CONEJO GROUP - SIERRA CLUB

Saturday, May 30 - Devil's Chair Route

Devil's Chair Hikers

Devil's Chair picture by Linda Barry

Photo Courtesy of Linda Barry

Sierra Club Hike Leader's Special Outing - May 30, 2009

Seven hikers consisting of five Conejo Group Hike Leaders and two interested parties got up early to drive to the LA County Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area to explore the trail to the Devil's Chair in the Pearblossom/Littlerock area. The weather cooperated for the most part with an overcast morning and a slight breeze as we climbed from 4795 ft. elevation to 4945 ft. at the Devil's Chair. The trail was a mild roller coaster with peak elevations up to roughly 5300 ft. There were areas near the destination that the trail was narrow, sandy and sloped with steep drop-offs. The views were spectacular with chaparral plants, scrub oak and pinyon pine in areas of granite and sandstone not to mention the uplifted Devil's Punchbowl. Yucca (Yucca Whipplei) and Flannelbush (Fremontodendron californicum) were both in flower.

After snacks/lunch at the Devil's Chair we set off to return by the same route. We were amazed at how many hikers were making their way to what we had just left. At first we saw a few hikers making their way up or down to the Devil's Chair since it is lower than a good part of the trail. Then came the unending stream of people, some with ID tags hanging around their neck. I stopped one of them and asked what group were they and he showed me his tag and said they were with the Evergreen Hiking Club. He also told me there were 38 in the group. They were fully covered, some even had a scarf around their face. We wondered how roughly 50 hikers would share a space that could probably accommodate 10 at the most (see picture above). (To be continued . . .)

JUNE/JULY 2009

29 - Monday
Leaderless hikes in the local area: Most hikes are moderate and are approximately 5-7 miles with elevation gains of 400-1800 feet. Exceptions can occur depending on group consensus. Meet at 8:00 A.M. in the parking lot near former Burger King in Thousand Oaks on Hampshire Road. Note: Not a Sierra Club hike.

July 1 - Wednesday
NORTH RANCH OVERLOOK: Moderate 4‑5 mrt hike with 1200' elev. gain in Thousand Oaks. Meet at Equine COSCA Trailhead at 5:30 P.M. on Bowfield Street 1/2 mile west of Lindero Canyon Road. Bring water, food and lug-soled shoes. Trekking poles a plus. Short car shuttle. CYNDEE ZAHORIK (805) 492-1453

3 - Friday
OLD CABIN SITE - POINT MUGU STATE PARK: Moderate 8 mrt hike with 700' elev. gain. Visit waterfall (seasonal). Bring water, food and wear lug-soled shoes. Meet at Wendy Drive trailhead at intersect of Potrero Road in Newbury Park no later than 8:00 A.M. LILLIAN TREVISAN (805) 498-1623

5 - Sunday
LA JOLLA VALLEY ‑ POINT MUGU STATE PARK: Moderately strenuous leader's choice hike of 8‑10 miles and approx. 1800' elev. gain on trails of Point Mugu State Park including Ray Miller Trail, La Jolla Valley, and Chumash Trail, etc. Requires car shuttle prior to hike. Bring extra water, lunch and lug‑soled shoes. Meet at 7:30 A.M. near the former Burger King on Hampshire Road just before the Shell Station in Thousand Oaks for carpooling or at 8:15 A.M. sharp in La Jolla Canyon parking lot (day use fee: $5 / $4 Senior(62) or park on PCH for free). CYNDEE ZAHORIK (805) 492-1453

6 - Every Monday
Leaderless hikes in the local area: Most hikes are moderate and are approximately 5-7 miles with elevation gains of 400-1800 feet. Exceptions can occur depending on group consensus. Meet at 8:00 A.M. in the parking lot near former Burger King in Thousand Oaks on Hampshire Road. Note: Not a Sierra Club hike.

8 - Wednesday
HILLCREST OPEN SPACE LOOP: Moderately strenuous 6 mrt loop with a total elev. gain of about 1550' with many up and down sections, some fairly steep. From the 23 Fwy, take the Janss Road exit and head east. Note that Janss Road becomes La Granada Drive as you pass Erbes Road. Meet at the end of La Granada Drive and Crown View Court at 5:30 P.M. Sunset at 8:10 P.M. Bring water, food and lug-soled shoes. Hiking poles a plus. CYNDEE ZAHORIK (805) 492-1453

10 - Friday
LOWER NEWTON CANYON - BUZZARD'S ROOST: Moderate 9 mrt hike with 1000' elev. gain. Visit waterfall (seasonal). Bring water, food and wear lug-soled shoes. Meet in parking lot near the former Burger King on Hampshire Road in Thousand Oaks no later than 8:00 A.M. for carpooling. LILLIAN TREVISAN (805) 498-1623

11 - Saturday
SPLIT ROCK AND BALANCED ROCK: Easy 5 mrt with a little scrambling near Balanced Rock. Meet at the former Burger King on Hampshire Road entrance just before the Shell Station at 7:00 A.M. for carpooling or at the Mishe Mokwa parking lot on Yerba Buena road at 7:30 A.M. HUGH WARREN (805) 497-9612

13 - Monday
Leaderless hikes in the local area: Most hikes are moderate and are approximately 5-7 miles with elevation gains of 400-1800 feet. Exceptions can occur depending on group consensus. Meet at 8:00 A.M. in the parking lot near former Burger King in Thousand Oaks on Hampshire Road. Note: Not a Sierra Club hike.

15 - Wednesday
LANG RANCH LOOP: Moderate 5 mrt loop hike with 750' elev. gain. Nice views of Simi Hills and the ocean. Bring water, food and wear lug-soled shoes. Meet at trailhead at northern end of Westlake Blvd., corner of Oak Valley and Autumn Ridge Drive at 5:30 P.M. Back before sunset. RICK KOPPEL (805) 523-1580

18 - Saturday
BEACH WALK ‑ POINT DUME ‑ EASY HIKE SERIES: Easy to moderate 6 mrt hike with 250' elev. gain. Hike along the beach, up to the bluff and down to tide pools if tide permits. Bring water and food. Meet in parking lot near the former Burger King on Hampshire Road in Thousand Oaks at 8:00 A.M. for carpooling. LILLIAN TREVISAN (805) 498-1623

19 - Sunday
PHANTOM TRAIL ‑ LIBERTY CANYON: Moderate 6 mrt with 800' elev. gain. Bring water, food and lug-soled shoes. Meet near former Burger King on Hampshire Road in Thousand Oaks at 8:00 A.M. for carpooling. JOHN HOLROYD (805) 495-6391

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CONEJO GROUP MEETINGS

TIME:
DATE:
SPEAKERS:
PROGRAM:
MEETING PLACE:	Cameron Center - See below for directions

MEETING LOCATION:

CAMERON CENTER IN THOUSAND OAKS: Go south on Lynn Road (over the 101 Freeway) to the four-way stop at Green Meadow. Turn left, go to the end of street, turn left into driveway and follow to Cameron Center parking lot. Meetings are typically held on Thursdays several times a year at 7:00 P.M. Exceptions to this can and do occur. Check with the program schedule for meeting dates.

STATE AND NATIONAL PARK INFORMATION

The trail closure data below reflects only the N.P.S. website information. Check with the State Parks Office at (818) 880-0350 or the National Park Service at (805) 370-2301 for information regarding the status of parks within their jurisdiction.

CURRENT STATUS - JANUARY 2009 - OF STATE and NATIONAL PARKS

Los Padres National Forest:

The Los Padres National Forest has been re-opened. Care when hiking is required.

Forest Supervisor: Peggy Hernandez
Deputy Forest Supervisor: Ken Heffner
6755 Hollister Ave., Suite 150
Goleta, CA 93117
(805) 968-6640

SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS:

During RED FLAG WARNINGS...

Dry, hot, windy conditions are conducive to fire. Some park sites are subject to closures. For more information: NPS Visitor Center 805-370-2301// State Park Fire Weather Hotline: 805-488-8147.

Cheeseboro Canyon, Palo Comado Canyon, Liberty Canyon, and Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve sites: Public access is restricted to established official roads and trails from sunrise to sunset. Please comply with posted restrictions and closures on site. Motorized vehicles are not permitted.
Solstice Canyon is open. Trails are widened and burned wooden structures have been removed.

TRAIL CLOSURES:

CIRCLE X; Mishe Mokwa open to hikers only.

Cold Creek Canyon Trail is open

RANCHO SIMI TRAILS STATUS: Open (see below for special notice)

CONEJO RECREATION and PARK DISTRICT - WILDWOOD TRAILS STATUS: Open / Closed when raining and trails muddy.

RANCHO SIMI TRAIL BLAZERS - WILDLIFE CORRIDOR TRAIL STATUS: (a "Use trail" and not an official trail) in Simi Valley, that connects Corriganville and the Rocky Peak Fire Road, has been completely closed to all (hikers, bikers and equestrians.)

• Call the listed leader to receive specific information about the trail and meeting place and to answer your questions. PLEASE let the leader know in advance of your intention to participate so that enough tools will be available. A parent or organization group leader must accompany volunteers under the age of 18.

• Meeting places and times vary as noted on the schedule below, and are subject to change, make sure when you call that you confirm the meeting time and place. We plan to end work at 2 pm at the trailhead, please tell the leader when you call if you need to leave earlier. Keep in mind we often car pool, shuttle or hike to the actual work site.

• General SMMTC information available from: Linda Palmer at 818-222-4531.
• If you can't reach the leader call Burt Elliott at 805-498-2475.

• BRING: water, lunch, work gloves, long sleeve shirt and eye protection. Sturdy shoes or boots and long pants required. We provide trail maintenance tools such as McLeods, Pulaskis, Loppers, Saws and Mattocks.

VISIT THE TRAIL MAINTENANCE VIDEO AT SMMTC.ORG FOR AN OVERVIEW OF THE WORK WE WILL DO.

NOTE: CONEJO GROUP SIERRA CLUB MEMBER and LOCAL AREA LEADERS TRAIL MAINTENANCE DAY IN BOLD COLOR.

6/20/09 8:30am Saturday FOREST TRAIL AND CAGE CREEK TRAIL, MALIBU CREEK STATE PARK
Leader: Burt Elliott 805-498-2475 Meet at the Malibu Creek day parking lower lot for shuttle to the trailhead. Tell the attendant that you are part of the volunteer trail crew.

6/27/09 8:30am Saturday ROGERS CABIN TRAIL, TOPANGA STATE PARK
Leader: Greg Sweel 310-452-4443 Meet in Will Rogers State Historic Park parking lot. Tell the kiosk attendant that you are a volunteer trail worker to receive a parking note. NOTE: This will be an extra long day due to the long hike to get to the work area. Plan to be back at the vehicles by 4 PM.

** Indicates joint project with the Sierra Club Task Force. ***indicates joint project with CORBA

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Contact Walt Zabriskie at conejohiker@verizon.net

To all Hike Leaders: Outings are due every month on the 15th

NOTES

SIERRA CLUB WAIVER
All Sierra Club Outings require that you sign an "Acknowledgment of Outing Member Responsibility, Express Assumption of Risk, and Release of Liability" before you can participate in the outing. In addition, if a minor is going on the trip, the minor's guardian must sign on the minor's behalf. This agreement can be viewed by clicking on this link ==> WAIVER

WEATHER/TRAIL NOTE
The daytime temperatures are in the 60^oF to 90^oF range with sunny conditions predicted for several days. Check with the park services for closure areas. Always bring lots of water when you hike. Trails are generally in good shape. Use sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15, SPF 30 to 55 is preferable for long hikes. Check with the weather link below. Keep posted to this site for the latest as our hikers report on conditions.

The EASY HIKE SERIES are for newcomers to hiking or for persons wishing to enjoy the beauty of our local area without a lot of physical effort. There will be frequent stops to insure everyone is together. A short presentation of the club's various activities will be made before the hike starts. Sample newsletters will be available.

Trail Status:
Trails are in fair to good condition with occasional areas where slides and heavy runoff has exposed rocks and created deep grooves in the trail. See closures above.

Current Requirements for Moderate to Strenuous Hikes:
Hikers should be physically capable of hiking in varied (possibly steep) terrain with loose rocks, gravel and mud and some bushwhacking (described in outing). Be prepared for high winds, hot/cold temperatures and rain as these conditions can occur at any time. It is highly recommended that you wear lug-soled shoes and bring water and food. You may not be permitted to hike with the group at the leaders discretion if you do not have these items with you. Check with the leader as rain and/or dangerous conditions (Red Flag Warning, etc.) may cause the hike to be canceled.

LINKS TO WEB SITES

Los Padres Chapter Website The hikes listed in this web site should be checked by calling the leader. Hikes listed are listed with a two letter Group in parentheses: Conejo (CJ), Sespe (SP), Santa Barbara (SB), Arguello (AR) and the three letter exception - West LA (WLA) (Angeles Chapter). Sespe Group has their hikes listed on a separate web page on the chapter website.
Angeles Chapter Outings A listing of Today's Outings are on this page as you open it. To find outings on other dates scroll down to the bottom of the page and enter your date range and any other advanced search parameters. Leaders are listed, but no contact information is given. If you need to contact the leader(s) click on Outings Leaders found on the left side column and follow the instructions given.
Trailheads in the Santa Monicas and Surrounds The site is useful for finding Trail Maintenance and hiking locations. Created by a collaboration with the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council. Each area you link to displays the selected trail on a Google Maps overhead or satellite view.
@LA the Guide to Greater Los Angeles and Southern California This is a valuable site for obtaining links to other environmental and conservation organizations.
California State Parks Web Page The web site lists all State Parks, allows online reservations, lists park programs and contains an events calendar. Many events are depicted graphically. Try it you'll like it!
National Park Service Web Page for the Santa Monica Mountains This site lists interesting information about what to do (see their events for the quarter in OUTDOORS online) as well what is the latest information about trail closures (duplicated here).
Weather in the local area from the National Weather Service, Oxnard, CA This is a textual listing of weather for the Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County areas. Use the find feature of your browser (CTRL-F) or scroll to search for your city.
Weather from the National Weather Service, Los Angeles/Oxnard, CA The site has weather data for the technically inclined. Satellite and Radar images are available in many formats. Create your own weather forecasts. Now you can look out the window and know which way the clouds/rain are going.
Caltrans Highway Information Check this site for any information about traffic, road closures, freeway maps with traffic speeds, incidents, etc. A valuable resource to bookmark.

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CONEJO GROUP NEWSLETTER

The Conejo Group Newsletter provides information about the club's various activities and up to two months of outings for advance planning. To obtain a sample copy of our newsletter e-mail John Holroyd at the address listed below in Contacts. To subscribe for a year send a check for $10.00 made out to:

CONEJO GROUP SIERRA CLUB

643 Old Farm Road

Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

Provide your name, address, e-mail address and phone number and indicate whether this is a new subscription or a renewal.
Note: A subscription does not imply membership in the National Sierra Club or it's chapters or groups. *The newsletter will be sent by 1st Class mail.

CONTACTS:

Group Chair:	JOHN HOLROYD	backpacker2@earthlink.net
Outings Chair:	WALT ZABRISKIE	conejohiker@verizon.net
Membership Chair:	JERI ANDREWS	JeriAndrew@aol.com

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