San Rafael Wilderness Work Crew 3 day backpack, November 14-16, 2008
Eight volunteer team members for Forest Watch ( http://www.lpfw.org) met at 6am on Friday, November 14 in Ojai, Ventura County, for a 3 hour shuttle to the Jackson Trail trailhead, a very remote and rugged dropping off point in the Sierra Madre Mountains, San Rafael Wilderness. See description below. Just after 9am we embarked on the Jackson Trail and hiked down the steep 4.5 mile trail (a knee buckling, toe-banging minimum grade of 11%) to the Sisquoc River Trail. We camped the first night on a sand bar just south of Cliff Camp, the second night just north of Miller Canyon. Our mission for the three day, 23 mile trip: survey an 18 mile section of the Siquoc River, record locations via GPS of any mature tamarisk plants found along the river and side canyons and hand-pull small tamarisk seedlings. We experienced unseasonal temperatures of 90+ degree days, and we scrambled over miles of rocks, bushwhacked through thick willow and brambly burrs, scooted down rock ledges, slogged through slimy mud and countless river crossings, all while carrying full packs. The river flowed until just past Water Canyon and the last four miles of our trek the trail skirted the south side of the dry riverbed and took us through breathtaking grassy meadows thick with healthy mature California Oaks and Digger Pines. Our campsites turned luminous under the full moon and in the intensely hot dry days we gratefully accepted the cooling shade of the riverside cottonwoods and were thrilled by the miles (no exaggeration) of black bear and mountain lion tracks so perfectly imprinted in the sand and soft mud; perhaps we had been watched from the cliffs above? We weren't lucky enough to catch a glimpse of these stealth creatures. Tracks of deer and bobcat, and beaver activity were also observed. At night hoots of Great Horned Owls and the screeches of Barn Owls serenaded us. We identified over 80 mature tamarisks and pulled hundreds of seedlings. In the afternoon on November 16, a 3.5 hour Forest Service shuttle to Los Olivos in Santa Barbara County ended at Mattei's Tavern for a fabulous memorable meal. http://www.matteistavern.com/
From Los Padres National Forest website: "San Rafael Wilderness, 197,380 acres. In 1968 the San Rafael became the first primitive area in the Nation reclassified as wilderness under the Wilderness Act of 1964, additional acreage added in 1992 by the Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act.
The San Rafael Wilderness is located in the San Rafael and Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges in southeastern Santa Barbara County (northern part of Santa Barbara District and Southern part of Santa Lucia District). This wilderness is mainly covered by chaparral, which consists of chamise, buckthorn ceanothus manzanita, scrub oak and yucca. You will also find potreros (grassy meadows). The two main corridors into the wilderness are the Sisquoc River and Manzana Creek. Most trails follow the creeks and rivers. These areas are called riparian zones and provide food, water, and shelter for most species of wildlife. In the water are rainbow trout, western pond turtles, and aquatic garter snakes, to name a few. Bordering the water you may find the western toad or hear the call of the pacific and California tree frogs From April through June you can hear the many songbirds that nest in riparian zones, such as the yellow warbler, house wren, orange-crowned warbler, and plain titmouse. Further from the creek, up in the brush, you will hear the scrub jay, California quail, and mountain quail.
Other points of interest include the Manzana Schoolhouse and the standing ruins of homesteads along the Sisquoc River. These sites are all that remain of a vigorous farming community that settled the flats along the river around the turn-of-the-century."
Read MoreFrom Los Padres National Forest website: "San Rafael Wilderness, 197,380 acres. In 1968 the San Rafael became the first primitive area in the Nation reclassified as wilderness under the Wilderness Act of 1964, additional acreage added in 1992 by the Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act.
The San Rafael Wilderness is located in the San Rafael and Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges in southeastern Santa Barbara County (northern part of Santa Barbara District and Southern part of Santa Lucia District). This wilderness is mainly covered by chaparral, which consists of chamise, buckthorn ceanothus manzanita, scrub oak and yucca. You will also find potreros (grassy meadows). The two main corridors into the wilderness are the Sisquoc River and Manzana Creek. Most trails follow the creeks and rivers. These areas are called riparian zones and provide food, water, and shelter for most species of wildlife. In the water are rainbow trout, western pond turtles, and aquatic garter snakes, to name a few. Bordering the water you may find the western toad or hear the call of the pacific and California tree frogs From April through June you can hear the many songbirds that nest in riparian zones, such as the yellow warbler, house wren, orange-crowned warbler, and plain titmouse. Further from the creek, up in the brush, you will hear the scrub jay, California quail, and mountain quail.
Other points of interest include the Manzana Schoolhouse and the standing ruins of homesteads along the Sisquoc River. These sites are all that remain of a vigorous farming community that settled the flats along the river around the turn-of-the-century."
