(All images were taken by the author with feet on the trail and adventure in his heart)
I love hiking. In the mountains, through grasslands; even wandering cities and countryside. All are adventures, but there are a handful of old friends I revisit from time to time. just to see how they've been while measuring my ability to roam through their souls.
Unfortunately, I live in a hike-depraved region, or better put, the concrete jungle. If I want to get into open spaces, it's going to take transportation, and around here the traffic can be turn a 20 minutes drive into three times that in a heartbeat.
So I was thrilled when a friend wanted to join my on one of my benchmark trails, the Mishe Mokwa Loop.
The name Mishe Mokwa translates to white man's. It can be found in the coastal mountains of Malibu, and includes the highest peak in the Santa Monica Mountains, Sandstone Peak, at 3111 feet, all contained within the largest urban park in the world, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. These young mountains and canyons rise from the Pacific Ocean to present a wondrous variety of trails and rock climbing for all skill levels.
The name Sandstone Peak refers more to coloration that geology, though. It is comprised of mostly igneous rock from volcanic activity. Three continental plates are at play here: North American, Eastern Pacific, and the Transverse plate pushing northeast from Mexico. The combination is not only responsible for the ruggedness, but has formed one of the few major east-west ranges in all of North America, and is a considerable factor in the creation one of the five Mediterranean climate zones in the world.
My favorite route is to start at the Sandstone Peak trailhead. Instead of forking left to the peak, it's right to stride 2 miles along Carlisle Canyon, past the Echo Cliffs and Balancing Rock before dipping down to Split Rock. The former is a favorite rock climbing area, with nearly 200 routes of varied skill levels to climb. Balancing Rock? The picture says it all.
Thanks to recent rains and porous hillsides, we traversed three streams on our way to the low point of our loop, Split Rock. All were playfully navigable on stones and downed tree limbs.
Then it was two miles upward to the Backbone Trail, a 67 mile route through the mountains and valleys that I completed a few years ago. The exposed rock along this stretch are pocketed with caves and formations that mimic creatures like dogs and monkeys, depending on what you see. My favorites is the monkey, but I think it looks more like a Trail Buddha. I'll have to hike to it one day and ask.
Going west on the Backbone treats hikers to an amazing coastal view in the Boney Mountains. This area was used by the native tribes as a place to meditate. I feel great energy when there, and love to eat a snack and absorb the good karma.
This time though, we stay on the Loop Route and climbed to Sandstone Peak, where the views span up to 100 miles in all directions. We pass on scampering up the peak, as time issues have forced us to proceed the remaining two miles back down to our car.
The result? My friend the trail is looking great. There was loads on green from recent rains, but that's just one of its personalities. It's part of why I come here three or four times each year, to relish in its changing beauty and the inspiration it provides for my writing.
You can learn more about this area using the following link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica_Mountains_National_Recreation_Area