DAY 216: La Jolla Valley

The Great Sand Dune; from the top of Mugu Peak

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DAY 216: La Jolla Valley

Date: Saturday June 18, 2011

Miles: 10.0

Elevation Gain: 1900 Feet

Time: 4 hours

Difficulty: The first 0.7 miles is a steep +880 feet.  After that, it's pretty easy and enjoyable.  You have the option to loop this area in under 5 miles so the level of difficulty is up to you; but I wouldn't take young children...

Reward: The pure Chumash Country.  Imagine living 500+ years ago; the valley is untouched and a perfect place to relax in life.  Rumor has it that an old Chumash burial ground rests back here...

Description: Single track trail lifts you up the mountain side to escape the ocean.  Then, follow the grassy trail through the Valley.  Circle around a hidden lake, look over the better known La Jolla Canyon Trail; then climb Mugu Peak...

Where: Pt. Mugu, CA
Directions:From Camarillo, take Las Posas South 9-miles to the PCH (Route 1).  Take the PCH towards Malibu.  The Seabee Rifle Range will be on your right about 2 miles up the road.  Immediately turn into the small parking lot on your left.  If you reach the big Mugu Rock, you went too far.  You can see the huge rock from the trailhead parking lot.  

SEAL TREASURE GAME #4411: Seal Treasures

Begin to climb

Highlighted map of my route (*7.0 miles)

Early morning June Gloom

La Jolla Valley

After climbing 900 feet in 20 minutes, what a rejuvenating relief it was reaching this grassland.  Once up top you will reach a T-Junction; turn left.  Immediately, the trail will swerve around Mugu Peak and there will be a fork.  Take the left (main fork).  The right will lead you straight up Mugu Peak (we’ll attack that later). 

You will pass several loop cut offs; keep going straight

No one around; but I saw 2 deer and 1 snake!!!

Reaching vegetation; this must have been where the Chumash thrived

La Jolla Campgrounds

East La Jolla Valley Loop Junction

There were many different places to camp off the trail over tha last mile.  I wandered around the group camp area and nearly lost my sense of direction.  There were water faucets in some of the camping spots but none of them worked; so no water.  I think if you want to camp up here you'll have to contact Pt. Mugu State Park.  At the end of the entire camp grounds, if you go the right way, you'll follow this trail to the junction above.  Take the sharp turn to the right and start heading back...

Bunny

The Hidden Lake

The trail slowly goes lower into the shade...

...then boom, out into the light...

It's shocking!  For 1.2 miles you are hiking through wooded wilderness and then all of a sudden the sky opens up.  June Gloom has burnt off and California is sizzling again!  10 seconds later, I reached the same point that I acheived with Jess and Ayden on Day 70 La Jolla Canyon     If you continue you straight on the trail, this will lead you to the waterfall and out to the PCH at Thornhill Broome Beach.  Instead, today we make a sharp right turn back into it:

The West Loop Tail

La Jolla Canyon below

Just ahead, you will intersect the Mugu Peak Trail, turn left

SEAL TREASURE AHEAD!

This large canister is about 200 steps from the trail junction.  On the other side of the canister is a cut out opening.  To solve the Seal Treasure; what is written above the cut out?  It's ten total letters; three letters to the left of the door and seven to the right.  To solve the mystery, please log on to SEALtheBeach.com.  Sign up for free at the Seal Treasures page and then enter in the answer.  Please note, I did not spray paint these words nor do i condone graffiti.  However since it's here, the object is now part of our universe and it has become this game's Seal Treasure.  ***If you look at the map, you can acheive this location in less time without looping the long route as I did.

After the canister, the trail crosses a narrow creek and then heads up the mountainside.  If you wish to summit the peak take the alternate right fork trail to the top:

Mugu Peak (Elevation 1266 feet)

(sign into the log book)

Over Pt. Mugu

La Jolla Valley

The trail leads sharply lower to the grassy plateau from the beginning of this journey.  Remember where you are?  Now time to hike lower to sea level (a total drop of 1250 feet in 20 minutes).  Shucks, I’m early!  My wife dropped me off earlier and planned to pick me up an hour from now.  For the last three house I’ve been doing nonstop walking; with the exception of taking pictures.  I did not sit down once so why should I now?  I began hiking the PCH back toward Camarillo.  I took some pics with my camera phone but never uploaded them onto this page.  I exited the PCH at Las Posas and kept going until I met my wife.  This journey added 3 miles to today’s adventure and finally, I can stop moving my legs.  LOL, I didn’t want to stop but time for another soccer game in Camarillo.  Oh, I’ll update that story tomorrow…