Santa Paula Peak & Cienega Camp

Talk about getting a break with the weather. As the rest of the country swelters, we in SoCal have been experiencing a very mild summer which means that a trip up SP Peak in August was in the realm of possibilty. For this outing I was joined by Eric and Frank of Venutra County Canyoneering Club. These guys study the of maps and go to the remote places of the Los Padres, but due to access issues, hadn't yet been to SP Peak or Cienega Camp.
The front side (south) of SP Peak is as brushy, scratchy, steep and hot as anything in our neighborhood. Elevation gain over five or so miles is around 3,800ft, In other words, not fun. To compound this misery, apparently Eric was attacked by bees and suffered 6 stings to his head and neck. I was ahead of the pack and didn't witness this indignity. We chose to leave the summit for day 2, to tag it on the way out. The north side of SP Peak is shady and nice, with beautiful forest scenery and the 1,000ft descent into Cienega is one of the nicest sections of backcountry in our area. We had a very nice evening including steaks on the grill and conspicuous consumption of firewood. The campsite itself has many perks including year round water, a concrete BBQ pit, big benches, all the camping cookware one could want, and a 20ft picnic table. This makes up for the suffering involved in getting there.

After a late morning start we quickly regained the altitude we had lost coming into Cienega. After fifteen more minutes of scramble we reached the summit of SP Peak. This peak has one of the best 360 degree panoramas in SoCal. Even with the coastal fog we were able to see from Oxnard to the San Gabriel mountains.
This was a nice little over-night and the "new guys" were great. I look forward to the possibility of future outings with these gentlemen.

Santa Paula Peak...the knee basher.

Another Saturday, another 4,700ft climb, this time up Santa Paula Peak. Describing this trail as "strenuous" is a gross understatement. Those 4,700ft are hiked in just 5miles. Tack on two more miles over the backside to the spectacular Cienega Camp and you've got a full day. I joined the lads I had formerly called "Geezers"(Jack, Rick, and Cliff). Again, I am quite impressed with these guys. They hike at my speed, which is to say, they don't fool around. And what a great trail!
I have tried to get up Santa Paula Peak twice before and failed both times. I was in my teens the last time I tried the south side of the peak and one of the guys I was with got heat-stroked. The other time was a trek up the East Fork of SP Creek which failed because we hadn't really thought it out, so I was very pleased when Cliff offered to run us up the peak. There are some access issues which prevent the uninvited from getting to the trail head, and the trail itself is none too obvious in some spots. I now have the key to the gate on Timber Canyon Rd (private), and a trail of GPS breadcrumbs to follow so the future looks bright.

As for the trail, it winds steeply up a ridge via a series of burley switch-backs. It leads over, around and through grassy hills, chossy crags, and dense chapparel. It ends in a scramble up a 40degree field of scree. The summit is small, with sheer cliffs on two sides. The view to the west is remarkable, staring down on upper Ojai Valley. To the northeast lies Bear Haven. To the north is Devil's Gate, the Sespe, Topa Topa, and Santa Paula Gorge (Ted Tuschka's beloved Gorge Camp). It is quite a vista.

Descending from the summit we picked up the trail and headed north, descending about 1,200ft into the top of the east fork of Santa Paula Creek. There lies a beautiful camp, sandwiched between two small creeks, with tables, benches, barbeque pit, and even a bar. Cienega Camp in nestled in a little dell amongst a forest of ancient oak trees. Several equipment caches provide everything one needs to cook up some great chow. I am most definitely going back for an overnight stay. It seems like a very peaceful place.
The climb out of Cienega was blessedly quick and the descent of the front side began. An analogy for the descent comes to mind...jackhammers. That's basically what it felt like. Thank dog for trekking poles. They are the knee savers. On the lower stretch I could tell Rick was getting a bit grouchy and a discussion of the benefits of Advil ensued. Gobbling Advil is a sure sign that you've had a great day. Aye, it was.