Hello Everybody,
Hope you’ve been getting out and enjoying the unusually warm weather we’ve had of late. It’s been nice, sometimes too nice. WE NEED RAIN. Good news is the LP is looking like we might get a few storms within the next week or so. Fingers crossed! We’ve got quite a few updates from across the Forest, lets get to it:
We were just reminded that this project was never shared. Back in July, the Ojai Ranger District reached out to us and asked if we’d be interested in hosting a ‘Working Vacation’ on the Pothole Trail. I don’t think the words had fully left their mouth and we’d already responded with a “HECK YEAH!” The Pothole Trail is a rarely hiked trail within the Sespe Wilderness that connects Lake Piru with the Agua Blanca drainage. It’s the southern most trail along the Condor Trail, right next to the Sespe Condor Sanctuary and is extremely wild and scenic. Great spot! After a few scouting missions by the Forest Service and LPFA, we set off and spent a week clearing the trail from Log Cabin Camp up towards the ridge line. Working Vacations are projects where the LPFA provides food for the volunteers in exchange for volunteers spending their days hacking away at brush. Three daily meals and morning/evening beverages were more than enough encouragement for our team of 13 volunteers. We ended up clearing nearly 3 miles of trail that was extremely overgrown at the start of the week. Good times had by all and a great opportunity to spend an extended time in the Sespe Wilderness. More photos can be seen on the LPFA Facebook Page.
U P C O M I N G P R O J E C T S
Tis the season and there is a storm of trail projects on the horizon at the moment. Hopefully you can make a couple of these.
January 31: Pothole Trail Clearing
The Ojai Ranger District is hosting a trail project along the Upper Pothole Trail January 31. It will be mostly brushing with some light tread work. For more information, contact Ranger Heidi: handerson@fs.fed.us
February 1: Mine Camp Trail Project
What better way to spend Super Bowl Sunday than doing some trail work in the morning. The LPFA, UTMC and Mt. Pinos Volunteers are teaming up for the 3rd Annual Super Bowl Trail Project. This year the work will be up the Mine Camp Trail up from the Deal Canyon Connector Trail in the Mount Pinos Ranger District. The work will start early and end in time for you to at least make the second half of the Super Bowl. As if that isn’t incentive enough, all volunteers will walk away with a commemorative drink koozy. How can you beat that. For more information, get a hold of Mark Subbotin: msubbotin76@gmail.com
February 27-March 1: Mission Pine Trail
In a continued effort to open up the Mission Pine Trail, another project will be hosted from February 27-March 1 starting from McKinley Saddle and heading to Mission Pine Basin in the San Rafael Wilderness. We’ll send some additional updates but if you’d like to sign up, reach out to Curt Cragg: Curt@LPForest.org
First Aid / CPR Training
There is a forest-centric First Aid and CPR Class on Sunday February 28 in Ojai. This is a great opportunity to get re-certified for your crosscut or chainsaw certification. If interested contact: Bryan@LPForest.org
Wildling Wilderness Panel
The LPFA is partnering with the Wildling Museum to host a Wilderness Panel event in Solvang on February 7. The panel will feature some local Forest historians and key figures as they talk about their experiences in the Los Padres and how the wilderness designations have affected the Forest. Should be a really fun night. We’ll post more information in the coming days. Seats are limited so put it on your calendar.
California Fire Permit
We were reminded that now is the time to get a CA fire permit. It’s free and only takes a few mins. Use the link below and share with your friends and camping buddies.
http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/
Middle Lion Campground in the Ojai has been reopened. It was closed for about a month due to hazard trees. The FS removed the hazard trees and it’s good to go now.
Los Padres Biodiversity Workshop
The LP is hosting a workshop to encourage women to get into fire fighting. The classes are in Santa Barbara over Super Bowl Weekend. For more information check the link below:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/lpnf/home/?cid=STELPRD3827043&width=full
Franklin Trail Fundraiser – January 28
Trails and Ales is back! Drink beer and help the Franklin Trail? What could be better…..
http://sbtrails.org/events/trails-and-ales/
Lots of information…….If we missed anything or you have any updates you’d like us to forward on – send our way. Be safe everyone and enjoy your time in the Forest.
