Sisquoc Trail – Los Padres Forest Association

Los Padres Hunting & Wildfire Season

Posted on August 9, 2019 by Bryan Conant

*We certainly won’t be winning any lumberjack world championship crosscut speed competitions, but we got it done! Sisquoc Trail, August 2019*

HELLO FRIENDS – Tomorrow (August 10) kicks off the most popular hunting season here in the Los Padres, the Zone A South General Deer Season. Zone A South encompasses most of the Los Padres from Monterey down through Ventura County except for Zone D13 which covers the Ventura/Kern Highcountry, click to see map here. There will be a lot of hunter activity across the forest over the coming A Zone weeks, especially during the early weekends of the Season. If you’re out and about you should expect to see hunters at most of the trailheads and along many of the access roads. If you have plans to visit the forest this weekend, be aware of the extra activity and depending on your interests and where you plan on going, you may want to adjust your plans or at the very least wear bright colored clothing. Good idea to leave the antler helmet at home this time around.

Remember that we are in fire restrictions and campfires are only permitted in designated campfire use sites. Be safe!

*Wildfire Season is Here! Mill Fire overview, photo Nic Elmquist*

WILDFIRE UPDATE & CLOSURES

The Los Padres had two wildfire scares over the past couple weeks with the Mill Fire (310 acres) along the southern edge of the Ventana Wilderness and the Range Fire (100 acres) off of Happy Canyon in the Santa Ynez Valley. Thankfully both fires didn’t blow up and are near 100% containment. The cause of the fires have not been shared. There is a current forest closure as a result of the Mill Fire that includes Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, Mill Creek Trail, Kirk Creek Trail, South Coast and Cone Peak Roads. Thanks to everyone involved in fighting the fires and lets hope for no more wildfire scares.

*Bow wow wow! Poodle dog flooding Dry Lakes Ridge, photo Perry Van Houton*

FOREST 411

• There have been quite a few trails maintained over the past month or so across the Los Padres by the FS and your local volunteer organizations. Here’s a quick list, remember you can visit HikeLosPadres.com for more information about these wonderful trails: Cold Spring, Marble Peak, Franklin, Matilija Falls, Poplar, Reyes Peak, Rattlesnake Canyon, Romero, Baron, Sisquoc, Terrace Creek, Jesusita

• Earlier this week the Los Padres made the news as a result of a car chase that ended up, then down, along the Sierra Madre Road. The footage of the LP portion of the chase was released a few days ago and is absolutely crazy. Please don’t try this!

• The LP also made the news this week thanks to a two-day search operation for a missing backpacker. The solo backpacker and his faithful dog were attempting the 50-mile Lower Sisquoc Loop in the San Rafael Wilderness when he came down with a sickness on day 1 of his 3 day trip. His family grew concerned when he didn’t make it home at the end of day 3 and contacted Santa Barbara Search and Rescue. The extensive search began at sunrise on day 4 and thankfully the backpacker turned up mid-morning on day 5. The backpacker was dehydrated but otherwise in good health. Thankfully the backpacker had left an itinerary with his family and had taken the time to enter his name into the various trail registers along the route. The combination of register entries and knowing his itinerary aided immensely in developing a search strategy for the lost backpack. Remember that. Alls well that ends well, great work by SAR and yes, the dog came back in one piece as well – probably had the time of his life!

• The trails above Montecito were hit extremely hard due to the Thomas Fire and subsequent January 2018 debris flows. Many groups and volunteers have assisted in the reconstruction of the trails but we wanted to mention one specific group effort working on the lower Cold Spring Trail, specifically building a wall that is now affectionately known as the Don Wall. The Cold Spring Trail was wiped clean after the debris flows and along with it the trailhead on the east side of Mountain Drive. This section of trail had turned into a lumpy cliff face with a 20ft drop into the creek below. It seemed impossible to repair but thanks to nearly two-months of hard work the trail has been fixed and is looking terrific! Many people assisted in this process including: Los Padres National Forest, City of Santa Barbara, SB County, Montecito Trails Foundation, Santa Barbara Mountain Bike Trail Volunteers, Multi-Use Trails Coalition, Thomas Fire Trail Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, SLO County Trails, SB County Trails Council, Ventana Wilderness Alliance, the LPFA ans especially Donn & Don. It was really inspiring and fun working with so many people and completing our goal. Thanks everyone…….

• The gate at Cherry Creek Road along upper Highway 33 is now open. Cherry Creek provides access to the upper Matilija Trailhead as well as the upper Ortega Motorcycle Trail.

• Get your party hats on….. Smokey Bear’s 75th birthday is today. Woot woot! Wonder if he will have candles on his cake….??? Happy Birthday Smokey Bear.

• Highway 1 along northern SLO County will have overnight closures at Ragged Point for 4 weeks starting on 8/12.

*The before and after Don Wall, Cold Spring Trailhead*

Finally, Los Padres Spring Season is HERE!

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Bryan Conant

No more waiting, LP Season 2019 is on now!
No White Walkers here, just Blue Canyon, photo D Haan

Hello Friends,

We hope this email finds you with a little Los Padres dirt under your fingernails, perhaps a very small splotch of poison oak on the back of your leg, sore legs from hammering up that big trail climb last weekend and a huge smile thinking about what was and what is yet to come in your Los Padres explorations. This is the prime time of the year for hiking, riding, camping and/or swimming. There are lots of opportunities near and far to enjoy the Los Padres and to give back to the forest in the process. You can explore local Meetup groups for close-by trail addicts looking for like-minded friends to share the trails with. Study your LP maps or HikeLosPadres.com for new trails or camps to visit. And for those who want to give back to the trails you love, join the LPFA on one of our upcoming volunteer projects. Have at it, get-out get-out wherever you are and take advantage of the prime season here in the Los Padres. Oh, and by the way, we’d love to see any photos you take while you’re out in the forest. Just as you probably (hopefully) like to get these updates, we also love to see what you’re up to as well. Living vicariously……

*Nathan Wickstrum for the win! And he won the contest too.*

WHEELER GORGE BROCHURE COVER CONTEST

A few months ago we ran a contest looking for great photos of the Hwy 33 / Ojai Backcountry region of the Los Padres Forest to be used on the cover of the 2019 Wheeler Gorge event brochure. We received over 100 incredible photo entries from across the Ojai Ranger District featuring sunsets, flowers, snow capped mountains, waterfalls, majestic trees, vistas and people enjoying the forest. It was a hard choice but we ended up choosing this fantastic layout of waterfalls taken by Nathan Wickstrum. Thank you everyone who participated and Nathan, we’ll be in touch to discuss your prize! Woot woot…..

The annual Wheeler Gorge Open House is this weekend! Please come by for a visit with your family and friends, say hello and come back again throughout the summer for the weekly events and talks. You can learn more here.

LPFA volunteers went Dothraki clearing brush on the Tinta Trail.
Yes, that was and is the trail. Up next is fixing the ruts and water damage……..

FOREST 411

– The LPFA will be co-hosting a Trivia Night TONIGHT with REI at Night Lizard Brewing in Santa Barbara. If you enjoy the outdoors, find yourself at REI regularly, dig trivia nights or enjoy beer; we expect to see you tonight at 7pm. Bring your A Game…….

– We’ve been busy restoring many of the trails you love and some that you might learn to love. Over the past month we’ve led trail projects on the Aliso Trail, Santa Barbara Canyon Trail, Alamar Trail, Tinta Trail, Mono-Alamar Trail, Poplar Trail, Alamar Hill Trail, Sisquoc Trail, Judell Trail, Cold Spring Trail, Matilija Falls Trail, Gridley Trail, Manzana Trail, Lost Valley Trail, Hurricane Deck Trail and Big Cone Spruce Trail. We’ve also partnered with Santa Barbara County Trails Council to help them on the Franklin Trail and Baron Trail, partnered with Montecito Trails Foundation to work on the Wiman Trail, Hot Springs Connector Trail, West Fork Cold Spring Trail and Old Pueblo Trail and partnered with SLOPOST to help on the Trout Creek Trail and Seller’s Potrero Trail. Tis the season for trail work, it’s been a busy month! Big thanks to all our partners, The Forest Service, our LPFA Trail Crew and especially all the volunteers who have poured their heart and souls into helping the trails we love! THANK YOU……

– The Amgen Tour of California will be passing through the Los Padres in a few weeks. Stage 4 starts at Laguna Seca on May 15 and follows Highway 1 along the Big Sur Coast before ending 137 miles later at Morro Bay. Should be spectacular! The next day on May 16, stage 5 covers 136 miles from Pismo Beach to Ventura passing the Los Padres through Hwy 154 in Santa Barbara.

– The Los Padres National Forest is proposing to reroute the Pine Ridge Trail around a damaged section of trail near Barlow Flat Camp. The Pine Ridge Trail is one of the most heavily used trails in the Los Padres and has been closed since July 2016 due to the Soberanes Fire and subsequent damage to the trail. The FS is looking for comments on the proposed reroute. Please check this link for more details and let your voice be heard.

– The Los Padres’ very own Helen Tarbet has released her latest Figueroa Mountain Wildflower update for April 18. This is a fantastic resource for knowing where and what flowers are out and about.

– Many of the roads around the forest remain damaged and closed after this winters heavy rains, see photo below. The FS is working to repair the roads and restore trailhead access. Many of the seasonal gate closures are expected to be reopened on May 1. Please be patient with the FS but at the same time give them a call and let them know you want and need the roads reopened as soon as possible.

– Even with the above average rain season we’ve enjoyed, the Los Padres is preparing for another potentially big fire season ahead. Due in part to the wet winter, the grasses around the Los Padres have grown quite high and much of that grass is starting to dry out. We’ve already seen a few smaller grass fires around the Central Coast. In anticipation of the upcoming fire season, Cal Fire has been adding staff and fire engines as well as awarding grants to areas such as Big Sur and the Santa Barbara Frontcountry to tackle local fire prevention projects.

– In response to a 2018 lawsuit, an agreement was reached last week between the Forest Service and ForestWatch to extend the temporary ban on un-managed target shooting across the Los Padres National Forest until January 2020. This does not impact the regular legal hunting seasons and target shooting remains legal at both the Ojai Valley Gun Club in Rose Valley and Winchester Gun Club on West Camino Cielo.

– With the assistance of the VWA, Arroyo Seco Gorge has been selected as a Leave No Trace Hot Spot for 2019 and will be visited by LNT staff August 19-26. As part of a LNT Hotspot program, LNT will send out a small team of LNT experts who will stay at Arroyo Seco for the week and conduct public outreach and lead community events designed to teach and preach more sustainable practices for the Arroyo Seco Gorge. Good stuff!

– The Los Padres National Forest will be hosting a job fair on Saturday May 4 from 9am – 1pm at the San Marcos Fire Station.

– Lets get back to the trails, shall we? While last month was certainly busy, we’ve got more trail restoration on tap for the coming month including work on the Tequepis Trail, Matilija Trail, Three Peaks Trail, Cold Spring Trail, Willow Spring Trail, Manzana Trail, Deal Trail, Sisquoc Trail, Alamar Trail, Poplar Trail, Grapevine Trail and Matilija Falls Trail. Busy busy busy…… If you’d like to help with any of these trail projects, we’d love the support either through volunteer help or donations. Email Volunteer@LPForest.org or make a donation to the LPFA Trail Care program today!

*That’s the road, and a legit reason why Grade Valley remains closed, photo Upper Ojai SAR*

Get Your Los Padres Updates Here

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Bryan Conant

*“Early Spring at its Best”, photo THurt*

Hello Friends,

Simply put, it’s about as good as it gets right now across the Los Padres. The _______ is amazing this season! We’ve not seen _______ like this for years and the _______ Trail is spectacular right now, never been better. And have you seen the _______ on _______ Peak? Wow…. Stunning.

We’ll leave it at that……. you should have no problem filling in the blanks. That’s your homework, uh, we mean forestwork! The rest of this email will focus on upcoming volunteer projects and some updates from across the Los Padres. We do hope you’re finding time to enjoy the trails and forest responsibly, be sure to check HikeLosPadres for the most recent trail and camp information and if you have any questions or need information, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We’ll try our best to get the answers you might need. Let’s get to it…..

*REI Giving Back and Walking the Walk, photo LPFA*

TRAIL HELP NEEDED

As usual, all the upcoming forest events and volunteer trail projects are listed at the bottom of this email but we wanted to call out a few in particular that we are looking forward to:

April 12-14: TINTA TRAIL
The Tinta Trail is a seldom used trail set just off the northeastern edge of the Dick Smith Wilderness. Tinta, which is part of the Condor Trail, is designated as a motorcycle trail but is also a great option for mountain bikes as well as hikers. Tinta has become incredibly overgrown over the past few years to the point where it’s become really hard to ride. Not for long…. We’ll be working/camping for 3 days on April 12-14 working on brushing the Tinta Trail from Upper Tinta Camp down beyond Brubaker Canyon. Since this is non-wilderness we’ll have the benefit of using power tools and are hoping to get some local motorcyclists to help support the project by riding in tools, supplies and food for the volunteers. It should be a different yet really fun project. If you’d like to help out, please let us know: Volunteer@LPForest.org

April 26-28: THREE PEAKS TRAIL
Do you have a favorite trail that needs maintenance? If so, this is a good model to follow. Los Padres volunteer extraordinaire Steve Cypher had a similar feeling for the Dutra area of the Silver Peak Wilderness and decided to do something about it. Partnering with the FS, VWA and LPFA, Steve has now led multiple trail projects in and around Dutra Flats focused on clearing the trails. This is the 3rd or 4th such project and together with volunteers Steve is successfully reopening this area. Talk about awesome. It would be great if others were able to follow in Steve’s footprints. If you’re interested in learning more about adopting a trail or working Three Peaks, click this link and sign up to help April 26-28.

May & June: SISQUOC WORKING VACATIONS
If you don’t know about the famous LPFA Working Vacations, this might be the year for you to sign up and find out. The LPFA will be hosting two Working Vacations this year focused on restoring the Sisquoc Trail within the San Rafael Wilderness. The first is May 4-12 along the Upper Sisquoc and the second is June 1-9 on the Lower Sisquoc. Both projects will be stock supported with all food provided for volunteers. While we’ll be out there for 10 days in total, there are shorter stints available in case you can’t spend the whole time out there. This is a great year for these projects as the Sisquoc should be flowing nicely well into the summer season. Let us know if you have any questions and we’d love to see you out there with us later this spring. Volunteer@LPForest.org

*Cherry Garcia, Looking Beautiful in Green*

FOREST 411

– West Fork Cold Spring Trail above Montecito has reopened after being closed for a few months due to a landslide taking out a large portion of the trail.

– In nearby news, the debris-flow ring nets above Montecito have been approved and will be installed in the coming weeks. There will be certain trail closures during the installation of the nets and we’ll do our best to share that with you through social media.

– And related to that, late last month the cause of the Thomas Fire was released as fire investigators determined that “power lines slapping together in high winds” was the cause of the Thomas Fire ignition.

– The LPNF is extending the comment deadline for those interested in weighing in on the proposed closure of Dry Canyon in the Mt Pinos Ranger District. The closure is a result of a 2015 study which found munitions and explosives in Dry Canyon that date back to the 1940’s.

– There have been a few rescues across the Los Padres over the past month related to lost or injured trail users. Be sure to share your trip itineraries with friends or family before you venture into the forest and use common sense while in the forest. Be safe.

– The proposed wildlife corridor in Ventura County was approved last month which should help the safe passage of mammals between the Los Padres and adjacent wild areas. On the heels of the wildlife corridor, a study was released late last month about the potential extinction of Southern California mountain lions.

– Congressman Salud Carbajal is poised to reintroduce the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act.

– The Monterey Ranger District continues to struggle with closures and lack of forest access. The lack of access has been leading to overcrowding within the few locations that are open. You can read more in a recent article from the Monterey County Weekly.

– The Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center will once again be hosting weekly Saturday educational programs designed for nature lovers of all ages. Wheeler will be kicking off the season with the Annual Wheeler Open House on Saturday April 27. Come on out, we hope to see you on the 27th and throughout the summer.

– Maybe you’ve heard, but the flowers aren’t bad right now either. Los Padres Forest’s own Helen Tarbet is once again providing regular flower updates for those brave enough to venture into the Figueroa Mtn area. Her most recent excellent update is attached with this email. Please tread lightly.

And last but certainly not least, we wanted to congratulate our good friend Charlie Robinson on his recent retirement from the Forest Service. Charlie served as the Ojai District Recreation Officer for over 27 years and was with the Forest Service for 43 years. We wish Charlie all the best as he skis into whiter pastures and thank him for all his help over the years. 27 years of institutional knowledge will be hard to lose. Fortunately, some of us have his cell number….. You can run Charlie, but you can’t hide….. ha ha. Thank you Charlie!

*Pano Around the Mono Narrows, photo LPFA*

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 pass along!

April 6: 1st Saturday Deal Canyon Project, MPRD & LPFA
April 6: State Trails Day, SB Frontcountry
April 6-9: Judell Trail Car-Camping, LPFA
April 12-14: Tinta otorcycle Trail Project, LPFA
April 18: Helpful & Harmful Plants, Sue Reinhart, SB Library
April 20: Ojai Earth Day
April 20-21: Marble Peak Trail Project, VWA
April 22: Earth Day in Fillmore!
April 26-28: Three Peaks Trail, Silver Peak Wilderness
April 27: Wheeler Gorge Open House

May 4-5: Mocho Sawyer Project, VWA
May 4-12: Upper Sisquoc Working Vacation, LPFA
May 10-12: Terrace Creek Trail Project, VWA
May 11: Mt Pinos Ranger District Open House
May 17-19: Strawberry Camp Trail Project, VWA
May 24-27: Big Sur Trail Sawyer Project, VWA

June 1-9: Lower Sisquoc Working Vacation, LPFA
June 8-10: Lost Valley Trail Project, Ventana, VWA
June 9: Cold Spring Trail, SBMTV
June 21-23: Big Sur Trail Sawyer Project, VWA

Winter’s Grand Finale, Trail Updates, Spring is Coming

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Bryan Conant

*Was this the grand finale to the epic 2018-19 winter season, if so, what a way for it to end! Photo Andy Quinn*

Hello Friends,

It’s been quite a winter for storms hasn’t it? We’ve had flash floods, debris flows, road closures, evacuations, washed away trails, snow, snow and more snow and it might have been capped off by one of the more spectacular lightning displays this past Tuesday night. And most importantly, we’ve had a lot of great rain soaking into the earth, recharging the groundwater supplies and filling up our creeks, rivers and reservoirs. Almost all of the LP has received over 100% of our annual rain averages with more “rain season” still ahead of us. It’s been terrific! While we might not be completely done with the rains, many of the signs across the forest are indicating that spring is in the air. Wildflowers are starting to do their thing (#SuperBloom2019?), the grass is gliding a little different, the ants have resurfaced (%&#^#&), the days are longer and there is that faint sweet smell of flowers. No matter what season you might argue we’re in, the Los Padres is about as good as it gets at the moment. We hope you are getting out and enjoying the trails, sights and sounds. Be safe with the water crossings and be sure to check in on www.HikeLosPadres.com before you head out and after you get back. There are also a bunch of upcoming volunteer projects up and down the forest you could participate in. Olly olly oxen free = time to come out of hiding!

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Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these trail crews from the swift completion of their appointed trail work.
Hurricane Deck Trail, LPFA Trail Crew, Photo Jason Morris

TRAIL WORK UPDATE

We’ve been getting a lot of questions about recent trail work and upcoming trail work. While we can’t possibly share every detail here, you’d be reading for a month, we can at least provide a quick update on some of the LPFA trail work that has occurred over the winter season. As always, if you come across any downed trees or showstoppers along the trails, let us know and we’ll do our best to share the information with the appropriate trail crews: INFO@LPFOREST.ORG

Hurricane Deck Trail has been brushed a mile from Lost Valley out towards White Ledge.
Poplar Trail (Upper Indian Creek) within the Dick Smith Wilderness from Bluff Camp down to within 100 yards of Poplar Camp has been opened.
Grapevine Trail within the San Rafael Wilderness is clear other than some large downed trees about 1.5 miles west of Bluff Camp.
Alamar Trail is in the best shape it’s been in many decades. You can actually follow the trail now, which is saying a lot based on how bad it was.
The Sisquoc Trail remains our main focus this spring with multiple Working Vacations planned over the next few months. These projects are piggy-backing on some great work we accomplished in 2018 including this summertime project that Terrence filmed for us along the upper Sisquoc.
Deal Trail has received some much needed attention brushing out the upper valley between the Narrows and the wilderness boundary.
We had a crew working the Agua Blanca Trail in December between Blue Point and Log Cabin.
The Tinta motorcycle trail has had 5 of the 7 miles brushed along the trail.
Quite a bit of work has been put into the Matilija Trail outside of Ojai. We’ve worked the bottom mile of the trail and recently flagged the entire trail from trailhead to trailhead. Once the water levels lower we’ll be back out there to continue working up towards Middle Matilija Camp and beyond.
We’ll also be working nearby Gridley Trail on March 16, hope to see you there!
We’ve also been working hard to clear downed trees and washouts along many of the Santa Ynez Valley trails including Davy Brown, Devil’s Canyon, north Tunnel Trail, north Arroyo Burro, north Cold Spring, Blue Canyon, Aliso Canyon, Santa Cruz, Tequepis, Snyder and we’ll be leading a trail project this Sunday on the White Rock Trail on Figueroa Mountain. Come join us!
We also did some water control tread work on Santa Paula Canyon, Last Chance and Lion Canyon Trails in the Ojai Ranger District.
And of course a TON of work has been accomplished in the SB Frontcountry partnering with Montecito Trails Foundation, SBMTV, SB Trails Council and others…..
We’ll also be maintaining the Sellers Potrero Trail in the Garcia Wilderness later this month. Scouting project is set for March 10.

— • — • — • —

*We haven’t seen this much winter camping in the LP in many years, Pine Mtn at it’s finest, photo Jack Roten*

FOREST 411

There is still space available for the LPFA Backpacking Fundamentals class we’re teaching in Santa Barbara. We had our first class this past week and it was great sharing the backpacking stoke. Click here or email us for more information.
Even with some nice drying weather on the horizon some of the roads and trails around the Los Padres remain closed due to storm activity and damage:

Highway 154 opened earlier this week about a half a week ahead of schedule. The damage along Duval Canyon is astounding.
Ranger Peak along Fig Mtn Rd remains closed due to black ice. You cannot drive between Fig Mtn and Cachuma Saddle. Fig is bound to receive a lot of attention in the coming weeks as wildflower season kicks in, be sure to call the FS ahead of any visits to make sure the roads are open.
As reported by the VWA, the Carmel River Trail is closed at the moment due to trail damage.
West Fork Cold Spring Trail in Montecito remains closed due to a particularly active landslide. Trail work is scheduled this coming week with the hopes of getting the trail reopened by the 15th of March.
Highway 1 through Southern Big Sur remains on a pre-storm closure schedule. Check CalTrans ahead of any visits between San Simeon and Big Sur.
And we’re also getting a lot of mixed messages about the regular Forest Service gate closures. Some gates that are supposed to be locked have been found open and vice versa. We suggest you contact the FS ahead of any trips into the forest that might be impacted by gate closures.
If you have a spare $31million, you might be in luck as the Neverland Ranch outside Los Olivos is for sale. Great access to the Los Padres!
The FS announced this week that there will be a series of controlled burns across the forest, namely at Arroyo Seco and Fig Mtn.
This information slipped through the cracks a bit but the FS extended the Soberanes Fire closure of the western Pine Ridge Trail through November 6, 2019.
If you missed the story of the trail runner who fought off and killed a mountain lion last month in Colorado, it’s certainly worth a read. Fortunately, that mountain lion was just a kitten. He probably wouldn’t have fared so well against a full grown athletic mountain lion like this one recently seen in Montecito.

— • — • — • —

*You might call this a boilermaker, Topatopa with a shot of Jameson. Please, someone has to get that joke! Photo Humphrey*

Los Padres Fire Restrictions, Closures, Hunting Season and Openings

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Bryan Conant

Above Ojai, Pratt Trail showing off some new post-Thomas Fire summer regrowth, photo LPFA

Hello Friends,

It’s been a busy few weeks here in the Los Padres featuring additional fire restrictions and the onset of A-Zone South general deer hunting season. We’ve also had a lot of questions of late about what is and what is not open across the Los Padres. Lots going up and down the Los Padres, especially for the dog days of summer, lets get to it!

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The Dry and Extra Crispy Little Pine Mountain
ADDITIONAL FIRE RESTRICTIONS

The Forest Service announced on August 9th some additional fire restrictions. You can read the fine-print at the link here but basically:

No campfires allowed across the forest. PERIOD.
No target shooting allowed outside of Winchester and Ojai Valley (Rose Valley) Gun Clubs.
No camp stoves outside of designated Campfire Use Sites.
- Yes, that means no hot coffee or stove cooking for backcountry travelers!

Obviously 2018 has already been a horrendous wildfire year with more than 15 large fires currently burning across California. So far (knock, knock) the LP has avoided any large fires this season and lets hope it stays that way. Be safe everyone!

— • — • — • —

Big Pine Mountain, sadly the pines have been slow to recover after the 2007 Zaca Fire, photo Taryn AshlockA-ZONE SOUTH HUNTING SEASON

A-Zone South general hunting season started August 11 and lasts through September 23. While there are many hunts across the Los Padres, the A-Zone South general season is by far the busiest. A-Zone South covers almost all of the Los Padres from Monterey down through SLO, SB and a large portion of Ventura County. You can see the map showing the coverage area here. Each year we hear concerns from non-hunters who are caught off guard coming across groups of hunters. Be aware that hunters will be out and about this time of year and if that’s not your cup of tea you might want to head elsewhere in the Los Padres. Pine Mountain above Ojai and the Mt Pinos area are both outside of A-Zone South and should be nicer this time of year due to their higher elevations. Once again, be safe everyone…..

— • — • — • —

While not quite as impressive as the Black Gate of Mordor, it’ll feel just as imposing if you find it closed when you thought it was supposed to be open!YOU SHALL (NOT) PASS!

We get a ton of questions from forest-users asking about which gates are open? is that gate closed? is this trail open? can I go here,? etc….? BTW, we love helping with these questions so please keep them coming! While the Forest Service website does a great job of sharing this information, we thought it was probably time to share some of the answers we’ve been helping people with over the past months. We’re focusing on either the recent changes or the major questions we frequently receive. For more details please check the Los Padres website linked above or call your local Ranger District:

MONTEREY RANGER DISTRICT
- HIGHWAY 1: After being closed since May 19, 2017, the GIANT slide at Mud Creek finally reopened on July 18. Highway 1 through what is known as the Big Sur Coast is now open from Morro Bay to Monterey. That being said, there are still some one lane delays and the occasional nighttime closure. If you are planning a trip along this section of Hwy 1 be sure to check ahead of time to with CalTrans to make sure you can safely get through.
- PALO COLORADO ROAD: Palo Colorado Road sustained major damage following the 2016 Soberanes Fire and 2017 winter season. The road remains closed three miles above Hwy 1 but people can hike up the road to access Bottcher’s Gap and the Northern Terminus of the Condor Trail. While the road is open to pedestrians, understand that there is no parking along the road so you’ll have to arrange for a drop-off if you plan on hiking up to Bottcher’s. Palo Colorado is scheduled to reopen by the end of October.
- PINE RIDGE TRAIL & FRIENDS: The Pine Ridge, Terrace Creek and Ventana Camp Trails remain the largest and most substantial closure across the Los Padres as well as the # 1 question we get about closures. Pine Ridge Trail remains closed from Highway 1 at Big Sur Station up-canyon to beyond Redwood Camp. This includes Ventana Camp, Barlow, Terrace Creek, Sykes and Redwood. The trail was damaged in both the Soberanes Fire as well as the 2017 storms. There is no timetable as to when the trail or access to the camps will be reopened.

SANTA LUCIA RANGER DISTRICT
- HI MOUNTAIN ROAD: Hi Mountain Road was reopened in late April after being closed for over a year due to lack of maintenance.
- BATES CANYON: Closed above Bates Campground due to road issues and slides.

SANTA BARBARA RANGER DISTRICT
- ROMERO CAMUESA ROAD: The Romero Camuesa Road remains closed to vehicle traffic beyond Romero Saddle along East Camino Cielo.
- DIVIDE PEAK OHV: Divide Peak is open but riders will need to park at Romero Saddle.
- FIRST CROSSING: Open.
- BUCKHORN ROAD OHV: Closed at Upper Oso due to Rey Fire damage and adjustments to the Camuesa Road OHV. More on that to come…..
- SB FRONTCOUNTRY TRAILS: Most of the frontcountry trails have reopened but the lower sections of Cold Spring and Hot Springs remain closed as well as the entire West Fork Cold Spring Trail. More on this to come soon as well……

OJAI RANGER DISTRICT
- MIDDLE LION CAMPGROUND: Open, after being closed due to the Thomas Fire.
- ROSE VALLEY CAMPGROUND: Open, same as above.
- NORDHOFF RIDGE ROAD: Open, same as above.
- ORTEGA TRAIL: Open, same as above.
- CHERRY CREEK: Open, seasonal.

MT PINOS RANGER DISTRICT
- RANCHO NUEVO / TINTA, MT PINOS RD: The road to Rancho Nuevo TH and lower Tinta TH was closed for an extended period of time due to gullies and washouts. The road has been recently reopened to both trailheads.
- WEST DRY CANYON ROAD, MT PINOS RD: Dry Canyon Road, which connects Santa Barbara Canyon to the upper Tinta TH and Cuyama Peak remains closed due to gullies sustained during the 2017 winter season.

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So much brown, dry photos; lets mix in some green and a July waterfall along the Sisquoc

Los Padres Fire Restrictions and Sisquoc Trail Work

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Bryan Conant

Don’t listen to Home Depot, spending a hot summer afternoon on the Deck is anything but relaxing, photo L.Lagendyk

Hello Friends,

We hope you’re enjoying the summer, staying cool and still finding some time to enjoy the Los Padres. Even with the high temps and disappearing water flow, the forest has plenty of hidden and not-so-hidden gems that can make you rethink your summer Los Padres hibernation plans. Some people head to the heights and large shade producing trees of the Mt. Pinos Ranger District for their summertime LP fix. Others might seek lower elevations along the coast, hoping for some cool morning fog. And others still embrace the heat by soaking in any of the perennial flowing creeks, rivers, pools and waterfalls. All are great options, just remember to be safe. There has been a flurry of heat related rescues across the forest over the past month. If you’re going to head into the forest and encounter the heat be sure to plan accordingly. Tell someone where you are going, leave an itinerary at home and try to follow these 9 rules for hiking in hot weather. Be safe, have fun and if you don’t mind sharing, we’d love to see some of your summertime photos from the across the Los Padres.

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The sun has set on backcountry campfires for the season, photo Humphrey

FIRE RESTRICTIONS

The big news across the Los Padres this past week is the change in fire restrictions. Due in part to the recent rash of wildfires around the forest (Piru, Fillmore, Goleta, FHL, etc….), the Forest Service raised fire restrictions across the Los Padres banning campfires outside of designated Campfire Use Sites, prohibiting target shooting outside of designated target ranges and prohibiting smoking outside of an enclosed vehicle, building or at a designated Campfire User Site. We’re no strangers to fire restrictions and should all be well aware of what can happen should a campfire get away (see Soberanes Fire). Cooking stoves are still permitted in the backcountry with a California Campfire Permit and hunting is still permitted during the regulated seasons (A-Zone South General opens August 11). If you have any questions please contact the Los Padres Forest Supervisors Office or your local District Office. Be smart.

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Speaking of big shade producing trees and waterfalls, the Sisquoc Trail through the Bear Camps has plenty of both

SISQUOC TRAIL PROJECT
July 20-22

The LPFA and our fantastic volunteers have been busy working the Sisquoc Trail in the San Rafael Wilderness. We’ve cleared over 300 downed trees this year (2018) and at last count had less than 20 trees left! For those of you who know the Sisquoc Trail, that’s pretty amazing to say there are only 20 downed trees along the 30+ miles of trail. But we’re not happy and want to get them all….. If you are interested, please join us the weekend of July 20-22 as we head to the Upper Sisquoc to clear the remaining 20 downed trees and continue work along the section of trail between Alamar Saddle and Lower Bear Camp. We’ll be driving in from Upper Oso on Friday July 20 and basecamping at Bluff Cabin for the weekend. We’ll drive up to Alamar on both Friday and Saturday to work the Sisquoc Trail. This section of trail is over 5,000ft and mostly shaded with pines and cedars. We’re hoping the shade and nearby waterfalls will help us push through the heat and complete the work. If you are interested in signing up or hearing more details, please email INFO@LPForest.org. We’re happy to have seasoned trail veterans as well as green trail rookies. It should be a great project and a fantastic opportunity to give back to the trails you love and explore this remote section of the Los Padres. We hope to hear from you soon……

— • — • — • —June 30 Montecito Trails Day, Over 100 Volunteers Helped Maintain 3 Miles of Thomas Fire Damaged Trails – Yee Haw!

FOREST 411

• The LPFA was featured last month in the Santa Barbara Independent Blue and Green issue highlighting one of our Working Vacations from April 2018. Check it out…… and three cheers for all the great volunteers who make the Working Vacations so successful and fun! Cheer…… Cheer…… Cheer……

• Reminder that HikeLosPadres.com continues to be a great resource for knowing current trail conditions and water conditions across the forest. Be sure to check HLP before you head out and update it when you get back. Sharing information helps everyone. Thanks…..

• In case you missed it, the Thomas Fire was officially declared out last month after starting December 4, 2017.

• On a loftier note, the flock of condors in San Luis Obispo are doing great and beginning to expand their territory.

• The LPFA will be expanding our paid Trail Crew this summer and are looking for experienced Los Padres trail workers interested in working for the LPFA Trail Crew. The work will be primarily in Ventura and SB Counties and will range from day projects to week-long overnight backcountry hitches. If you are interested in throwing your name into the hat or hearing more details, please email INFO@LPForest.org

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The Los Padres is calling and I must go, photo JO Chung

Late Spring Volunteer Projects

Posted on May 12, 2018 by Bryan Conant

Here Pollywog Pollywog, photo Humphrey

LATE SPRING 2018 TRAIL PROJECTS

Hi Everyone,

Here’s a list of some upcoming LPFA and non-LPFA trail projects and specific contacts in case you’d like to volunteer. Hope to see you out there……..

May 16 – White Rock Trail Work: The LPFA continues work clearing brush along the Figueroa Mtn network of trails. Up next is White Rock Trail. Led by Bryan Conant, we’ll be focused on brushing a middle 1/2 mile section of the trail. Please RSVP via email: INFO@LPForest.org

May 18-21 – Bluff Camp Sawyer Trip: Led by Mickey McTigue, we’ll be driving in to Bluff Cabin via the Buckhorn Rd and Upper Oso. From Bluff we’ll be day-tripping up to both the Mission Pine and Sisquoc Trails (part of the Condor Trail) to cut out fallen trees across the trail. Work will be primarily crosscut with some brushing intermixed. This work is within Santa Barbara County within the San Rafael Wilderness. For information or to sign up please contact Mickey at: mickey.joecache@gmail.com

May 19 – Santa Barbara Canyon Crosscut: Join Mark Subbotin as he leads a project to cut out two large oak trees along the Santa Barbara Canyon Trail (along the Condor Trail). The first tree is 3.2 miles from the trailhead while the second is 4.1 miles. To sign up please email Mark at: msubbotin76@gmail.com

May 20 – Tumamait Trail Crosscut: Mark will be at it again, this time working the Tumamait Trail high atop the Chumash Wilderness. They’ll be cutting out three downed trees about 2.5 miles out from the trailhead. Mark can be reached at: msubbotin76@gmail.com

May 26 – Sulphur Spring Sawyer Project: Bob Burtness has been caring for the Sulphur Spring Trail since the 1970’s. It’s become impassable due to fallen downed trees. Bob will be leading a project on May 26 to help cut out the downed trees along the trail. The work will either be using chain saws or crosscut, depending on PAL fire levels. Sulphur Spring Trail is located off of Figueroa Mtn Rd near the San Rafael Wilderness. For more information please contact: INFO@LPForest.org

June 2 – Chorro Grande Trail: The LPFA will once again celebrate National Trails Day by hosting a much overdue trail projects. This year we’ll be working the Chorro Grande Trail within the Ojai Ranger District. Chorro Grande is a lovely trail nestled between Hwy 33 and Pine Mtn ranging in elevation from 4,000ft to over 6,000ft. We’ll be primarily brushing the middle portion of the trail. Jasonn Beckstrand will be leading the efforts. For more information email: INFO@LPForest.org

June 2 – Boulder Canyon Trail: Mark Subbotin will be leading a chain saw or crosscut project down the Boulder Canyon Trail (Condor Trail) focused on clearing an estimated 20+ trees. This will also be part of the National Trails Day celebration. For more information or to sign up, please email Mark: msubbotin76@gmail.com

June 8-10 – Alamar Trail Sawyer & Tread: The LPFA will be hosting one last project this year focused on clearing the Alamar Trail (part of the Condor Trail) within the Dick Smith Wilderness. Led by Bryan Conant, we’ll be driving to Alamar Saddle and working from the Saddle down 3 miles into the canyon. The majority of the work will be crosscut with some brushing and tread work mixed in for good measure. INFO@LPForest.org to sign up or learn more.

June 15-18 – Upper Sisquoc Trail Project: Mike Smith is leading another assault on the Upper Sisquoc. The exact location of this project is TBD but it will be somewhere between Alamar Saddle and Heath Camp. For more information or to sign up please email Mike at: TrailSmith@LPForest.org

Alamar Downed Tree, Snow No Longer Included