DAY 213: Oakbrook Vista Trail
Date: Wednesday June 15, 2011
Miles: 4.0
Elevation Gain: 1050 Feet
Time: 1.25 hours
Difficulty: Just enough incline to get your heart pumping; you probably want to avoid the incline on a 100 degree day. Kids and dogs are ok!
Reward: Chumash Rock Tops!
Description: Easy but steady switchbacks, more up hills, snakes, very little shade
Where: Thousand Oaks, CA
Directions:From the 101 Freeway in Thousand Oaks, head north on the 23 and exit on Avenida de los Arboles. Turn right and take Arboles to the end (about 1.5 miles). Turn right on Westlake Blvd and then turn left on Lang Ranch Parkway (follow the sign to the Chumash Museum). Drive less than a quarter mile and park on the right side of the road at this trailhead:
Directions:From the 101 Freeway in Thousand Oaks, head north on the 23 and exit on Avenida de los Arboles. Turn right and take Arboles to the end (about 1.5 miles). Turn right on Westlake Blvd and then turn left on Lang Ranch Parkway (follow the sign to the Chumash Museum). Drive less than a quarter mile and park on the right side of the road at this trailhead:
Oakbrook Vista Trailhead
Begin immediately with a series of switchbacks
Ahh, made it; I was jogging and didn't notice the:
SNAKE! In the pic above, he was in the middle of the trail!
Many more trails for me in the near future...
I'm some place special...
At every trail junction, stay to the left...
Almost there!
Climb and explore; the trail continues above and beyond
(looking back) You can take the alternate higher road if you choose
(Looking forward) Albertson Motorway Fireroad; next time...
(Just looking) Admire where you are cause likely, you'll have to work tomorrow
Mountain Lion Den!: Is that...? I'm outta here...
Looking over the park on my way back...
On Day #200 I discovered the Chumash Indian Museum by chance. Typically, that's how I discover everything and then I broaden my horizons with research. Someone on FaceBook pointed out that their are ancient Chumash pictographs in the Indian Caves beyond the Museum. So, I looked into this but the guy who answered the phone was actually quite defensive and argumentative? I was simply asking about the caves and my understanding was that on Saturdays, a tour guide will take you to this "off limits" section of wilderness. My intention was to say, sign me up for this weekend, but he explained that they will only go out in large groups and must raise at least $100 to do so. Meanwhile, I am looking at Google Maps of the area and asked if it was possible to hike to the caves without a guide. His response, "You'll be arrested. There is mountain lions and poison oak everywhere and rangers patrolling the area." --ok...
The hike I did today was not off limits. I found maps on line "Conejo Open Space". As usual, I am in the process of charting my own maps for this region and I will eventually publish it for free. I'm also trying to figure out a way to enhance the maps that I have already made and share them in pdf form with the public. My thoughts are, if you go out hiking and respect the land, all should be able to take advantage of God's beauty. This land was here well before the Chumash Indians and I can see why they settled here because Ventura County is the best place on Earth!
Nice trip write-up. The snake picture is a little fuzzy, but he looks like a rattlesnake--big girth, head larger than the neck.
ReplyDeleteGlad I found your blog! This hike is my neck of the woods....I have done the guided Chumash cave and yes, you need a large group. The pictographs are protected and owned by the chumash. We went with a group of my kid's classmates and families on a Saturday.
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