The Weekday Trailblazers

Encinal Canyon is named for encina, the Spanish word for the holm oak, a lovely Mediterranean tree with holly characteristics. Holm oaks are one of the main trees used to establish truffle orchards, but we'll be nosing around the canyon strictly for its beauty. The trail from Encinal is a smooth, firm, and well-traveled single...

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/a/2/4/event_99467652.jpeg The waterfall should be flowing. Please bring a flashlight or headlamp as we may return in the dark. From the Kanan Rd trailhead, we'll jump on the Backbone Trail for a cruise down into Newton Canyon. On our way there, we'll cross the creek, pass under an oak canopy, and come out into an...

Ventura Land Trust has opened up a new trail in Ventura, just above the high school where the trail work has been going on for four years and it's finally open. The hike is similar to the Ray Miller Trail, i.e. It is 6 miles out and back. Right now it is a beautiful hike...

This week we’ll hike about 6 miles with 1100’ of total elevation gain, spread out nicely, with a little bonus loop through Oak Creek Canyon. This is a longer route than our typical gentler friendly option. "Robles" is Spanish for oaks, and we'll see plenty of them on this beautiful, relaxing hike. After a short...

The hike starts at the parking area on Hill Canyon Road and climbs Canyon Overlook Trail. The trail is a utility road and becomes a ridgeline trail with spectacular views into Hill Canyon and to Elliott Peak to the west, and Mt Clef Butte to the east, ending at Lizard Rock with its own amazing...

We will meet near the bathrooms in the parking lot. We will hike down Sycamore Canyon and then take Ranch Center Road to the Hidden Pond trail. From there, we will take Hidden Pond trail and hopefully we will see a little water in the pond. After stopping at the pond for a brief break...

Nancy and Patricia are scheduling another trip to Santa Cruz Island. It's becoming a yearly thing. Buy your own ticket from Island Packers for Ventura Harbor to the Scorpion Cove landing. For now 9:00 is the only option but sometimes they add another boat if it fills up (OUTBOUND), We will return on the 4:30...

Join me on a moderate five mile loop with a total elevation gain/loss of about 800 ft. Please meet at the Dos Vientos Community Park Tennis Courts near the corner of Rancho Dos Vientos and Borchard Rd. This hike explores some of the neighborhood trails in the Dos Vientos area of the southwestern Conejo Valley....

This will be a figure 8 loop throughout the upper mesa of Rancho Sierra Vista. We will enjoy green vistas and hopefully some flowers. Bring plenty of water, wide hat, sturdy shoes or boots and hiking poles if you favor them. Total distance is roughly 6 miles, with about 1000' of elevation gain. There is...

This hike begins at Upper Stunt High Trail, a couple hundred feet to the right on the other side of the street from the parking lot. The trail winds upward gradually over switchbacks, giving way as the trail heads up to a dramatic rocky overlook with striking views of the Pacific, Stunt Ranch State Park,...

Join us on an out and back hike up the Ray Miller Trail and the Overlook Trail. We’ll enjoy beautiful ocean views as we descend. We'll pick up about 1300’ gain on this 8 mile adventure. Lying along the brilliant blue Pacific Ocean at the west end of Malibu (just shy of Port Hueneme), the...

If you've ever read "Wind in the Willows" you'll know just how much fooling around in beautiful creeks and rivers plays a part in the story of Mr. Toad and his friends. This hike will follow the various forks of the Arroyo Conejo and Indian Creeks around Wildwood Park. The creeks have been flowing well,...

HIKE DETAILS: It will be hot on Thursday, so we'll stay near the ocean. This will be an easier intermediate hike, with less elevation gain, less miles, and slower. This hike will go from the beach up to the picnic table on the fire road, approximately 5.5 miles. Most of the hike is exposed, so...

The poppies and other flowers are abundant at what we often refer to as the Westlake YMCA - officially at the Westlake Village Community Park. We will head up into the hills west of Lindero Canyon Road via the Wishbone Trail and on to the Bowfield Trail. If the heat doesn't wipe us out, we'll...

Oak Creek Canyon Trail is a rather special trail in Los Robles Open Space that is designed for the blind as well as the sighted. The all-access trail is shaded by a canopy of oaks, while the loop trail spends more time in the chaparral. We will start at Oak Creek Canyon and proceed to...

The trail is an awesome blend of ocean and mountain views in Malibu’s La Jolla Canyon. We will start from the trailhead which follows the canyon eastward, away from the ocean. Then, it quickly brings you back toward the ocean at a gradual incline. There’s a great lookout spot where it gives you a breathtaking...

Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks is one of the most versatile local parks there is, with 27 miles of trails skittering through rocky cliffs, cacti-filled desert environs, volcanic rock, riparian forest, and a cool, watery canyon. Highlights of the hike include waterfalls incorporating 40’ Paradise waterfalls along with a long creek, Indian caves, volcanic rock...