s reptile petting zoos, geology specialists, Santa Barbara Zoo, Sierra Club, Friends of the California Condor, Craig Carey will be talking trails, birds on display, a guided nature walk by Lanny Kaufer and much much more….  It’s a great time, you’ll learn a bunch about the forest, it’s just 15mins outside of Ojai and best of all – you’ll keep the kids busy for a few hours – that is priceless, right?!  See you there………
SBEarthDay
SANTA BARBARA EARTH DAY
Saturday & Sunday 4/16-17: All Day
Alameda Park, Santa Barbara
For those in the SB area, SB Earth Day is a great time!  Did you know that Earth Day was started in SB?  The LPFA will once again have a booth setup for the weekend.  We’ll have games for the kids, Los Padres trivia contests, maps to stare at and a variety of LP’centric fun!  Come on by and say hello, or better yet, volunteer for an hour or two.  We’ll give you a shirt as incentive and it would be great to hang out.  INFO@LPForest.org to sign up!
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While we’re at it, don’t forget that next Tuesday, April 19th is the first LPFA Trail Talk event at the Veterans Hall in SB.  Get your tickets while you can……. see attached flier.

And Alamar Trail project on April 29-May 1.  This is a great time and a fantastic opportunity to visit some of the deepest, most remote, beautiful sections of the forest.  Come and join us, you won’t be disappointed!

For more volunteer projects and opportunities, check here and here…..

Hope to see you out and about and please share any trail updates you might have on HikeLosPadres.com

CTSLOView View from the Condor Trail, SLO Backcountry

 

 

LP Trail Talk Series & Wildflowers

Posted on by Bryan Conant
JamesTalkFlier LPFA TRAIL TALK SERIES
    Got plans for April 19?  You do now……  Headed up by Super Volunteer Scott Kipp, the LPFA has been working on lining up a series of talks, films and presentations focused on the Los Padres Forest and all the great recreational activities we enjoy in the Los Padres.  Our first event is Tuesday April 19 at the Veterans Memorial Hall in downtown Santa Barbara.

Headlining the event will be a presentation by James Wapotich on backpacking the trails within the SB wilderness areas.  If you haven’t heard/seen James talk, you gotta make it.  Not only are his stories a lot of fun but the photos will make you want to get out on the trail – they are fantastic!

In addition to James, we’ll have complimentary malty/hoppy/fermented beverages to quench your thirst and enough social time bookending the presentation to pick peoples brains about the best locations across the forest.  We’ll also have a few smaller presentations mixed in to provide volunteer opportunity updates and other fun forest stuff.

The event is FREE for LPFA members or $10 for non-members.  All proceeds from the event will go to the LPFA Trail Care program, which is used to purchase food and trail tools for our volunteer projects.  Space is limited so get your tickets while you can!  Click here for tickets or email INFO@LPForest.org for more information or questions.   See you there…..!


Loma Pelona, not so bald at the moment, April 2016 – photo Humphrey
LomasFlowers
WILDFLOWERS
Spring 2016 has shaped up to be one of the most spectacular wildflower seasons in recent memory.  The hills across the Los Padres are dotted with purples, golds, oranges, pinks, reds, whites and just about every other color you can imagine.  Quite spectacular this year.  Figueroa Mountain continues to hold the top billing with a poppy display you can see for dozens of miles in all directions.  We heard reports last weekend of literal traffic jams of people making the pilgrimage up to Fig Mtn.  While the poppies/lupines on that side of the SY Valley are terrific, there are many many other lesser known locations across the forest that are bursting with colors as well.  Get out there and explore!

Colorful Zaca Lake Flanks, look at Bald Mtn! – photo John Wiley
ZacaLakeWiley
We do have rain in the forecast for the next week so it’s possible the flowers might stick around a little longer this year as well.  If you haven’t gone to see the flowers, make a point of doing it this year.  No matter if you drive hours to that secret western facing slope or simply hit your favorite trail, no doubt you’ll be in for a fantastic wildflower display.  Go get it!
PurpleReeds Purple Reeds – photo Humphrey

Volunteer Season & Pine Valley Legend

Posted on by Bryan Conant
San Luis Obispo Backcountry, March 2016
SLOCamp

NOW is quintessential Los Padres.  Flowers are blooming, grass is green, water is flowing (mostly), days are warm (mostly) and nights are cool.  If you’re not getting out on the trail (or off-trail), you really should find some time for a ride or hike.  When you get back, send us your photos, we’d love to see some good ones and be sure to check HikeLosPadres.com for the most up-to-date trail conditions.

 

VOLUNTEER SEASON

The best time to be in the Los Padres is not limited only to riding/hiking but it’s also the best time for getting out on a trail project, giving back to the trails you love and volunteering.  There are a ridiculous amount of volunteer projects and events lined up over the coming weeks/months across the Los Padres.  We’ll note a few here but feel free to contact us directly for more information or check Facebook/Meetup for updates:
April 8-17: LPFA Madulce Working Vacation, Dick Smith Wilderness

We’re set for a 10-day Working Vacation starting this coming Friday.  There is space available on the project, in particular the second weekend.  We’ll be working the Santa Barbara Canyon, Madulce, Don Victor and Puerto Suelo Trails.  For more information let us know at INFO@LPForest.org, all food will be provided for volunteers.

April 9: ORD Murietta Trail, Matilija
Ranger Heidi of the Ojai Ranger District will be leading this project to brush and clear the Murietta Trail in Matilija Canyon.  The project starts at 0830, email Heidi for more information or to sign up: handerson@fs.fed.us

April 9: SB Trails Council, Bill Wallace Trail, El Capitan State Park

Volunteer with SBCTC as they work the Bill Wallace Trail above El Capitan State Park along the Gaviota Coast.  For more information, click Meetup here.

April 16: Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center 11th Annual Open House
The Visitor Center at Wheeler Gorge will be hosting the 11th Annual Wheeler Open House.  We’ll provide more details soon but there will be booths setup from a variety of local organizations, a guided nature hike, games, food and much MUCH more……..  A super fun event that is a must for families with kids of all ages.

April 16: ORD Chorro Grande Trail, Highway 33
Join Ranger Heidi of the Ojai Ranger District along the Chorro Grande Trail on the south side of Pine Mtn.  The project starts at 0800, email Heidi for more information or to sign up: handerson@fs.fed.us

April 16: Slide Mountain Fire Lookout, Pyramid Lake
This is a cool event focused around California Trails Day.  Slide Mountain is within the Los Padres National Forest but is administered by the Angeles National Forest.  Volunteers will be meeting at Frenchman’s Flat at 0800 and working from there up towards the fire lookout.  Email Chris Fabbro (cfabbro@fs.fed.us) for more information or to sign up.

April 16-17: VWA Santa Lucia Trail, Ventana Wilderness
Join the Ventana Wilderness Alliance as they work the Santa Lucia Trail from Memorial Park Campground.  Meetup here for more information.

April 19: LPFA Wilderness Trails Presentation, Santa Barbara Veterans Hall
The LPFA is hosting a Trails Talk on Tuesday April 19 at the Santa Barbara Veterans Hall.  James Wapotich will give a presentation about the Wilderness Trails of Santa Barbara County and there will be plenty of time to socialize and hang out talking trails – what could be better?  For more information check out Meetup here, event is free for LPFA members.

April 23: Jesusita Trail, Santa Barbara Frontcountry
Another event focused on California Trails Day will be working the Jesusita Trail above Santa Barbara.  The project starts at 0830 and will meet at the water treatment trailhead off San Roque Rd.  For more information see Meetup here.

April 23-24: VWA Pine Ridge Trail, Ventana Wilderness
The Ventana Wilderness Alliance will be hosting a 2 day project along the Pine Ridge Trail working out of China Camp (near Pine Valley, spoiler alert).  Meetup here for more details.

April 29 – May 1: LPFA Alamar Trail Weekend Project, Dick Smith Wilderness
The LPFA will be hosting a 2 or 3 day project based out of Bluff Cabin and working the upper 2.4miles of the Alamar Trail.  All food will be provided and work will involve crosscut sawing, tread and brushing.  This portion of the Alamar Trail is along one of the more beautiful stretches of trail in the wilderness.  Come along…..  INFO@LPForest.org for more information or to sign up.

May 20-30: LPFA Middle Sisquoc Working Vacation, San Rafael Wilderness

The second LPFA Working Vacation of 2016 will be set at Sycamore Camp along the Sisquoc River within the San Rafael Wilderness.  We’ll be working the Sisquoc Trail downstream from Sycamore to Abel Camp.  Access will be provided to Painted Rock Camp and down the Jackson Trail to camp.  The water will be perfect in late May along the Sisquoc.  INFO@LPForest.org

LittlePineSunset

Little Pine Sunset, March 2016
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THE PASSING OF A LOS PADRES LEGEND
There is no shortage of legendary Los Padres figures who helped shape the landscape, protect the environment or add character to the geography.  Study any local maps and you’ll see dozens and dozens of unique placenames dotted across the Los Padres revealing many of these characters.  Sadly, we lost one of the LP living legends last month with the passing of Jack English.  Jack was able to purchase a private inholding of land in beautiful Pine Valley surrounded by the Ventana Wilderness in the late 1970’s.  Jack and his family built a small cabin on their land, chose a simpler life and called it home.  You’ll find tons of articles about Jack with a quick Google search, a few articles are linked below.  What you might not find is all the stories from backpackers who had the pleasure of meeting Jack and his family at Pine Valley over the years.  Stories about him sharing pancakes with campers, sharing his cabin during storms and most importantly sharing his time and stories with Pine Valley visitors.  Truly a legend and gentlemen, he will be missed but his legend will live on forever……..


English Cabin 2005, Pine Valley, Monterey County
PineValley

Buckhorn Trail & 20 Years of VWR!

Posted on by Bryan Conant
Upper Buckhorn Trailhead
BuckhornTrailhead
BUCKHORN TRAIL PROJECT
Hello Everyone!  We are beyond excited to announce that the LPFA is partnering with SBMTV to host a weekend trail project along the Buckhorn Trail in the Santa Barbara Backcountry.  The Buckhorn Trail has a rich history dating back over a hundred years.  It was the main means of travel between Little Pine and the Pendola area of the Upper Santa Ynez.  The Buckhorn was famous for its hunting, with hunters-camps throughout the canyon dotting the old maps.  And in more recent times, the Buckhorn was famous as an epic mountain bike ride.  In fact it was so epic that the International Mountain Bicycling Association even named it to their list of Epics.  In recent years the trail has suffered from lack of maintenance and nowadays it’s pretty epic if you can even drag yourself, let alone a bike, down the canyon.  Well, we’re going to change that and we hope you want to join in…..

March 18-20, 2016
We’ll be heading in on Friday afternoon March 18 to setup camp at nearby Happy Hollow Campground.  We’ll be camping there Friday night and then starting the trail work bright and early on Saturday March 19.  We’ll be focusing on brushing the top couple miles of the trail dropping in from the Buckhorn Rd down to the first creek crossing.  We’ll stop work in the mid-afternoon and head back to Happy Hollow for a BBQ dinner, evening festivities and camping under the stars.  After breakfast on Sunday, we’ll wrap up any work that is needed on the trail, pack up and head home.  There will be options for people who want to arrive and/or leave on Saturday as well.  If you are interested in helping or would like more information, let us know:  INFO@LPForest.org
Food will be provided for breakfast Saturday and Sunday and dinner Saturday night.  Bring your hardhat as well as your party hat, gonna be a good time……


VWR Crew, 100 Strong & Growing, photo Humphrey
VWR20th 20th ANNUAL VWR TRAINING

Contrary to popular belief, its not chainsaw-augmented deer that keep the trails of the Los Padres open but rather a group of dedicated volunteers called the Volunteer Wilderness Rangers (VWR). Similar to deer, VWR’s range across the forest from Ventura to Monterey working tirelessly on their favorite trails and camps ensuring they stay open and passable for trail users. In order to be a VWR, one must go through an annual training where volunteers are trained on Forest Service protocol, first-aid, visitor contact, safety, trail maintenance techniques and wilderness ethics. The annual VWR Training is hosted each January in the Santa Barbara Ranger District and celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016.

The VWR program was started in 1996 by a group of volunteers and Forest Service staff in order to provide the necessary training for volunteers to lead forest supported projects. One of the chief organizers of the VWR program was named Dave Weaver. Dave was an avid backpacker, a retired teacher and loved ‘talking forest’ with anyone and everyone he could. If you had a backcountry question or adventure to share, Dave not only had an answer but a story of his own as well. He truly characterized the spirit of the VWR program with his commitment to the land and a fun, yet professional, approach to volunteerism. After Dave’s passing in 2013, the VWR program created a lifetime achievement award in his name called the Dave Weaver Wilderness Award. The award goes to the VWR who best exemplifies Dave’s spirit of sharing the stoke for the forest and working to keep the trails open and public educated on the proper way to recreate in the forest.

For 2016, the VWR recognized Mike Smith (the Goatman) with the Dave Weaver Wilderness Award for his contributions to the forest over the past 20+ years. Mike has led countless trail projects in the Los Padres, mostly deep within the forest along the Upper Sisquoc Trail in the San Rafael Wilderness. If you’ve spent any time along the Sisquoc Trail you’ve certainly reaped the benefits of his hard work and it’s likely that you’ve crossed paths, hint: he’s the one with five pack goats in tow. We congratulate Mike Smith on his accomplishments and celebrate 20 years of volunteerism through the Volunteer Wilderness Ranger program.

WeaverAwards Weaver Award Winners Rik Christensen, Mickey McTigue, Mike Smith
& SLRD Wilderness Trails Manager Joe Duran


Mission Pine Basin, “the trails that way”, March 2016
MissionPineSCTrail

WHAT’S HAPPENING

March 12, 2016
Ojai plant guide Lanny Kaufer is leading a nature hike at Rose Valley Falls.  For more information email Lanny: lanny@herbwalks.com

March 20, 2016
Lanny is leading another nature walk for the Spring Equinoz along the Gridley Spring trail.  More information here: lanny@herbwalks.com

April 9, 2016
Ranger Heidi is leading a trail project along the Murietta Trail in the Ojai Ranger District.  For more information shoot her an email:  handerson@fs.fed.us

April 16, 2016
Wheeler Gorge Open House.  If you are in Ojai or Ventura, this is a must!  More to come but get it on your calendar.

April 20, 2016
LPFA will be hosting a forest talk in Santa Barbara, more to come but also be sure to put this on your calendar……

LPFA Events Calendar
https://lpforest.org/events-calendar/
And if you have any events you’d like promoted or included, please let us know…..

Falls

 

What’s a WORKING VACATION?

Posted on by Bryan Conant
JasonnSisquoc WORKING VACATIONS
If you check the dictionary or an online source and look up the antonym for the word VACATION, the first response that comes back is the word WORK.  Generally the words WORK and VACATION don’t go together too well, do they?  That’s not always the case though, let me explain…..
Starting about 15 years ago the LPFA began a program called WORKING VACATIONS where VWR Trail Leaders would host a 7-10 day volunteer trail project usually deep in a wilderness area.  Being that it takes a day of travel to even get to most of these remote locations, the WORKING VACATIONS (WV) gave us enough time out there to accomplish a lot of trail work.  The WV’s are always stock supported, meaning we utilize mules and/or horses to bring in camp supplies, food and in some cases all the camping gear.  On a few WV’s the volunteers literally only need to carry in a daypack and the stock team carries in all other essentials for the week – it’s great!  The LPFA pays for all the food for the week and there is usually a designated cook who handles preparing all meals and cleanup.  You wake up and there is hot coffee and breakfast waiting for you and at the end of the day you are greeted back at camp with a cold beverage and dinner already made – it’s great!  (You might be asking how you can schedule a WV at your house?  Can’t help you there…..)  It’s also really nice having a terrific excuse to visit some of the more remote, wild and spectacular parts of the forest.  But the best part about WORKING VACATIONS is getting into a daily rhythm of working the trails and spending time with old friends or making new friends – it’s great!

Heath Camp has never smelled so good…..
HeathBurgers
In Spring 2016 the LPFA will be hosting three WORKING VACATIONS.  Our first is from April 8-18 at Madulce Camp in the Dick Smith Wilderness.  We’ll be working all the trails that radiate from camp including Santa Barbara Canyon, Madulce Trail, Puerto Suelo and the Don Victor Trail.  There are options available for volunteers who can only make it for a long weekend or for those who would like to stay all week.  We can pretty much customize the arrivals and departures around your schedule.  The project will be stock supported and all food expenses covered.  If you are interested in helping either as a trail volunteer, cook or packer, contact INFO@LPForest.org.  Mike Smith will be the project leader.

Log Cabin Pancake Breakfast
LogCabinPancake

Our second WORKING VACATION is May 20-31 based at Sycamore Camp along the middle Sisquoc in the San Rafael Wilderness.  Our focus for this project will be to work the Sisquoc Trail downstream from Sycamore to Abel Camp.  John Franklin and Steve Cypher are co-leading this project.  Volunteers, cooks and/or stock support are needed.  I’ll tell you one thing, jumping into the Sisquoc after a long day of work will not be the worst thing.

The stars of the show: Susie, Otis and Team
PackSupport

The third WORKING VACATION is scheduled for June and the location is TBD dependent on how water conditions shape up the rest of the winter and into summer.

If you are interested in learning more or to sign up, let us know:  INFO@LPForest.org

 

The Working Vacations are great fun and I think I can speak for all the previous participants and say that they are some of the best volunteer experiences you can have in the Los Padres.  Hope to see you out there…….

PotholeWorker

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SURF & TURF

And while I have you, don’t forget about the Surf & Turf event TONIGHT at Surf Brewery in Ventura.  Information is attached.