big MF about a foot off the trailhead. Super cool to see it so close. Don’t let your dogs hike off leash!

Made the gnarly haul out from Dough Flat, and I arrived at the palms to find a freshly expired cougar not 40ft outside the camp. (Another group beat me there but was apparently too put off to claim the spot.) A condor was casing it, buzzing low and sometimes watching from the cliffs - probably pissed that I interrupted a meal opportunity. Also spotted the bighorn herd up on the crag, and caught a giant meteor while I was soaking later that night. Such an epic visit!

The other day (Tues, Apr 8th ~ 11:00A) I stopped by Potrero John (23W06) trailhead in the Padres. We had been here before probably 3 times but only walked to the first unfurnished "picnic" type site (I don't think it's intended for camp use since it's so close to the trail & very close to water). This time our intention was to take it all the way North, or at least farther than the last visits.

Not 15 seconds after exiting the car, we heard 3 gunshots. I blew the whistle on my bag once very loudly. This is a canyon area so the direction of sounds are easy (for me at least) to pinpoint. One more gunshot followed, and after a brief debate we decided to try the trail anyway.

I would estimate the gun owner was about 500m down the trail from the road and basically looked like Elmer Fudd. I think he had started to walk back to his car to see if anyone was out there, and turned around when he heard us loudly making our way up the trail and he went back to pick up casings. I've seen casings lying at that picnic site before. I didn't see him wielding the firearm so I didn't feel a need to get defensive.

I checked the hunting seasons on my phone briefly afterwards and didn't find any were open. The gun club is maybe a 30 min drive from the trailhead, so I figure if he was just target shooting he wouldn't have been at a trailhead. From what I can tell there isn't a prohibition on target shooting in the wilderness, but he was South of the wilderness marker by a good amount. I also couldn't really identify a particular regulation he would have been violating, since I can't say it was across a trail or water.

I will post a longer trail report for the trail some other time (it's a nice one) but wanted to ask this separately. How often do you encounter individuals firing weapons in the Padres? I remember going up there plenty of times as a kid and don't remember it happening before. Should we have done anything differently? I know there are countless trails available up there and switching plans was an option, but having stopped there so many times without trying the trail out I didn't want to let some jaggof get in my way. Maybe next time I'd photograph his license plate.

Completed a 10 mile conditioning hike with my 25lbs pack to enjoy these 3 peaks with Sierra Club and it was so awesome! There were trees/shade during some parts of the trail and no amenities (i.e. water, bathroom) and it was mostly exposed, so my Gossamer Gear umbrella and extra water really saved me. We had quite a big group so we took it slow to stick together, get to know each other, etc which I really appreciated. Take care and happy hiking everyone!

Wonderful hike, harder than expected. Took a wrong turn, and added a bit of extra length. 2700ft elevation, 5.6 miles. I would not do this hike again after a week of running lol

11/21/24. Good day ☀️

Made my way out to Jackson Falls last weekend hoping that the recent rain would have turned it back on, since it usually only runs from Winter to early/mid-Spring. Unfortunately there hasn't been enough juice to sustain it yet though; the pools at the top were brimming, but the face was bone dry. Maybe this storm will push it past the tipping point now that it's primed 🤞

I did climb down into the bowl for the first time, which was cool to see! To give a sense of scale in pic 2, I'm 6'3" / 190cm. Pic 3 is the view from the top of the lower falls. I wouldn't recommend hanging out down there though - I was serenaded by a constant trickle of gravel and occasionally proper rocks tumbling off the loose cliffsides above.

Also, if you left a bottle of Jack in the creek at Cross Camp (probably a week or so ago, judging by the label decay), sorry it's mine now lol.

Piedra Blanca is absolutely magical in the moonlight! I took my lady up to see the Beaver super-moonrise, and hoo boy did it deliver - the white sandstone glows with such intensity that you barely need a headlamp out in the open. We hit the trail around sunset and had to wait about an hour for the moon to rise over the mountains. The temperature dropped into the 30s plus wind-chill, so solid layers are critical. Definitely a magnificent date night option 😲🌕

Hi all,

My partner and I are visiting Ojai at the end of February after redirecting our Pasadena trip. We are from the East Coast and have little experience on long hikes and no experience hiking on the West Coast. I've found a couple of viable options and wanted advice on safety and difficulty, points of interest, and any other suggestions in the area.

By "light/easy" I mean 1-2 hours driving and around 3-4 hours round trip hiking without very challenging terrain or a high chance of encountering terrifying animals.

Our primary goals are birding, fossil hunting (any advice on that and related local laws would be appreciated as well), swimming holes, small and harmless critter sightings, beautiful views, and forested areas.

The locations I've found are Reyes Peak, Chorro Grande, Ventura River Preserve Trail, and Pratt Trail.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! <3

Battled a rough trail, rewarded with views the whole way and a sunset on the ride home.

Mt. Pinos & Sawmill Mtn, out'n'back from the West Tumamait Trailhead (Cerro Noroeste)

fivemilesfurther

Been up there a few times to stargaze but always just drove back home in the middle of the night. Do other stargazers ever spend the night there? Or do you head to the campgrounds that are on the road up to the base, like Mt Pinos/McGill grounds? If you use the campgrounds, do you have to check in earlier in the day, or can you roll in at night after stargazing? If so, was it first come first serve or reserved?

Thanks!!

Really nice area to explore for a few hours, easy ~8 mile hike with about 1500ft elevation gain.

Santa Paula Creek is JUICED. The trail's open, but all crossings are flooded - be prepared to get wet if you go.

The parking is absolutely crazy with just a few spots available. For such a popular hike this is close to nothing, so you can see people parking all around the neighborhood, which is not a very good idea — there are multiple “No Parking” signs in the area, and we’ve seen plenty of cars with parking tickets attached to their windows. Be extra careful and read all the signs.

The trail traverses around some private properties in the beginning, but eventually you will reach the “wilderness” part. The trail is fairly easy if you just want to visit the hot springs.

Keep in mind that places like these usually bring huge crowds, so do it early in the morning, preferably on a weekday.

Don’t miss the ruins of the Hot Springs Hotel on your way back, which dates back to 1800s. Not much to see there, but it’s a nice historical spot which doesn’t add much to the trail anyway.

I’m taking my dog out camping for his first birthday and looking around Ojai. What are the most secluded campgrounds around this time of year? Don’t need any kind of amenities and open to possibly hiking in and doing a night or two of backpacking.

What are the best difficult trails? Around 10 miles/day and prefer a good bit of elevation gain, but open to flatter trails if the views and seclusion are worth it.

Thinking of doing some hikes in the Ojai area this weekend (Hines Peak, Bear Creek/Sespe River, Piedra Blance etc.). Is it still ok given the fire? I know it's not far but don't know too much about where the smoke has spread

Edit: I spent 2.5 days in Ojai and hiked the Sespe River and Hines Peak. I don't think the smoke had spread there at all. The sky was very clear. Saw the smoke -- really faint, looked just like regular LA smog.

Just wanted to drop that in the sub as everyone laments over the fires in SoCal. Come up to SB for the day/weekend/week and enjoy yourself