EISPIRATEN

Calling this a TR is being a bit charitable. It was really a photography junket with a short walk through the woods and a Class 3 scramble thrown in for excitement. Anyway, with the recent rains, I decided that I'd make a trip to the Rose Valley Falls in the Los Padres National Forest. The forest was green, wet and beautiful and the falls were falling. Man it was great.

You can see pics and stuff here. Picasa has apparently changed its settings so I no longer know how to post pics here directly.

http://wildsouthland.blogspot.com/2015/ ... falls.html

Beautiful shots Uncle Rico, keep 'em coming!

Those pictures are really nice! Thanks!

uncle rico, please see pm.

thanks!

Thanks for the report. Great pictures of the falls. However, I was hoping for some shots of the drunken debauchery.

Sean wrote: ↑Thanks for the report. Great pictures of the falls. However, I was hoping for some shots of the drunken debauchery.

due to budget restraints, here in the ojai ranger district the rangers are reduced to, and responsible for, cleaning the campsites and facilities.

before i saw and read uncle rico's excellent photos and jealousy-inducing trip report we encountered one of ojai's rangers who had just spent quite a bit of time cleaning up that outhouse. said it was one of the grossest things she had ever seen or done. she also had that broken tent and much debris in the back of her pickup from that campsite. knuckleheads.

Returned to Rose Valley this weekend. Not by design but by default. With the recent rains, I mistakenly thought it might be a good time to revisit Matilija Falls. As I began my way up the 33, however, I noticed that N. Fork Matilija Creek was chocolatey brown and running hard. A bad portent. Then, there was a sign at the entrance to Matilija Canyon indicating the messy road was closed.

Well, I left the house earlier that morning intent on seeing a waterfall, and damnit I was going to see one whether the world liked it or not. So I continued up the 33 to Rose Valley where I knew I could score a fix. Apparently, I was not the only one with this idea as there was a steady stream of cars (relatively speaking) heading to Rose Valley and a good number of cars parked at the gate leading to the campground. Mostly families with kids and older folks as it turned out.

Anyway, lots of water in the backcountry at the moment and the falls were beautiful. After checking out the lower falls, I worked my way to the upper falls which I had to myself. Amazing and serene.

Afterwords, I continued down the road to the Piedra Blanca trailhead which was sparsely populated. Lion Creek is running as much as I ever recall seeing it and the Sespe is full. Plan on getting wet if you go. For my part, I found a sand bar along the banks of the Sespe and had an enjoyable beach day. Stopped in at Poseidon Brewing on the way back. This is a must stop if you find yourself in Ventura.

Wow! What a beautiful day.

Nice! I don't think I've ever seen this much snow in the local mountains, and this much water in the local falls. It should be a glorious spring bloom.

tekewin wrote: It should be a glorious spring bloom.

...of bugs. ?

Any idea why it's called Rose Valley? Are there roses in it?

At least you got to see the falls? Id have returned back . Good to know cause I have a hike on the list over there in Matilija to see a waterfall that I couldnt get to last time.

Any idea why it's called Rose Valley?

I believe, although I'm not certain, that its named after the wild roses that grow in the valley. Like Thorn Meadows at the end of Grade Valley Road.

I have a hike on the list over there in Matilija to see a waterfall that I couldnt get to last time.

The fabled Lost Falls?

Rose Valley is said to have been named for the wild roses growing in the nearby hills. Other historical accounts suggest the rose petal-like shape of the hills or the glorious pink hues of valley sunsets.

Uncle Rico wrote:

I have a hike on the list over there in Matilija to see a waterfall that I couldnt get to last time.

The fabled Lost Falls?

No...Ive seen those. Pretty. This one is a east to west tributary to N Fork. I got so close to it last time, but there is a drop just after the falls that is near impossible to get up. Now i can walk straight to it, yay. I dont expect it to be pretty, but hopefully it was be flowing.
https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=34.5234 ... z=18&b=sat

Very cool. That tributary was not on my radar. Post pics when you go.

Uncle Rico wrote:

Any idea why it's called Rose Valley?

I believe, although I'm not certain, that its named after the wild roses that grow in the valley. Like Thorn Meadows at the end of Grade Valley Road.

UR, i believe Thorn Meadows / Thorn Lookout were named after William H. Thorn. he was a prolific usgs surveyor of the late 1800s / early 1900s.

in the los padres, from 1904-1906, he performed a resurvey of the boundary of the santa barbara forest reserve. which later became the santa barbara national forest and later the los padres nf.

if you’ve hiked any of the trails in the southern lpnf it is possible you’ve passed the monuments he placed all those years ago. many still exist in place.

UR, i believe Thorn Meadows / Thorn Lookout were named after William H. Thorn. he was a prolific usgs surveyor of the late 1800s / early 1900s.

Thanks for the nugget of clarification bardley. My source was Chapter 11 of Mountain Biking the Coast Range, Guide 4, Ventura County & The Sespe (2nd Edition) written by Mickey McTigue. You and Mickey are probably buddies. You can take up the editorial error with him. ?

ur, thanks for relating your source.

i am currently visiting southeast asia.

i’ll ask him his souce when i see him next.

i’ll revisit my source upon my return and will apprise you of my findings.

in the meantime, go here: http://www.hundredpeaks.org/signatures/07e.htm

=- b =-

*source