Each year, thousands hike, ride or run the 2.3 miles up Rocky Peak fire road to a high point with a nice view of Simi Valley. This is near the point marked “ROAD” in this overview photo. Many turn around here, but some continue along the main road to the Johnson Trail, Chumash Trail, Fossil Point, or beyond.
Another option is to follow a spur trail that branches off the main road at the high point about a quarter-mile to an airy overlook. From this viewpoint you can see the San Fernando Valley and surrounding mountains, and trace your route through Rocky Peak Park’s unique sandstone formations.
The overlook marks the end of the “easy” trail and the beginning of a rough, rudimentary trail that leads east-northeast through large boulders and outcrops to the summit of the Rocky Peak (2714′).
The summit of Rocky Peak is one of the points that defines the border between Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Last year, I was surprised to find evidence that a coyote had recently visited this summit!
A kayaker waits in an eddy, while two other paddlers work their way through the last third of Limestone rapid — one of the classic class IV rapids on the upper Kern River.
Big and burly, Limestone is renowned for its large standing waves, and paddling it is a rite of passage for kayakers and rafters alike. In 2003 elite athletes from around the world raced specialized wildwater kayaks through Limestone rapid as part of a series of ICF World Cup races held on the Kern River.
Even in a light snowpack year, with less runoff, it is an exciting and challenging rapid to paddle.
This prickly pear on Lasky Mesa appears to have many of the characteristics of the Engelmann prickly-pear, Opuntia engelmannii, but is more likely a cross involving O. engelmannii. One such cross is O. littoralis X (O. engelmannii X O. phaeacantha ) which is referred to as O. ×occidentalis in the Jepson Manual. Here’s a closer view of the stamens and pistil.
From a run in in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (formerly Ahmanson Ranch) on May 23, 2007.
