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.

Matilija Wildflowers

I've never claimed to be a student of local botany, bird identification, or geology, but after a day like today I wish I knew a bit more about the local ecology. I wish I could identify the flowers and birds I saw, especially the wood-pecker. He had black/white wings with a red crest.

Matilija Canyon is most definitely in spring and the flowers are out. Color is everywhere. The birds are out and chirping. Butterfly's flit from one bloom to another. Turtles and water-snakes bask in the sun. I saw my first rattler of the season, a feisty little pacific diamondback.

The water in the creek is running high thanks to a wet winter. The recent storms have changed the course of the stream in places. The Green pool, once long and open, is now divided by a rock-fall, and the west falls upper pool now has a beach.

Warm 70's breezes and a baptism in brisk water, after which I spent a couple of hours lounging in the sun. Not a bad way to round out the day.
I know there are alot of pictures here, but hey, it was a photogenic day. Enjoy.

Mammoth Getaway

Mammoth: where to start? It's big, real big. It has an epic amount of every type of terrain for every taste. Most of the runs are easy, and short, which kind of bugs me. A fair amount of logistics are required to link up several runs into one nice, long ride. As for the terrain, Mammoth has an abundance of steeps and trees and miles of cruiser runs. As you can see in the photo below, this is spring which means that the steeps and the summit are as hard-packed as concrete. The spring conditions also kept me out of the trees until late in the day as the snow is all chunked up and coated in a layer of fast and hard ice. Early attempts at tree riding were a reeducation in ice-boarding.
By late morning the snow was loosening up and the day got better. The temps were strictly a spring climate: warm with breezes at the top. As the ice softened we were able to get off the runs and into the trees. Fun stuff.
I am impressed with the system of lifts that make getting around the mountain very straight foreword. By the end of 2 days we had ridden every lift that Mammoth operates, which means that Ruth and I: a.) rode hard, and b.) rode most of the mountain. Also, the scenery, which includes Mt Ritter, Banner Pk, and the Minarets (below), rivals Mt Baker WA and Copper Mountain CO.


I have to admit that not coming up here to board has been a bit stupid (there, I said it Rob). It's a drive, and expensive, but it is relatively close to home and I will also say that I liked Mammoth better than any of the Tahoe resorts, which makes this the place to be if one stays in California. Also, I could tell immediately that this is the type of place that really shines after a good powder dump. The amount of tree terrain that would need tracks really got me thinking about how it would be to ride this place in knee-deep pow. We'll be back.
By the way, as you can see in the pictures below, Ruth and I were able to find runs that were weekender free.

The Big Stuff

Ah, the Big Stuff. The East Side. Visions of toiling up miles of talus, searing UV, glacial crossings, and an endless scramble which finally terminates on an indifferent summit. The high and dry Eastern Sierra. My favorite mountains.
On this weekend's drive up and down the 395 I was able to pull out and shoot some pics of this amazing landscape. I paid special attention to two fourteeners which I will be reattempting in June: Middle Palisade and Split mountain. Dave Rivas and I got pasted by a week of bad weather on last year's try and although we made a good account of ourselves, we still owe ourselves these summits. Above, the Minarets, Mt Ritter {in clouds} (which we climbed in '06), and Banner Peak. Below, Convict Lake.
Below are photos of three peaks we intend to climb in June. The first shows Middle Palisade, a massive fourteener which we will climb via the East Face (Class III). To Middle Pal's right stands Norman Clyde Peak. NClyde is not a fourteener, however, it is a serious climb to the summit. Named for the gentleman who became synonymous with hard first ascents in the Eastern Sierra, the easiest route we could pick to climb the peak will require a rope in some places, and especially on the descent. Norman Clyde Peak will be a third priority because we are really after the 14ers but would likely be the more challenging of the three peaks we will attempt. On the bottom is Split Mountain, another massive dose of mountain. We will attempt this peak via the St. Jean Couloir which is the prominent gully in the sun, center right of the summit. This is mostly a snow climb but may require a rope and some gear in places. This is the plan, man. Take two.

Exercise Under Blue Skies

Okay, I'm about tired now. And sore. About once a week Ruth and I run the Arroyo Verde Park trail (about 3 miles). So we went on Thursday and again today. In addition we ran (walked) up to Ventura's Two Trees (above), a local landmark. This is a pretty burley, and thankfully short, trail up a steep little coastal hill. It's a great view of town, the coast, the inland mountains, and the islands. Added to a full day of climbing on Friday, and yesterday's orgyastic buffet of cardiovascular exertion (Topa Topa Peak), today was the musculo-skeletal piece de resistance. So, yeah...I'm sore. Good thing I can chill until Thursday rolls around.

Just a note regarding our too brief SoCal spring. As you can see in many recent photos spring is upon us and the flowers are blooming, but what the pictures cannot describe for you is the "smell" of spring. An explosion of plant growth occurs in the local hills at this time of year and with it comes a boquet of smells that's unique. The smells of sage and flowers, weeds, thistles, grasses combine in a slightly humid aroma that can't really be described. Soon our spring will stretch into an early and dry summer, taking all these lovely smells with it.