Day 556: Bark Park - New Millennium Loop Trail - Calabasas - Gun Club Road

Bark Park - Woof!!

Day #556 * Hike #637 * New Track #549

Thursday May 24, 2012
Bark Park - Calabasas, CA

New Millennium Loop Trail / Gun Club Road?

My Tripometer: 1.25 Hours * 4.75 Miles * +900 Feet

 

 Bark Park Trailhead

Directions:
From the 101 Freeway in Calabasas, exit the 101 on Las Virgenes Road and turn South toward Malibu Canyon.  About a mile up, immediately after the A.E. Wright traffic light, this small park will be on the left.  Park in the parking lot and begin your journey...

 The Dog Park

 Very overgrown trail - see the sign?

 Water treatment below

 T- Junction: New Millennium Loop Trail

The trail did got better as I progressed higher.  As usual, I was all alone out here and other than being worried about snakes, it was all good.  I turned left at the junction...

 Nice views - switchbacks start taking you lower

 Trail went straight but I took the stairs down

 Found an old road down here, I turned left towards the Las Virgenes

 Looking back at where I came from

Just before the street - walking toward Jack In the Box

 

I reached Las Virgenes and then began to jog into a strong gusty wind to the left back towards Bark Park.  It was about 3/4's of a mile back to the park.

 

I did not have a real plan today so this loop just sort of happened.  I found a website that has some more description of this area: venturacountytrails.org/TrailMaps/Calabasas

 

About a year ago, I visited near this area on what is seemingly known as the Calabasas Historic Trail but at the time I called it: Day 292: Juan Bautista de Anza West

 

I remembered then passing a trail junction sign that said "Bark Trail".  So, I researched Bark Trail and found Bark Park, hence today's trip.  I didn't quite join the two sections with this adventure so I guess I'll have to go back again, and again again because there are many more roads and trails to discover...

 

Day 555: Duplicate trail run at Arroyo Verde...

 

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Day 554: Sycamore Cove

The Rocks at Sycamore Cove

Day #554 * Hike #635 * New Track #548

Tuesday May 22, 2012
Sycamore Cove - Malibu, CA

My Tripometer: 1 Hour * 1.25 Miles * +50 Feet

Free Street Parking?

Today my goal was to hike further back into Sycamore Canyon.  Just last week I hiked above the Great Sand Dune but when I pulled into the campground to park, the ranger asked for $12.00.  Twelve Dollars on a Tuesday afternoon, Are You Kidding Me?!  For just one hour, can't you just let me in for free?  --- NO!

Big bummer so I searched for free street parking along the PCH toward the North and there is no parking allowed until you get to the Great Sand Dune; that's a half mile away - No Thanks.  I rolled up to La Jolla and said, hmm, lets hike the Back Bone Trail from the start.  This is one I've been wanting to do but as I pulled in, the lot became all gravel and I'm on a bike.  Not to mention there is a pay station and I wasn't carrying cash.  So, I turned back up to Sycamore.  On the right of the campground is a parking lot for Sycamore Cove but that of course was $$$ too!!  Comeon, this is a Free Blog!

Finally, I found a spot on the street.  There were signs stating you couldn't park, but I think there is a short strip where you can.  Other cars were so I did.  If this is true, forget about it on the weekend because I'm certain it will be full.  Rather than hike back into Sycamore Canyon, I chose the Cove...

 Views of the beach from my bike

 Approaching the dead end...

 Heck, I can climb this...

 Deep inside the cove

 Looking up the walls, no escape if a big wave comes!

 Opening up top - what does this look like... :)

 Climbing higher, looking out over it all

 The continuation to the other side...

There was some homeless guy out there so I didn't want to bother his reflection.  Maybe he thought I was homeless?  There is an opening at the bottom that I could have easily slithered through but I chose to hike back the other way instead...

 Tunnel at the other end of the beach

 Looking back from inside the tunnel

 The notso trail leading up above the Sand Dunes

The other day when I hiked the View Trail, I nearly made the decision to descend back to Sycamore Campground.  Good thing I didn't because this trail is not meant to be hiked.  I finally bought a new pair of shoes but even with the best traction, no thank you...

Looped back to the Entrance of Sycamore Cove

I walked by the parking lady at the campground.  I nodded my head and that was the end of my short adventure today...

***Monday Day 553 was a duplicate run in Arroyo Verde with Sami...

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Day 552: Chase Palm Park - Shipwreck Park

Turtles!

Day #552 * Hike #633 * New Track #547

Sunday May 20, 2012
Chase Palm Park - Santa Barbara, CA

Shipwreck Playground

My Tripometer: 1.5 Hours * 1.5 Miles * +25 Feet

For our third Hike on this gorgeous Sunday, Alyssa guided us to downtown Santa Barbara to hike around the park that she recently visited on a field trip.  There was no place to park (for free) along the beach so we turned down some random road at the far end and found a place to park.  Cool for me because this made it more of a hike!

 We parked by a winery off the main strip

 Walked the tracks behind the park

 Found an opening in the fence

 The other side :)

 Fish, ducks and turtles in the pond



 Shipwreck Playground

Fountain on the far side of the park

Cop harassing homeless people in the back

Santa Barbara Pier across the street

Our long day in Santa Barbara finally comes to an end...

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Day 552: Searching of Knapp's Castle

Boulder floating over a house on Painted Cave Road

Day #552 * Hike #632 * New Track #546

Sunday May 20, 2012
Searching for Knapp's Castle - Santa Barbara, CA

My Tripometer: 45 minutes * 1.5 Miles * +225 Feet

 Horses on Painted Cave Road

 The Map

So Day 552 continues.  We started at the Painted Cave and then drove up the road further.  My goal was to search for Knapp's Castle.  When we reached the stop sign at the top of the road, I figured this was it.  Although I had my map with me in the car, I didn't care to look at it.  So, we parked the car and cut through an opening in a fence to the left and began to hike.  It looked like a legit trail -- but after looking at the map, we were at the 2789 foot way point.  I didn't realize before because the map cuts off, but East Camino Cielo road goes left here.  Bottom line, I was just confused and I missed the trailhead for Knapp's Castle by 0.9 miles.  Instead, this is what we did...

 Cross the street to begin the hike

 Nice flowers - hot open and exposed to the sun!

 Well, we are somewhere?

What does the #2 stand for?

The trail keeps going up...

I told the kids the castle would be up here :(

 Views of Lake Cachuma...

 The landscape

 Big Pine Cones

Kids found a rock to climb

This was a neat little adventure.  Really no big deal...  At the beginning, there will be a fork in the trail.  We chose left and hiked it up to a picnic table and then a bit further where it the trail just ended.  We came back and then walked a quarter mile down the low trail.  I thought somehow this may have looped but it never worked out that way.  Good enough, the kids were tired but our day was not over yet...

Day 552: Painted Cave - Santa Barbara

Chumash Indian Pictographs

Day #552 * Hike #631 * New Track #545

Sunday May 20, 2012
Painted Cave - Santa Barbara, CA

My Tripometer: 45 minutes * 1 Mile * +175 Feet

 Heading up Painted Cave Road

Directions:
From the 101 Freeway in Santa Barbara, take the exit for State Route 154.  Head north on the 154 up into San Marco's Pass.  A few miles up, take a right on Painted Cave Road.  Follow this narrow road for a few miles and you will see the Painted Cave Trailhead on the left. 

 Bringing the gang today...

 The cave is just a few steps up

 Pictographs

 Cool rocks

 Graffiti on the unprotected rock wall

 The trail gets way steep...

We decided to turn around and keep it safe.  On the other side of the street we explored the rocky creek below.  Cool little area.  Our day continued, will update next...

Rewind:

Day 551 - Duplicate Hike at Thille Park in Ventura.

We were there for a birthday party.  I jogged around the park along the sidewalk to get in my mile.  Then, I played horse shoes with Alyssa, Badminton with cousins and then basket ball with some 12-year-olds.  It's amazing how many three-point shots these kids made! 

I was running around like a kid and nearly threw one day.  We played five games and I won all of them :)  --I'm not going to go easy on those kids!  Heck, they nearly beat me and I was a whole new kind of sore for days after this game!

Directly after the game we went to the pool.  After a few laps, I chilled out in the hot tub to chill and relax...