Hike #5 The Grotto Trail

It has been a busy month of December, so it feels good to get back to hiking and back to blogging.

I took one week off from hiking and last weekend I had the opportunity to guest blog for Hiking Trips Report and you can check out this post here also if you like.

Here is that post in greater detail, enjoy.

Today's hike takes us, just North of Malibu California, to the Circle X Ranch and the wonderful Grotto trail.The Grotto Trail is a relatively easy 3 mile out and back hike with an elevation gain of about 700 feet. It took my son and I just over 2 hours to enjoy the hike and explore what the grotto had to offer.
So we begin.
Here is my Partner on the easy to follow trail.

Unfortunately there was no water in the creek at the beginning of the trail, because this would have been an awesome 20 foot waterfall. Here are some cool rock formations. Some nice fall colors in the Santa Monica Mountains. Here is our first water sighting on the hike. After some minor rock climbing we made it to the grotto.I am starting to realize that this hiking thing is not as bad as I thought it would be. Next up on our list of hikes is the Tarpits Park hike in Carpinteria, Ca.

Happy Hiking

Arroyo Verde Park hike #4

Today we rolled with what Mother Nature dealt us. What was suppose to be a nice hike at

The Grotto Trail, turned into a equally nice hike in our local park. Since it rained all night and all morning, I decided to change our plans and hike the 3 mile loop at Arroyo Verde Park. I couldnt let the weather stop us so I picked this trail because it is close to our house and was unsure of the future weather conditions.

With an elevation gain of no more than 600 feet, it was a simple loop of 3 miles, that offered some wild life, for once, and some views of the city and The Channel Islands that I have never witnessed before.Today I am trying something new for the blog that I will do every so often.

Here is a video of our first Four hikes.

Turn the volume up and I hope you enjoy.

Next week if the weather participates we will go and hike The Grotto Trail.

Happy Hiking

Bubbling Springs Recreational Greenbelt, Hike #3

Hike number 3 was, well like my son stated, "stale". A little back story for this hike is needed before I begin.

My hiking partner was ditching me this weekend, and I wanted to keep the hikes going, so I decided last week I would pick one of the city hikes out of the book to do this week. Bubbling Springs was chosen for this weeks adventure. Well the plans changed and my hiking partner was here to join me for this concrete jungle adventure.

And our adventure begins. This city trail was actually a fun route through places I otherwise would not of gone to. It starts at Bubbling Springs Community Park, in the city of Port Hueneme. We decided we would use this simple hike to learn a few things and try to make the most out of it. I taught my son where North, South, East, and West was based off of where the Sun rises and the position of the sun at any given time of the day. I think I might have to brush up on it with him again but I think he understood what I was telling him. With this blog entry I think I am going to let the pictures do most of the talking. Words just cant describe the majestic views of the man made trail of Bubbling Springs. Our first bridge crossing of the day.

Have shoes, will hike.

Found a treasure.

A breath taking picture of some rare wild ducks. Shhhh don't scare them away.

Some more wild life.

Our attempt at an Old Western Photo.

The end of the trail offered up the best view of the day. Here at the Port Hueneme Pier you can watch some surfers in action or just stare out at the Channel Islands. All in all it was nice to just get out of the house for a couple of hours and hangout with my son.

Mmmmm the best part of the whole hike.

I have been asked to do a guest blog entry for hikingtripreports.com, so next weeks blog entry will be a link to that blog and you will be able to read next weeks entry there. Along with the blog I am going to try to put a slide show together of our first four hikes. I'm pretty excited about this cool opportunity, but I need your help. I need you to help me pick which hike I go on next week. Here are your two choices.
Horn Canyon Trail
or
Grotto Trail.
Please leave your comments below and don't forget to vote. Check back next week to see which trail was picked, by you, the readers.

Hike On.

Hike #2 Piedra Blanca Formations

Hike Number 2 took us to the same area of California, but the scenery was very different than the first hike. Yesterday our hiking adventure took us to the Piedra Blanca Formations in the Los Padres National Park.

Last weekends hike was about waterfalls and pools, and this weeks hike was about white sandstone formations in the middle of the forest.

In the background you can see where our destination is, just over 1.25 miles away. This hike was an easy hike with little elevation climb and plenty of beautiful views. The beginning of the hike offered up two quick creek crossings for us to maneuver through.

Here is my hiking partner standing in the creek.

The trail led us from the water crossings to a nice dirt trail that would take us to the rock formations. Time to sit and take a break.

Around one of the bends you are greeted with this wonderful piece of Mother Nature.

As you get closer to the formations, more of the rocks come into view. The Hiking book we are using informed us there are caves in this rock formation for us to explore. We went looking for them, but came up empty handed. I don't really think you can consider this is cave. Here are a few pictures of the rocks, makes you wonder how and why they are where they are.Here is Nish hanging out in the rocks. Here is a view of the mountains from the rock formation. When we started the hike there was a sign stating that there was some rock art and to keep an eye out for it. On the way back to the car we found some, for some reason I don't think this was the rock art the sign was talking about.

This hiking things is actually turning out to be something I look forward to doing and sharing the day with my son. Since my hiking partner is ditching me for a birthday party next week, I will be hiking one of the city hikes solo. If you feel like joining me next week I will be conquering "The Bubbling Spring Recreational Greenbelt" in Port Hueneme.

Happy Hiking

Hike #1 (Rose Valley Falls)

Today was the start of something fun, exciting, and unknown. For starters I am not much of a fan of hiking, and secondly it was about time my son and I started doing something together that we could both learn to enjoy and love. I was given this book,

and decided that this would be a great way to spend Saturday mornings with my son. We will be picking out one hike a week from this book until all 82 hikes have been completed.

For our first hike we chose, from the book, Hike #8 Rose Valley Falls. What a perfect hike to get our feet wet on and see how much we can enjoy hiking. After about an hour in the car we finally arrived at our destination.

After loading up the pack with our water and snacks we headed out onto the trail. As my son pointed out many times on the hike, "It is very calm out."

Here is my hiking partner standing in the tunnel of trees.

The weather cooperated nicely for us on our first hike and we were rewarded with a wonderful view of the mountains north of Ojai.

Just past mid-point of the trail, to your left you will come across the first waterfall. It is not the biggest one, but still made some wonderful music.

Like the old saying goes, Good things come to those who wait. At the end of the trail you are greeted with this wonderful piece of Mother nature.

All in all it was a great hike to start out on and we are already looking forward to next Saturday, where we will try to conquer hike #2 Piedra Blanca Formations. See you out on the trails.