Beach Level View of Casitas Pier from the West
...After an hour of investigation from the east end, the kids and I turned left on Carpinteria Ave. from the parking lot on Bailard. We drove about a mile and a half and then turned left on Palm. Just before the train tracks, we parked on the street and then walked to the beach:
Entrance to the Beach (outside of the Camp Grounds)
Walk to the left along the beach; we passed many sand castles
The river (low tide)
Tar Pits
The end of reasonable beach
If you dare (imagine this during high tide)
**The person in the above picture was not one of my kids. Just some random person walking toward the seals. The waves crashing against the bluff was far too dangerous for my kids; way worse than the video that I made in Ventura: Ayden Versus the Wave.
I left Alyssa in charge for a moment and I scampered across the rushing water and made it to the other side. The picture at the top of this post displays the private cove on the other side. I essentially walked to the stop sign and then turned back. If the kids weren't waiting for me, I would have gone further. And this is the danger to the SEALS! There are many eager explorers hiking the beach from the campgrounds. I'm certain that those hikers this weekend will notice the stop sign and realize that it's June and continue further. From here, it's quite simple to walk under the pier right into the Seal Territory. There will be a daily repetition of human exploration and eventually the seals will catch on and be forced out of their home.
**There is nothing glamorous hiking under an oil pier. I have proved that there are miles and miles of usable beach on either side and there are bluff top trails that may be used to bypass this portion of the beach. At this point, I only hope that the Seals are not harmed by immature teenagers who find it fun to throw rocks. Unfortunately, there is no one monitoring now and the ugly truth of this world suggests that this torturous activity will take place.
Why is it important that the Seals keep this home? If they can't sleep at night with ease here, they will have to go somewhere else. They become desperate and interfere with sports fisherman, the biggest proponent of the Seal Sanctuary. By forcing the Seals out, they will wind up on the shores of Oxnard and other populated beaches. Most of them find safe placed to go but from my experience working on the beach at the Embassy Suites at Mandalay Bay in Oxnard, I know first hand that sick and wounded Seals will turn up beached several times each month.
I can't say enough about why this preserve should remain protected year round. For that very reason, I started a campaign to make a difference. Please visit: www.SEALtheBeach.com
I am close to completion of this website. Once I do, I have a strategical plan to send brochures out all over Southern California. I truly believe that once this program is set in place, the California Coastal Commission will act in our favor.
DAY 201: Friday June 3, 2011
Sierra Vista Trail to the Mid Dos Vientos Ocean View: 5 miles +500 feet
I made this map a while ago. Today I was looking at it and decided that I would make the round trip to cover the trails/roads on the map that I have not hiked across. From the Trailhead at Via Las Brisas and Lynn Road, I jogged up the Sierra Vista Trail to the road and then followed the road to Via El Cerro. I crossed the street and then made my way to the fire road where I hopped the fence and then turned left on the Mid Dos Vientos Trail. Although the map wasn't highlighted, I remembered hiking all of these parts before; bummer!
The main purpose to hike this trail was to reach the Ocean View from Newbury Park. I took some nice pictures of this area many months ago. If your interested, search for Mid Dos Vientos Trail on this blog for details. Today was not as magnificent. With the hazy spring air, which will turn into a June Gloom, the Islands where barely visible but I used my imagination.
Rather than taking the Sierra Vista Trail back, I jogged along Lynn Road (the dirt sidewalk trail). This covered a mile plus of new hike for the day. Looking back at my published map is now inspiring me to complete my map of the Rancho Conejo Open Space. Months back, I spent a lot of time and contracted a bad case of poison oak to jot down the trails across this wilderness. I think next week I will finally complete the map and publish it to this blog!
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