May 3rd 2009

7.3 miles     975 ft elevation loss/gain

I decide on doing the Bay Tree /Bee Tree loop in Topanga State Park. (Dee is more interested in hiking near the epicenter of the 4.4 magnitude earthquake that struck on Friday evening just 6 miles southwest of the house, but there would really be nothing to see). This is an 8 mile hike that we last did in 2004. At that time we found navigation a little tricky, and on a previous occasion had even  had to retrace our steps being unsure of the trail. However, I have been informed (erroneously as it turned out) that the trail has been recently maintained.

Trailhead

We park near top of  Reseda Blvd. in Tarzana.  Here is a typical absurdity of the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy. If you park at the top of the street, within the Conservancy boundary there is a five dollar parking fee. Maybe twenty yards down the street you can park for free – so there are four cars within the fee zone and maybe thirty in the free zone! I drop Dee off at the top with our gear, park and return to the trailhead. Unfortunately we are both still wearing sandals having neglected to change into boots before parking and will now have to carry the sandals with us. Maybe serves us right for not paying the fee but I’ll carry the sandals for five bucks!

It is already 70 degrees, warmer than we anticipated and we set off up the trail to dirt Mulholland Drive. As we turn off on the fireroad the dog walkers quickly thin out and we enjoy an unexpectedly clear view. Hiking on fireroad is not the best, especially given the abundance of high velocity bikers. We reach the Hub, a junction of four trails, at about two and a half miles. Here we take a break and a drink. We can now see into Rustic Canyon, our destination, over to the right. We continue on the fireroad past aptly named Cathedral Rock and turn off on Rogers Road. This is part of the backbone trail leading to Will Rogers State Historic Park, but after a few hundred yards we turn off to the left and descend on the Bay Tree trail. The trail is mostly shaded and even moist in places, but also somewhat overgrown.

Bay Tree Trail

There are monkey flower, fiesta flower, large flower and branching phacelia, colarless and fire poppies. Near the canyon bottom the trail is lined with its namesake bay trees. The leaves are very pungent. Several trees trees have fallen blocking the trail and causing either minor diversions or a little scrambling through the down boughs. There is a spring oozing water to add to the atmosphere and it is quite delightful here. Finally we reach the bottom – the west fork stream bed and as we anticipated the trail disappears. After a couple of false starts we find our way into the stream bed and head east. The stream is dry here but quite overgrown. We are heading for a junction with Rustic Creek but it seems further than we remembered. I know we need to turn left into the main creek and should then shortly see the Bee Tree trail climbing away to our right. We try one apparent creek coming in from the left but this is not correct and we retrace our steps. We continue further the way we were heading and eventually reach a more obvious junction in the creek bed. We are now somewhat disoriented and for some reason take the right hand branch. The “reason” is that this is less overgrown. I soon realize we are going in the wrong direction and a quick consultation with the GPS suggests we should taken the left turn. Back we go. This way is certainly more overgrown and in our concern for route finding we must have now passed the escape route up the Bee Tree trail.

Upper Rustic Canyon

However, I am relatively comfortable that we are in the Rustic Creek stream bed and as if to reassure us, there is some water here. We have come this way in the opposite direction some years ago but nothing looks familiar given the rearrangements made by heavy winter rains. At least we are going in the right direction but the going is not easy and this trail has certainly not been maintained, maybe not used at all, in recent history.

Are you sure this is right?

 I know we have some way to go but need to make sure we eventually find a trail on the right to climb up out of the creek bed to Mulholland. We can hear voices, which is initially comforting. The voices seem to be just above us and Dee is frightened almost out of her skin when a heavily bearded head appears through the undergrowth and we are challenged by its owner. In fact he seems friendly enough and invites us to climb up to his perch and “chat a while”. His partner looks relatively normal but we decline his offer. He comes down to us. Dee’s sense of well being is further disturbed as he seems very unsure how he arrived at this point (crawled through bushes on hands and knees) and is not helpfull in understanding how we intend to get out. On the other hand their presence confirms in my mind that we are on the right track. We are making very slow progress which makes the trail seem much longer that it really is but eventually we can see telephone poles on the skyline ahead of us – Mulholland.

I told you I'd find the way out.

 Thus reassured we take a late lunch, much bothered by flies. Finally the trail bares away from the creek bed and makes a steep climb up to the fireroad. As the canopy opens we are hit with the sun’s heat and this climb is tiring. Once on the fireroad we turn left and find a spot for rest and liquid refreshment. Dee is tired but relieved, I feel vindicated in having found 0ur way out.

No comment!

 The final uphill stretch and descent to the car is uneventful. We have actually made the hike shorter (7.3 miles) than intended but Dee is not impressed by this!