Portions of Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Newbury Park Opened This Morning

As announced yesterday, the National Park Service has opened certain sections of Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Newbury Park this morning. Due to the extensive fire damage to roughly 70% of the 1,170 acres, most areas will not be initially be accessible. The public will not have access into Sycamore Canyon, the "Waterfall," Danielson Monument and other areas until the National Park Service deems these areas suitable and safe. I explored the area early this morning and indeed, under the cloud cover, there was much devastation to be seen...though no structural damage that I could see other than this bench overlooking Upper Sycamore Canyon.

This bench overlooking Upper Sycamore Canyon put up a good fight.Danielson Road trail to the Waterfall, Monument and Boney Mountain Wilderness is currently closed, though Hidden Valley Overlook to the left is accessible.A bit of cloud cover in Newbury Park this morning after two blistering hot days.Scenes from the Hidden Valley Overlook trail amid charred hills.

More photos on the CVG Facebook page at THIS LINK.

National Park Service to Re-Open Some Santa Monica Mountains Trails on May 14th

Now that the 24,000-acre Springs Fire is officially controlled, the National Park Service has announced it will re-open some trails on the western side of the Santa Monica Mountains on Tuesday morning, May 14th, with restrictions.  

Before and after Spring fire view from bench at Upper Sycamore Canyon Overlook at the boundary of California State Parks and National Park Service land in Pt Mugu State Park (photo on right courtesy of National Park Service).

Rancho Sierra Vista in Newbury Park will partially re-open, but some trails will remain off-limits and the park will close from sunset to sunrise. Due to ongoing safety concerns and trail damage, visitors will not be able to travel into Sycamore Canyon, but will be able to reach the overlook at the boundary with Point Mugu State Park.  

The Sandstone Peak and Mishe Mokwa trailheads will also re-open, as will the Backbone Trail east of the Point Mugu State Park boundary. California State Parks land sustained severe fire damage and all backcountry trails in the area remain closed. 

According to the NPS map, the public will not initially be able to access the windmill trail in Rancho Sierra Vista or Danielson Road trail to the Waterfall and Danielson Monument.

Click image for link to larger, pdf version of trail map closures on NPS site.

"We know the public is anxious to return to their neighborhood national park," said David Szymanski, superintendent of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. "We're working as hard as we can to balance that enthusiasm with visitor safety and protection of our natural and cultural resources." 

Visitors are encouraged to help nature recover from the fire by respecting trail closures and staying on the trail in areas that are open. Foot and bike traffic tramples sensitive soil, vegetation, burrows and nests. 

Park officials estimate 70% of Rancho Sierra Vista's 1170 acres burned during the fire, though the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center and all other structures were protected. More information is available at 805-370-2301. 

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park System, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/samo.

The Ventura County Genealogical Society Can Help You Track Your Roots

Founded in 1978, the Ventura County Genealogical Society is a non-profit educational organization in Ventura that is dedicated to the promotion of genealogy, public education and fellowship to everyone interested in family histories.

The goals of the Society are to encourage family history and genealogical research; to educate and instruct members through lectures, workshops, and an annual seminar; to educate the members in effective genealogical research skills, and to publish information of interest to genealogists.

Some of the various topics that I've seen the Society cover include using online genealogical resources, family history training, family legacy writing workshops and much more.

With over 200 members, the Ventura County Genealogical Society hosts speakers at monthly meetings generally on the third Saturday of each month (except December) in Ventura.  The Society also maintains a reference library located at the Camarillo Public Library.

For more information about the Society, visit www.venturacogensoc.org.

Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Seeks Input on its 20th Anniversary Season!

October 2014 will mark the 20th Anniversary of the grand opening of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. This special Anniversary season will be comprised of command performances by artists who have appeared on the Civic Arts Plaza stages over the last 20 years and we need your help.

Visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/tocap_20 and select the artists that you would most like to see return to the Civic Arts Plaza during its 20th Anniversary Season by choosing up to 5 favorites in each category.

Do check out this survey! You will be amazed at how many popular performers have appeared here in the Conejo Valley! Some of the names you'll see include comedians like Bill Cosby, Don Rickles, John Cleese, Bob Newhart, Howie Mandel and musicians such as Kenny Loggins, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Chris Botti, Cheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, and over 100 others.

If an artist you select is added to the 20th Anniversary schedule, you will be eligible to win two front row seats and an opportunity to go backstage to meet the artist.* All entries are due by Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 4:00 PM.

*Winner will be chosen at random among all eligible entries. One entry per person.

To learn more about the Civic Arts Plaza or perhaps buy tickets to an upcoming show, visit www.CivicArtsPlaza.com or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/civicartsplaza.

Views on a Clear Day From Rancho Potrero Open Space in Newbury Park

A short walk up the trailhead of the Rancho Potrero Open Space in Newbury Park, where Lynn Road becomes Potrero Road, provides beautiful views of the surrounding area. On a clear day you can easily see several of the Channel Islands from here. Learn how to get there at this link.

Lizard Rock in Wildwood Park Backed by a Cloudy Thousand Oaks Sunset

For quick access to great views any night in Thousand Oaks, one need not go far. One such sunset viewing standout is Lizard Rock in Wildwood Park. Lizard Rock is just over a mile from the main entrance to Wildwood Park at the east end of Avenida de los Arboles. Walk/run/hike over Mesa Trail towards Lizard Rock and you will be treated to beautiful views of the surrounding spaces where shows like Gunsmoke and The Rifleman were filmed.

The entrance area and dirt parking lot at the Wildwood Park main trailhead.Lizard Rock in the distanceTaking in the surrounding sceneryAlmost thereI guess it does kind of look like a LizardView from on top of the lizardLet's call it a night