Los Padres Forest Association

Helping the Los Padres Forest and Forest Users Since 1979

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Latest News…

  • Los Padres Forest: CLOSURE REVISION ISSUED March 13, 2023
  • It’s Time to Reopen the Forest February 27, 2023
  • The Latest on the Los Padres Forest Closure? February 7, 2023
  • Los Padres Closure Update: JANUARY 23, 2023 January 23, 2023

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Non-profit partner of the Los Padres National Forest focused on providing education, trail work and sharing the stoke of the Los Padres.

Los Padres Forest Association
- DAVY BROWN TRAIL UPDATE Last Friday the LPFA pa - DAVY BROWN TRAIL UPDATE Last Friday the LPFA partnered with students from the Dunn School plus 6 brave volunteers to begin clearing all the downed trees along the Davy Brown Trail. We lost track of just how many trees we cleared but it was estimated at around 25 downed trees along the top 1.25miles of the trail. That's a lot! Once we got into the trees it was hard to walk more than a couple minutes before running into another snowdown tree across the trail. Good news is that the LPFA was just awarded a grant from the Santa Barbara Foundation to continue our work along Figueroa Mountain and we will be out there quite a bit in the coming weeks. We'll be using a combination of the Trail Crew and volunteer days in order to clear the trail. Stay tuned if you'd like to come out and help with the trail work. For those of you interested in taking the Davy Brown Trail in order to access the San Rafael, the consensus at the moment is that the trail is hiking at about 1 - 1.5 mph due to having to scramble over all the downed trees. Keep that in mind and plan to go a little slower than you might normally go. Other than that, have at it, there is so much incredible water out there right now and please share photos of any of the more significant downed trees so that we don't show up to a gun fight with a knife, if you catch our drift..... #LosPadresNationalForest #watereverywhere #knifetoagunfight @dunn_school @figmtnbrew @santabarbarafoundation #lpfa_trailvolunteers #figueroamountain #davybrowntrail #chainsawyers #photoscomplimentsofourgreatvolunteers #joinusnexttime #trailworkisthebestwork
- DOWNED TREES, LOTS OF THEM! We've been busy the - DOWNED TREES, LOTS OF THEM! We've been busy the past couple weeks clearing downed trees from across the forest trails and roads. So many trees have fallen this month due to a combination of super saturated soil, wind and snow load. We've been clearing trees mostly in the frontcountry areas but also spent last Saturday with four sawyers working on clearing downed trees along Sunset Valley Road out behind Figueroa Mountain. Even with multiple saws running all day we were not even able to make it down to Davy Brown Campground. If it took us that long with chainsaws working next to our trucks, sort of scary what we're going to find and how long it's going to take to clear the wilderness trails with crosscut saws. We shall see, one bite at a time! We'll be back out on Davy Brown Trail tomorrow clearing trees, in case anyone wants to help out: VOLUNTEER@LPForest.org And we'll be hosting an abbreviated Working Vacation out of NIRA Campground on the Manzana Trail April 5-9 in case anyone wants to come out for a few days and volunteer on the aforementioned wilderness trails. VOLUNTEER@LPForest.org to sign up or for more details. As always, if you come across a downed tree or any other onstacle along the trails or roads, PLEASE take a photo of the tree, try to position an object or person in the photo for scale, record the location and share on HikeLosPadres, with the Forest Service or send directly to us: INFO@LPForest.org Thanks.... #lospadresnationalforest #treesfalling #sawyers #lpfa_trailvolunteers #sunsetvalleyroad #niracampground @montecitotrailsfoundation @figmtnbrew @camponenation @lospadresnationalforest #lpfa_workingvacation #volunteersawyers #onebiteatatime #sisquatch #hikelospadres #comejoinus #hashtagsarefun
FOREST CLOSURE REVISED - The LPNF has released a FOREST CLOSURE REVISED - The LPNF has released a revised Forest Closure Order. Click the link in our bio to view the complete order. We know there will be lots a questions, we have them too. Please reach out to us at info@lpforest.org and we will try to answer any questions you have! #lospadresnationalforest #lospadres #santabarbararangerdistrict #ojairangerdistrict #santaluciarangerdistrict #montereyrangerdistrict
- SNOW DOWNS - Everyone loves seeing low snow leve - SNOW DOWNS - Everyone loves seeing low snow levels here in the Los Padres. It's almost like Halloween getting to see our favorites peaks and canyons dressed up as something different. Certainly a special treat and the views of snow covered peaks with ocean backdrops are magical for sure. Nothing not to love, right? Wrong.... - Unfortunately, lots of snow usually means lots of downed trees and smashed brush. Our chaparral and trees, oaks in particular, aren't especially well adapted to heavy snow loads and what usually happens after large snow events is called 'snow downs' where trees and brush break or fold due to the extra weight of the snow. It's a big problem for trail maintenance and has shut down quite a few trails over the years. - One example was the Puerto Suelo Trail in the Dick Smith Wilderness. A couple years ago the LPFA had completely brushed the Puerto Suelo Trail from Madulce to the Saddle. It was a wilderness freeway. We had a very low snow fall that next winter and come spring, the very same trail that had been a wilderness freeway was now covered in ceonothus and scrub oak that had been weighted down and pushed across the trail. No fun seeing your trail work get buried in snow down. - We've not been too deep into the forest since this latest snow event but some quick surveys have shown A LOT of snow downs blocking roads and covering trails. As the forest gets set to reopen, we have a feeling the sawyers across the forest will have no problems finding trees to cut and buck off the trails. - We were hoping to schedule an additional volunteer weekend out of NIRA this coming weekend but more rain is now in the forecast. We'll get out there as soon as we can and hope some of you can join us as we work to clear all the recent snow downs - stay tuned. - - - #mostlyoldphotos #lospadresnationalforest #snowdowns #sawyersgetready #snowisfun #snowdropstrees #lospadreshalloweenshow #jobsecurity #nira #puertosuelotrail
We are SO grateful for all of the support we have We are SO grateful for all of the support we have received from volunteers and the local community as we work to rebuild the trails damaged in the January 2023 storms! LPFA and our volunteers have been working tirelessly with the Forest Service and our partners to restore trails from Cold Spring to Cozy Dell to Tequepis to Manzana. And we plan to continue working as hard as we can! - For the rest of the month, you will see these flyers at your local REI in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Oxnard. While checking out, you will have the option to round up your purchase and donate to our continued trail restoration efforts in the Los Padres. Every cent donated will go toward restoring our trails in hopes of getting the Forest opened ASAP! Thank you @rei for this incredible support! And thank you @floatonterrainco for creating this amazing infographic! #lospadresnationalforest @montecitotrailsfoundation @lospadresnationalforest @santabarbaratrails #reisanluisobispo #reisantabarbara #reioxnard #trailwork
- MONO AREA REPORT - A couple weeks ago the LPFA a - MONO AREA REPORT - A couple weeks ago the LPFA assisted the Forest Service by surveying the Upper Santa Ynez River Recreation area. We basically pushed and pulled our bikes over slides and across washes from Juncal to Mono, across the new Mono Jungle Trail and then up to Little Caliente. The damage out there was extensive. You'll hopefully recognize some of these photos, here's some more details in case some of you have been curious what it's looking like out there..... - The road was a disaster, we couldn't go more than 100 yards on average before running into a washout, blown out culvert, downed tree, sinkhole or section where the road was gone. We couldn't document all the damage, we'd still be out there taking photos. Instead, focus on only the major damage. - We got to Mono Campground and the mud had pushed through the entire camp, over the toilets, blew out the fence near the entrance while slopping mud well into the old parking area. One toilet is now just about covered in mud, the other was washed away. We could not get to the debris dam due to quick-sand mud. - Pushing up to Little Caliente, the road was gone for about 100 yards in one place and as per usual the hot springs were 100% silted in. - Last but not least, we surveyed the new section of the Cold Spring Trail that the LPFA built last year to bypass the Mono Jungle. The Jungle was wall-to-wall water and mud but thankfully the trail was in great shape other than a few small slides. The real problem is that we couldn't cross the Santa Ynez River at the crossing due to quick-sand and mud, which stretched across the entire river crossing. What used to be cottonwoods and bramble with a 10 yard water crossing is now wall-to-wall boot-eating Mono Jungle muck. It's probably going to take a while before things dry up enough to safely cross the river there. - - #lospadresnationalforest #santabarbarabackcountry #monojungle #stormdamagesurvey #2023stormseason #monocampground #santaynezriver #littlecaliente #quicksand #justalittlepatience
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Los Padres Forest Association

Los Padres Forest Association

Collaborating with the Los Padres Forest to provide volunteer trail maintenance support, community o

Los Padres Forest Association is at Los Padres National Forest.

2 weeks ago

Los Padres Forest Association
FOREST CLOSURE REVISED-The LPNF has released a revised Forest Closure Order. Click the link in our bio to view the complete order. We know there will be lots a questions, we have them too. Please reach out to us at info@lpforest.org and we will try to answer any questions you have!#lospadresnationalforest #LosPadres #santabarbararangerdistrict #ojairangerdistrict #santaluciarangerdistrict #montereyrangerdistrict ... See MoreSee Less

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Los Padres Forest Association

3 weeks ago

Los Padres Forest Association
-SNOW DOWNS-Everyone loves seeing low snow levels here in the Los Padres. It's almost like Halloween getting to see our favorites peaks and canyons dressed up as something different. Certainly a special treat and the views of snow covered peaks with ocean backdrops are magical for sure. Nothing not to love, right? Wrong....-Unfortunately, lots of snow usually means lots of downed trees and smashed brush. Our chaparral and trees, oaks in particular, aren't especially well adapted to heavy snow loads and what usually happens after large snow events is called 'snow downs' where trees and brush break or fold due to the extra weight of the snow. It's a big problem for trail maintenance and has shut down quite a few trails over the years.-One example was the Puerto Suelo Trail in the Dick Smith Wilderness. A couple years ago the LPFA had completely brushed the Puerto Suelo Trail from Madulce to the Saddle. It was a wilderness freeway. We had a very low snow fall that next winter and come spring, the very same trail that had been a wilderness freeway was now covered in ceonothus and scrub oak that had been weighted down and pushed across the trail. No fun seeing your trail work get buried in snow down.-We've not been too deep into the forest since this latest snow event but some quick surveys have shown A LOT of snow downs blocking roads and covering trails. As the forest gets set to reopen, we have a feeling the sawyers across the forest will have no problems finding trees to cut and buck off the trails.-We were hoping to schedule an additional volunteer weekend out of NIRA this coming weekend but more rain is now in the forecast. We'll get out there as soon as we can and hope some of you can join us as we work to clear all the recent snow downs - stay tuned.---#mostlyoldphotos #lospadresnationalforest #snowdowns #sawyersgetready #snowisfun #snowdropstrees #lospadreshalloweenshow #jobsecurity #Nira #puertosuelotrail ... See MoreSee Less

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Los Padres Forest Association

1 month ago

Los Padres Forest Association
We are SO grateful for all of the support we have received from volunteers and the local community as we work to rebuild the trails damaged in the January 2023 storms! LPFA and our volunteers has been working tirelessly to restore trails from Cold Spring to Cozy Dell to Tequepis to Manzana. And we plan to continue working as hard as we can!-For the rest of the month, you will see these flyers at your local REI in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Oxnard. While checking out, you will have the option to round up your purchase and donate to our continued trail restoration efforts in the Los Padres. Every cent donated will go toward restoring our trails in hopes of getting the Forest opened ASAP! Thank you @rei for this incredible support! And thank you @floatonterrainco for creating this amazing infographic! #lospadresnationalforest #reisanluisobispo #reisantabarbara #reioxnard #trailwork ... See MoreSee Less

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Los Padres Forest Association is at Los Padres National Forest.

2 months ago

Los Padres Forest Association
-MONO AREA REPORT-A couple weeks ago the LPFA assisted the Forest Service by surveying the Upper Santa Ynez River Recreation area. We basically pushed and pulled our bikes over slides and across washes from Juncal to Mono, across the new Mono Jungle Trail and then up to Little Caliente. The damage out there was extensive. You'll hopefully recognize some of these photos, here's some more details in case some of you have been curious what it's looking like out there.....-The road was a disaster, we couldn't go more than 100 yards on average before running into a washout, blown out culvert, downed tree, sinkhole or section where the road was gone. We couldn't document all the damage, we'd still be out there taking photos. Instead, focus on only the major damage.-We got to Mono Campground and the mud had pushed through the entire camp, over the toilets, blew out the fence near the entrance while slopping mud well into the old parking area. One toilet is now just about covered in mud, the other was washed away. We could not get to the debris dam due to quick-sand mud.-Pushing up to Little Caliente, the road was gone for about 100 yards in one place and as per usual the hot springs were 100% silted in.-Last but not least, we surveyed the new section of the Cold Spring Trail that the LPFA built last year to bypass the Mono Jungle. The Jungle was wall-to-wall water and mud but thankfully the trail was in great shape other than a few small slides. The real problem is that we couldn't cross the the Santa Ynez River at the crossing due to quick-sand and mud, which stretched across the entire river crossing. What used to be cottonwoods and bramble with a 10 yard water crossing is now wall-to-wall boot-eating Mono Jungle muck. It's probably going to take a while before things dry up enough to safely cross the river there.--#lospadresnationalforest #monojungle #stormdamagesurvey #2023stormseason #monocampground #santaynezriver #littlecaliente #quicksand #justalittlepatience ... See MoreSee Less

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Los Padres Forest Association is at Los Padres National Forest.

2 months ago

Los Padres Forest Association
-GANDALF SHOWSTOPPER TRAILS-We are seeing a ton of substantial trail damage as a result of the January storms. While some of the damage is the fairly standard downed trees or rockfall blocking the trail, unfortunately we're also seeing much more significant damage that will require A LOT of work to repair and in some cases the trail is not safe to cross. We call these gnarly and unsafe slides or washouts 'showstoppers' or 'Gandalfs', indicating that you shall not pass. Time to turn around.-While some of these showstoppers have already been documented over the past couple weeks, there are bound to be others in deeper parts of the backcountry that have not yet been surveyed. The LPFA is trying to help the Forest Service by listing priority areas that have historically suffered from Gandalf slides and damage. Places like Foresters Leap on the Sisquoc, The Ledges on Sellers, Santa Cruz 40 Mile Wall or the Alder Creek slide in the Sespe, etc....-WE NEED YOUR HELP: What trails would you be concerned about or have turned you back in the past? Please share either here in the comments or INFO@LPForest.org.-What we really want to avoid is a scenario where someone is on a 6 day backpacking trip, they encounter a showstopper on day 4 and then have to either turn around or potentially make a bad decision or two. We’re really hoping this information will help the Forest Service reopen the forest sooner…. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!-Photo 1: Romero Canyon, Jan 2023, nuff saidPhoto 2: The Ledges on Sellers, 2018, notorious for big slidesPhoto 3: Old photo of Justin on the Alder Creek Slide, we just fixed this tooPhoto 4: West Fork Cold Spring, Jan 2023Photo 5: Hurricane Deck, 2017, this slide has turned back a few over the yearsPhoto 6: San Ysidro, Jan 2023Photo 7: Foresters Leap, old photoPhoto 8: Foresters Leap, 2018 after being workedPhoto 9: Pratt Trail, Jan 2023Photo 10: Baron, Jan 2023--#lospadresnationalforest #youshallnotpass #thankyou #trailsurveys #showstoppers #gandalfs ... See MoreSee Less

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Los Padres Forest Association
PO Box 1282
Goleta, CA 93116

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