tips – Los Padres Forest Association

7 Minute Stories, Kendra and Much Much More Los Padres Goodness…

Posted on October 31, 2020 by Kendra Moss

*Machesna Mountain Wilderness, so nice to see an area that has not recently burned….. knock knock.*

Hello Friends,

On Thursday, LPFA hosted Seven Minute Storytelling! This was our first virtual Zoom event and based on how all things COVID are trending at the moment, it’ll probably not be our last – it was really fun! We wrangled 6 different presenters from across the Los Padres who each gave seven minute presentations about their favorite LP trails, exploits and adventures from around the forest. Topics included exploring the Ventura Backcountry, Santa Barbara thru-backpacking, off-trail Santa Ynez Mountains, Condor Trail, SLO Backcountry and more…

Click out the presentations on our youtube channel!

Thank you to all our excellent presenters and audience members for a great evening of learning and sharing! Let us know what you thought of this event: info@lpforest.org

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WELCOME KENDRA!
We have some more great news to share from the LPFA front. Earlier this summer we had the pleasure of welcoming Kendra Moss to the LPFA team as our new Program Manager. Kendra has a background in retail, education, and social media management, but most of all she’s a well organized, good person with a passion for helping the forest. For those of you who haven’t interacted with Kendra yet, she’s terrific and we’re very lucky to have her helping our efforts across the Los Padres. Three cheers to Kendra and welcome aboard!

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One of three new wilderness signs the LPFA recently installed in the SLO Backcountry.
Shout out to SLOPOST and the Forest Service for the support!

FOREST 411

• Faster than a speeding car along Hwy 33. More powerful than 50 graffiti’ers in Santa Paula Canyon. Able to destroy person-made creek dams in a single swoop. Look! Down in that creek! It’s a salmon. It’s a newt. No, it’s Ellie Mora! Our latest Volunteer of the Month is one of our favorites, Ellie Mora! HOORAY! Ellie has become a true Los Padres superhero, tirelessly championing the efforts to cleanup Santa Paula Canyon and leading her army of fellow volunteers anywhere and everywhere across Ventura County chasing the dastardly hoards of graffiti’ers and trash throwers who dare to damage our public lands. Ellie is also helping the LPFA with our monthly Ojai First Saturday trail projects and somehow still finds time to be a tremendous role model for her young son. Like we said, a superhero! Thank you Ellie for all you do and we think you’re just scratching the surface! Cheers…..

• Looks like another busy year of illegal marijuana eradication efforts across the forest. Ventura County has already reported seizing nearly 75,000 plants with 11 suspects being arrested. Be careful everyone and here are some tips for staying safe should you come across a grow site…..

• Thanks to everyone who submitted pictures or the 2021 Los Padres calendar. We’re currently going through the hundreds of photo submissions and finalizing the layout for the calendar. We’re planning on having the calendar to the printer soon in hopes of having the final calendars ready to go by December 1. To learn more or to order your 2021 LP calendar, click the link here.

• Wherever you find yourself, please be sure to VOTE! And then treat yourself to a hike or rideafterwards……

• Reminder that the Los Padres remains in fire restrictions that prohibit campfires across the forest and camp stoves are only allowed within Designated Campfire Use sites, meaning no stoves of any kind in the backcountry. The Forest Service is reviewing these restrictions weekly and we’ll provide updates as they become available.

• The Dolan Fire has had a few recent flare ups from within its perimeter but is holding at 124,924 acres and is currently 98% contained. BAER efforts are underway to help protect the trails, roads and resources from upcoming rain damage. The Monterey Ranger District remains closed due to the Dolan Fire although some of the dayuse areas along Hwy 1 have reopened.

• Speaking of Dolan, there is a scheduled release of 7 California condors along the central coast in order to help re-population efforts after the fire related condor deaths earlier this summer.

• If you’re a Santa Barbara Frontcountry trail user, you’ll like to see a recent short film that Montecito Trails Foundation produced called For the Love of the Trails. Lots of great scenery and even a few cameos. Check it out…

*Can you tell the difference between the poison oak and skunkbrush?*

Los Padres Forest Closure Extended Again

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Kendra Moss

*Hi Mountain casting a late August pyramid shadow across the smoky Garcia Wilderness.*
*Maybe not as spectacular as some of its larger siblings but still pretty cool looking……*

FOREST CLOSURE EXTENDED

Hello Friends – let’s cut to the chase but remember, don’t shoot the messenger…..

Earlier this week the Forest Service extended the closure of nine California Forests, including the Los Padres, through October 1. Here’s a quote from the Regional Forester:

“Continued closures are based on extreme fire conditions, critical limitations of firefighting resources, and to provide for firefighter and public safety,” said Regional Forester Randy Moore. “We understand how important access to the National Forests is to our visitors. Our aim is to prevent any new fires on the landscape.”

We’re now in week 3 of this large-scale fire closure and to our knowledge there have been no new fires within any of the closed forests (fact check please). We know that these closures aren’t very much fun but they do appear to be working. We do have some hotter weather headed our way next week that should peak on Wednesday and Thursday with inland temps reaching into the mid / high 90’s. Fingers crossed that the long-term forecasts start to cool and that the forests can safely reopen towards the end of this week (knock knock). If anyone knows how to perform a rain dance, now’s the time, please. Wish we had better news and we’ll keep you all posted as events unfold and decisions are made……

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*Big Sur Station, saying a big THANK YOU to all the Firefighters, Crews, Support & Families impacted across California*

FOREST 411

• The Dolan Fire in the Monterey Ranger District has slowed down a lot over the past week and has been holding at just under 130,000 acres burned. It is currently 46% contained with an expected full containment date of October 13. While the forest remains closed around Dolan, for a few different reasons, Highway 1 did reopen earlier last week after being closed for about a month during the fire fight. Lastly, some more tragic Dolan new; it was reported that nine California condors perished during the fire. We all hate hearing that but thankfully nine more condors are expected to be released above San Simeon before the end of the year.

• In case you hadn’t heard from earlier this summer, the Esselen Tribe from Monterey County was able to purchase over 1,000 acres of land along the Little Sur River. This is a special story some 250 years in the making. Check out more details here.

• Thanks in large part to a grant from REI in addition to some extremely generous public donations, the LPFA Trail Crew was able to spend a week earlier this summer clearing a mile of the Gene Marshall – Piedra Blanca Trail just above Beartrap Camp. Once the forest closure is lifted we’d like to head back and complete the remainder of the trail up to the top of the switchbacks and down to Haddock Camp. In case you’re interested in helping, we’re about $1,000 short of our fundraising goal that would send the crew back out for another week. If you are interested in donating or to learn more, please click here. THANK YOU!

• Of course none of us are in the forest right now but if you’ve spent any time exploring the LP you’ve no doubt come across the remnants of illegal marijuana grows. October is generally harvest time for grow operations within the LP and it can be pretty scary if you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Here are some tips and clues about illegal forest grows and what you should do in case you come across a site. The forest might be closed but they’re still out there.

• It seems that black bear sightings outside of the forest are becoming more and more common. Last week there was a particularly photogenic bear seen outside of Solvang, another Solvang bear in April, another in Lompoc, Simi Valley and yet another outside Carmel. There was even a bear attack reported outside of Santa Paula. We’ve heard a few theories as to why bears appear to be coming out of the hills more than ever. Is it that phones (cameras) are everywhere these days and it’s much easier to share (social media) photos of bears who happen to wander into the streets? Some say that the Los Padres has become the new home of humanized Sierra ‘problem bears’ who were sent packing after tasting one too many picnic baskets in Sequoia or Yosemite? Others reasons might include drought, competition, easier food sources or that they were here before us anyway (or were they?) ? It’s always exciting to see a bear in or around the Los Padres and if you’re a podcast person, Outside Podcast shared an entertaining episode earlier this year about “the wrong way to fight off a bear” – check it out. And if you’re interested in some more information about black bears and what to do if you encounter a black bear, click this link.

• The Los Padres National Forest Supervisors Office (SO) has moved from Goleta to Solvang. At the moment the offices remain closed due to COVID and we’ll share more information including address and hours once the SO reopens.

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