Boney Mountain Western Ridge & Loop

Part way up the western ridge route on Boney Mountain's north side.

Two routes are commonly used to climb the rugged north side of Boney Mountain. One route ascends a ridge to the east of the Danielson cabin site, and the other a rocky ridge to the west of the site. Today, I was planning to do the western ridge, and then continue up and over Tri-Peaks to the Chamberlain segment of the Backbone Trail.

The day was chilly. In the deep shadows along Danielson Road, puddles of water were frozen, and frosty soil crunched underfoot. Shadow turned to sun at the turnoff to the cabin site, and I paused for a moment to enjoy the warm sunshine and gaze at the rocks towering above Danielson’s canyon. This impressive formation straddles the western ridge and I wondered just how spectacular the crags would be.


Crags on the western ridge route of Boney Mountain.
Spurred by a small surge of adrenalin, I turned and continued up the Old Boney Trail. From its highpoint I followed a use trail to the top of benchmarked “Hill 1918.” The first big outcrops loom above this point, and they mark the start of the more challenging part of the western ridge.

Although some sections were a bit overgrown, the route was fairly well defined. Despite appearances, there was no significant bushwacking, and only a little scrambling up, or across, short sections of low angle rock. By usual mountaineering standards the climbing was not difficult — class 2 to marginal class 3 — but some skilled route finding is required. It was fun finding my way through the imposing outcrops of angular and pocketed Conejo volcanic rock.


Pt. Mugu State Park, the Channel Islands, Oxnard Plain, and the mountains of Ventura and Santa Barbara
Higher on the ridge the route played tag with the edge of the precipitous cliffs of the Boney Mountain escarpment. At various points there are craggy views of Pt. Mugu State Park, the Channel Islands, Oxnard Plain, and the mountains of Ventura and Santa Barbara. Eventually, the route emerges from a steep thicket of red shanks at a small saddle north of Tri-Peaks.

From here, I continued to Tri-Peaks and was soon enjoying the superlative downhill of the Chamberlain Trail. This time, instead taking one of several routes down to Big Sycamore Canyon, I looped back on the Old Boney Trail to the start of the climb. From here I retraced my route on the Danielson Road back to Satwiwa and the Wendy Drive trailhead.

The course worked out to about 16 miles with an elevation gain of over 4000 ft.

Some related posts: Boney Mountain – Big Sycamore Canyon Circuit – Coyote Trail Variation, Clearing Clouds on Boney Mountain

Chumash Clouds

Sunset view of Simi Valley, with Boney Mountain and Conejo Mountain in the distance.

Clouds moving onshore ahead of a low pressure system that is expected to produce rain in Southern California Christmas Eve into Christmas Day. Track of the low is now projected to be a little more to the west, so the heaviest rain may occur just offshore.

From an out and back run yesterday to “fossil point” via the Chumash Trail and Rocky Peak fire road. View is of Simi Valley, with Boney Mountain and Conejo Mountain in the distance.

adidas Response Trail 15 Trail Running Shoe

adidas Response Trail 15 Trail Running Shoe

Comfortable, cushioned and durable. That’s how I would characterize the adidas Response Trail. I’ve had two pairs of the Response Trail 14s in my shoe rotation since September 2007, and logged around 1000 miles between them. (Your mileage may vary.)

About a month ago I replaced one of the pairs with the adidas Response Trail 15s. I’ve put 75 miles on the new pair, and other than a change in colors, it seems not much has changed in the shoe. It’s still well-cushioned, comfortable and lightweight. The new pair weighed in at 24.7 oz./pair (US 9.5). At $80 or less, the Response Trail 15s are an excellent value.

At the moment, my primary trail running shoes are the Salomon XT Wings (105 miles), Salomon SpeedComp (110 miles), and adidas Response Trail 15s.

Snow on Oat Mountain

Snow on Oat Mountain. December 18, 2008.
Snow on Oat Mountain – December 18, 2008.

Our latest storm added another half-inch of rain to our water year total in Los Angeles. This brings the water year rainfall total to 2.85 inches. This is 1.35 inches above normal for the date. As much as a foot of snow was reported in the Antelope Valley and the snow level dropped to nearly 2000 ft in the foothills and mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

Snow on Rocky Peak fire road.
Snow on Rocky Peak fire road. December 2008

What’s next? Things should stay dry in Southern California until around Monday when a fast-moving front sweeps through the state. Later in the week, sometime around Christmas, the models are suggesting the possibility of a major system impacting California. We’ll see!

The photograph of Oat Mountain was taken this morning on an out and back run on Rocky Peak fire road. The highest stretches of the fire road were covered with an icy layer of snow.

Related post: Chumash Trail Rocks & Snow