Tag: San Ysidro Trail

LPFA Trail Update & Fall Projects

Posted on by Addison Jerlow

Looking for fall colors? The Sespe Wilderness has some of the best the LP has to offer. Photo, Liam Searson

Hello Friends,

We hope you’ve found some time to get out into the forest and enjoy the changing colors and cooling temperatures – FALL IS IN THE AIR! Not to jinx it, but it seems like backcountry season has come early this year. It’s a great time to be in the Los Padres! LPFA’s professional and volunteer Trail Crews have been busy getting the LP trails into shape for the season. Read on to check out what we’ve been up to and what else is to come….

LPFA

  • LPFA’s professional Trail Crew spent a good amount of the summer months rebuilding and even rerouting portions of the San Ysidro Trail. This awesome feat was due to invaluable funding and support from the Montecito Trails Foundation. San Ysidro had been closed since January 2023 but is now open once again. Go check it out!
  • The Trail Crew then spent more than a month working on the Blue Canyon Trail on the other side of the Santa Ynez Mountains. It’s looking a lot better now, and we’re planning to get out there again soon to finish the job….
  • LPFA trail volunteers worked across the forest on two National Public Lands Day projects on the Buena Vista Trail and Reyes Peak Trail. These two very different trails have one thing in common, they are in pristine condition thanks to volunteer trail maintenance!
  • LPFA led the Dunn School on a graffiti removal and trash cleanup project at Lizard’s Mouth that removed 15 bags of trash and cleaned up 8 large graffiti projects in the area. These projects are funded by our SB Frontcountry Graffiti Removal Fund. Help us out and please consider donating in order to keep the anti-graffiti charge happening!
  • LPFA also partnered with the Santa Paula Canyon Crew to clean up trash and graffiti across the length of Santa Paula Canyon. We have a special fund to support cleanups in this over-loved canyon, donate to keep this important work coming!

Work by Forest Service partner groups like the LPFA is the main thing keeping the Los Padres trails passable for those who enjoy them. And as an LP enthusiast, you’ve seen just how bad these trails get without proper maintenance. Thank you for the support as we work to keep these trails open for all to enjoy!

Support the Trails!

Island Views abound up on the Mission Pine Trail. Photo, Steve C.

Reyes Peak Trail: Nov 14 – 16

Join LPFA for a long weekend on the Reyes Peak Trail, November 14 – 16th! We will be continuing work from Haddock Peak to Haddock Camp and hopefully knocking out the last 1.5 miles of this iconic LP trail. For this overnight trip, we’ll be backcountry camping up on Haddock Peak where we’ll enjoy some of the best views the LP has to offer. Project locations don’t get much better than this! Sign on up to join the party.

Reyes Peak Signup!

Mission Pine Trail: Nov 21 – 23

LPFA will be car camping for a long weekend at McKinley Saddle at the edge of the San Rafael Wilderness! Join us November 21 – 23rd for an epic weekend in the LP high country on the Mission Pine Trail. We’ll be brushing the trail toward Mission Pine Spring Camp and enjoying crisp fall views of the Santa Barbara backcountry. 4WD vehicles are required, but we’ll do our best to carpool up for those without one who want the join. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!

Mission Pine Signup!

Ain’t that a beautiful trail corridor? From the LPFA Trail Crew in upper Blue Canyon

Los Padres Closure Update: JANUARY 23, 2023

Posted on by Bryan Conant
NIRAging…. WOW! – Photo Roo Seaford, January 11
Hello Friends,

It’s been a busy couple weeks and we’ve been fielding a TON of questions about the current storm related closure that is impacting most of the Los Padres National Forest. Information is changing by the hour but here’s the latest as we come out of a beautiful winter weekend:
San Ysidro Trail, the whole mountain covered the trail within the red circle

• The majority of the Los Padres remains closed through March 14. This includes all of the Ojai, Santa Barbara, Santa Lucia and Monterey Ranger Districts. The Mount Pinos RD is open, yet all the usual winter seasonal gate closures are in effect and be prepared for additional closures or delays from other storm related road damage. If you plan on heading out to the MPRD, be sure to check in with CalTrans or other sources to ensure your roads are open and passable. Still a lot of storm related damage out there…..

• The Forest Service has been busy this past week primarily working on clearing roads, assessing infrastructure damage and assisting with the liberation of multiple stranded communities. There remain over 150 people stranded due to road closures and storm damage. Most of the access roads into the forest are closed and in some cases may remain closed for quite some time.

• In support of the Forest Service and other land agencies, the LPFA has started surveying many of the frontcountry trails above both Santa Barbara as well as Ojai. While the backcountry may be closed for some time due to road closures, the strategy is to get the frontcountry reopened as soon as possible and then work out and back from there.

• Unfortunately we’re seeing substantial damage (slides, washouts, gullies, sinkholes, etc….) across most frontcountry trails and in a few cases showstopper damage that won’t be repaired anytime soon.

• The LPFA Trail Crew has been working with Montecito Trails Foundation to repair some of the trails within and above Santa Barbara. We will be preparing weekly progress reports and sharing with agencies in order to hopefully modify the closure to reopen trails as they are repaired.

• We’ve also been collaborating with MTF and Santa Barbara County Trails Council to restore some of the trails that are outside the current forest closure. It’s a good idea, if you are ‘jonesing’ for a trail, to branch out and explore your local parks, open spaces and managed lands.

• We understand that many of us are frustrated at not being in the forest or visiting our favorite trail or camp. There is a lot of significant damage out there, please try to be patient. We’re pushing hard to help get the surveys completed, get damage repaired and hopefully get portions of the forest reopened as soon as possible.

This is one of at least three sections of San Ysidro Trail that will need significant work or adjustment. Many of the trails have sections that are literally gone and impassable.

EATING AN ELEPHANT

Some good news to share….. With the help of Montecito Trails Foundation, we will be leading 5 days of volunteer trail projects in the Santa Barbara Frontcountry starting Tuesday January 24. Please click the link below to sign up. Due to the nature of the needed trail work, we are limiting the number of volunteers each day. There have been a lot of you (THANK YOU) interested in volunteering and we’ll hopefully have some larger scale volunteer days ahead but for now we’ll be starting small and ramping up. We’re also hoping to have some volunteer days in Ojai soon as well, hint hint, lets do it!

VOLUNTEERS CLICK HERE!

We’re also in need of help with our hired Trail Crew. If you are looking for a job, love being in the forest and have some time to spend repairing damaged trail, please let us know.

TRAIL CREW APPLICANTS CLICK HERE!

Thanks everyone for your support and patience. While all the water has been super damaging, it’s a good thing in the long run. We’re going to have some amazing pools this spring and for years to come.

Sandstone Day Use Area on the Santa Ynez River. This is just below Red Rock. Hard to Recognize. Photo:  Morgan Jones

Happy Los Padres Days!

Posted on by Bryan Conant
Little Pine Winter Majesty, December 12, 2022

Hello Friends,

Happy Holidays and what a nice start to the winter season! We’ve now had multiple storms roll through the Los Padres with rain totals across the forest over 150% of normal to date. The creeks have recharged, the hills are green and most of the higher mountains are white; all good stuff for this time of year. While we’re certainly off to a good start, let’s not forget that at this point last year we were also well above average, that was until the rain decided to shutdown for January and February. Let’s hope for more extended light rain over the coming weeks and beyond.

As a result of the recent rains and greening, the Forest Service has terminated the fire restriction order which means that campfires are once again allowed across the Los Padres. This is probably very welcome news for many of us backcountry wanderers! Be sure to renew your California Campfire Permit (click here, just takes a few mins) and please remain diligent and smart with your fire activity. Happy Day!

Another Legendary Los Padres Sunset Enjoyed by Two Legendary Los Padres Sawyers

FOREST 411

• Recreation Fees Increased – The LPNF announced earlier this week that fees at select sites will be increased across the Los Padres. This mainly affects campground fees and Pfieffer Beach day use. Click here to learn more.

• Trout Creek Update – Over the past 5 years the Wilderness Land Trust has purchased multiple private properties along Trout Creek (SLO Co.) and just completed the final transfer of land to the LPNF. This is a huge win in preserving forest access along Hi Mtn Road and into the Garcia Wilderness. Trout Creek is also a segment of the Condor Trail. Cheers and a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone involved in this effort!

• E-Bike Crew Poachers Busted – Seven people were busted this past month for poaching with illegal hunting tags. In addition to illegal tags, the group, known as the E-Bike Crew, had also been reportedly hunting within the Sespe Condor Sanctuary. That’s a no-no. Lots of information online, click here, here or here.

• Courts Approve Tecuya Fuelbreak – It was also announced earlier this week that the LPNF won a court appeal to begin work on the Tecuya Ridge Shaded Fuelbreak project within the Mt Pinos Ranger District. Click here and here for more information.

• Los Padres Calendars – Looking for any last minute stock stuffers or gifts for the Los Padres lover on your list…. we got ya covered! The LPFA has once again produced a full-color Los Padres wall calendar. They are beautiful and available online or at REI Santa Barbara. Get em while you can!

Volunteer Opportunities

• JAN 21: Mountain Lion Tracking – Exciting news! The LPFA will be helping to install a series of game cameras across the Santa Barbara Backcountry which will be used to track mountain lion activity. We are looking for volunteers to help with this effort. Should be fun! Sign Up Here!

• DEC 30: Santa Cruz Trail – Join the LPFA on Friday December 30 to help maintain the beloved Santa Cruz Trail! Details on the link below but we’ll likely be focusing our efforts on the section of trail around 19 Oaks. TBD based on weather. What better way to wrap up 2022! Sign Up Here!

• DEC 21: Hwy 33 Cleanup – Please join the LPFA as we continue our monthly Highway 33 Adopt-A-Highway events based at Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center. While you’re there, come check out Marcos the Mountain Lion, photo featured above. Sign Up Here!

• FEB 4: VWR Training – The LPFA will once again be leading a Volunteer Wilderness Ranger Training event on Saturday February 4 off Paradise Road. Skills and procedures will be shared so that you can hopefully lead volunteer projects across the forest. Sign Up Here!

So nice seeing water flowing and falling again…. Hope you find some too.