Just one more trail and then were outta here

We have been out here in Tenaja for weeks on the Get Out page, so I promise this is the last trail we are going to talk about and then we are out of here until next spring when we cover the Santa Rosa Plateau vernal pools.

I checked the vernal pools out over the weekend and was amazed how something so lush and beautiful in the spring could dry out so completely in the summer. It just looked like a desert. I guess that’s how you can tell an area is so environmentally sensitive if it changes that drastically.

But I have to tell you about this last trail, the south Tenaja trailhead that takes you to Fisherman’s Camp via a 3.5-mile hike through a beautiful chaparral canyon and dried riverbed.

For one thing, it has an old-fashioned water pump at the trail head that pumps fresh spring water. Is that incredible, or what? I mean, the whole area already feels like it’s out of the old west and then you get to fill your water bottles with an old-fashioned water pump. Also, there is a fairly clean bathroom facility – definitely a plus.

I loved this hike. The whole thing was extremely visually stimulating; just the way the trail was laid out in the beginning was really interesting. The way it brings you into the canyon or – I don’t know; maybe it had something to do with all the variety of trees and plants. It was chaparral brush but we were in a huge drainage area so there was a lot more species of trees and plants added to the mix as well as boulders. Check out the pictures.

About a mile into the trail I veered off into the dried riverbed because I wanted to climb on all the smooth rocks and take advantage of the beautiful shade and diverse plant life provided by the canopy overhead.

Most nature lovers look down upon wandering off the trails like that, and I don’t want to set a bad example in my column, but c’mon, now – I was walking on rocks. It wasn’t like I was blazing a new trail with a machete Louis and Clark-style. So I don’t want anyone sending me nasty letters.

Plus, I picked up a few empty beer bottles and some trash and stuffed it in my backpack to carry it out. So if you’re wondering if I have a false sense of moral superiority, the answer is no. It’s not false, because I picked up someone else’s litter.

How to get there

Take Clinton Keith south 10.9 miles from the freeway overpass, turn right on Tenaja Road and take that for 4.2 miles. Then, take a right on Cleveland Forest Road for 3.8 miles. Within a mile you will reach the South Tenaja trailhead. You will know it because it is the first trailhead you come to and there is an old-fashioned water pump and bathroom facility. You need a forest adventure tax/pass to park there.

Rules

Foot traffic only; no mechanized vehicle of any sort. Mountain bikes are allowed north of the Ortega Highway but not here.

The group size limit is 15 heartbeats (human and animal).

If you’re going to stay overnight, you need a wilderness overnight permit from the Corona ranger station. They don’t cost anything. I guess it’s for safety. You can request one by fax or e-mail or call (951) 736-1811 for more info.