The start to the year has been a little rough, with the terrible fires burning things I really don't want burned on top of the industry I work in in a slump we are all worried is a new normal. I needed to get out and thrash around in some brush and jump off some boulders. My hiking radius, newly expanded to 12-miles, offered a ridge in the Simi Hills that would fit the bill. Plenty of signature ostentatious Chatsworth Formation that basically functions as a sandstone boulder factory. Its a long, straight rampart of turbidite sandstone with a modest highpoint of 2270ft, but still one of the higher points in the Simi Hills, and very prominent to the south east of the valley of the same name.The fact none of it was under a closure order made it all the more appealing.
I was going to tackle this route solo, but on a whim at the last minute threw out an invite that Dima took me up on.
The route took us about 2.5 hours. The idea was to beat the Santa Ana winds, but things were already gusty at the road turnout that was our 'trailhead' at Pioneer Pass on Box Canyon road.
We jumped right into the brush and first scaled the boulders and steep bank necessary to attain the ridge line. Once there views were nearly 360. Chatsworth Peak was on the other side of Pioneer Pass, with the San Fernando Valley behind that. The wind was already powerful. Dangerous fire weather yet again in January.
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The going along the prominent ridge was a fun obstacle course of boulders, and offered sprawling views to the north of the Simi Valley and Los Padres wilderness beyond that. Dima enjoyed getting a good view of Cobblestone Peak, and he was able to make out most of his route for that from our vantage point.
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The Chatsworth Formation is one of kind. Lots of this sort of thing at every turn.
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We intersected Fishback road, which was basically a dead-end double track with a few abandoned cars along it. But its reason enough to give this ridge the name "Fishback" which is I think is an apt name. We circumvented some informal settlements to attain the 2270 high point, which featured this little benchmark.
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We picked our way down off the ridge, opting for some extra credit in the open space on the other side of "North American Cut Off road."
There we discovered some nice erosion features.
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Some cool bones. (Cattle?) nice deer antlers, and various mystery objects. (Forest calls garbage 'Mystery Objects" and I prefer that terminology also!)
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Dima demonstrated some bouldering on the plentiful boulders.
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And once we got on top of said boulders, once again braved the 30-40 mph winds. Best to stay seated! There were a couple nervous moments.
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Some familiar peaks far to the east!
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We passed through some undeveloped housing lots (bet insurance on those homes will be something special...) and scrambled up a steep drainage back to North American Cut Off Road, which we used to cut off hiking the total distance of North America and instead just a mile or so back to our starting point.
I was amazed at how quickly we completed the route! It was still morning. Hiking with Dima is just a *little* different than the pace of the preschooler I'm used to. Thanks so much Dima for joining me for some hiking radius slaying!
3.30 miles, 1125 gain.
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