During the autumn, The Professor and I took a short hike to a Chumash Indian site called Satwiwa where there is a nature center, native plants garden and a partially built Chumash hut.
This morning we decided to return to Satwiwa, which is just 3 miles over the hill from us as the birds fly but 10-15 miles by road, and then hike up into the Santa Monica Mountains to Upper Sycamore Canyon.
The trail starts at the nature center and Chumash hut, wends its way through the fields, up the hills through the California oak trees,
to 'The Windmill". We stopped at the foot of the windmill for a snack and then headed up into the mountains.
Along the crest of the first set of mountains we could look back to the northeast across a section of Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park to the mountains beyond, where there has been snow for the past week.
The altitude changed 8oo feet, up and down, up and down, during the entire 5 miles that we hiked.
We crossed the creek ten times, following the trail upstream as far as the waterfall then downstream to connect with the paved road that went back up and over the mountain and back to the nature center.
Five miles. 12,000 steps. In the Southern California winter sunshine.
8 comments:
wow...beautiful views :D
The nature is really amazing!
Willow! Yikes what a great hike. I think that had to be at least 24,000 steps! When you go uphill I think they should be doubled :)
What a wonderful hike! That's my all-time favorite terrain, too :) Thanks for sharing it with us.
What a beautiful walk!
Looks like a lot of fun - and very healthy.
That was a fabulous hike, and what a way to add up the steps. The very best way, as far as I'm concerned. I agree with Ellen, too, that hiking up hills should count for more!
What a beautiful hike. I am glad I got to go with you. Well Newbury Park is only 5 miles from us here!
Beautiful scenery and how different the colouring is to over here. A real blue tinge. I remember tht from the Smokey Mountains but did not expect it in California.
I am so jealous (in a good way!). I would love to go hiking like that! My daughter is counting her steps lately as they are doing it for fitness in school. She would want to join you too!
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