Scenes in Pt Mugu State Park After Re-Opening Last Friday, May 24th

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The Springs Fire started the morning of May 2nd along the 101 freeway on the Conejo Grade and burned over 28,000 acres through portions of Camarillo, Newbury Park and the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Aea until it was fully contained the following week.

Portions of Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa re-opened on Tuesday, May 14th. Remaining trails in Pt Mugu State Park were opened by the National Park Service last Friday, May 24th, giving the public access to Sycamore Canyon, Boney Mountain Wilderness and other marked trails.

Local residents Dianne Avery of Dianne Avery Photography and her photo model Renee Simon captured some of the moment yesterday in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa.

Photo by Dianne Avery; Picture is Renee Simon. Both are local Newbury Park residents who frequently explore the trails in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa.

And below are a few other shots taken while exploring the area.

 

 

Additional photos available at www.facebook.com/ConejoValleyGuide

Fire on the Conejo Grade morning of May 2nd

Burned areas in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa and Dos Vientos on May 5th

Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa on May 14th

Pt Mugu State Park up to Danielson Monument on May 24th

Sycamore Canyon to Danielson Multi-Use Area in Pt Mugu State Park on May 25th

Make a Splash: Stay Healthy Under the Sun and In the Water This Summer

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Make a Splash!

Stay healthy under the sun and in the water this summer - a reminder from the CDC

As schools let out and summer approaches, remember to stay healthy and safe under the sun and in the water. Skin cancer is the most common kind of cancer in the United States, and melanoma is the most deadly kind of skin cancer. Just a few serious sunburns at any age can increase a person’s risk of skin cancer. We all share the water we swim in, and each of us needs to do our part to help keep ourselves, our families, and our friends healthy while swimming.

To help protect yourself and others from disease and germs, here are a few easy and effective steps to take this season:

  • SEEK shade- especially during midday hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight are the greatest during the late spring and early summer in North America.
  • PROTECT your body- wear clothing that protects the skin such as a wide-brimmed hat to shade the face, head, ears, and neck; and wraparound sunglasses that block as close to 100 percent of ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays as possible (sunglasses safeguard the eyes from UVA and UVB rays, protect the tender skin around the eyes from sun exposure, and reduce the risk of cataracts).
  • APPLY sunscreen- sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection. Remember to reapply sunscreen at least every 2 hours and after swimming, sweating, and toweling off.
  • CHECK pools– before getting into the water, check the pool to see if it is at the proper chlorine level (1–3 mg/L or parts per million [ppm]) and pH (7.2–7.8) to maximize germ-killing power.
  • KEEP the poop and pee out of the water while swimming- don’t swim when ill with diarrhea; chlorine and other disinfectants don’t kill germs instantly; mixing of chlorine with pee and sweat uses up the germ-killing chlorine in the pool and creates those chemicals that sting your eyes and make you cough.
  • DON’T swallow the water you swim in.

Enjoy your time outdoors and in the water, and take steps to be healthy.

Here are some great outdoor activities in and around Ventura County this summer:

Beaches spanning from Carpinteria to Ventura

Beaches spanning from Oxnard to Malibu

4th of July festivities and fireworks

Water parks, splash pads and community swimming

Summer concerts in the park

Remaining Trails in Pt Mugu State Park, Sycamore Canyon to Re-Open Tomorrow

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Today the National Park Service announced that all major trails in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area burned areas in Pt Mugu State Park will re-open tomorrow, Friday, May 24th, including Sycamore Canyon Fire Road, the trail to the Danielson Monument, Sycamore Canyon and La Jolla campgrounds, etc., as long as the trails are authorized, marked and mapped. Expect some trail closures for repair intermittently. Here are some before and after shots of a few scenes in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Pt Mugu State Park.

View looking down Sycamore Canyon on May 5, 2013.View from top of Sycamore Canyon on February 10, 2013.

Another post-Springs fire view down Sycamore Canyon.Another view looking down Sycamore Canyon on 2/2/13.Boney Mountain Trail sign in Rancho Sierra Vista post-Springs fire 5/5/13.Boney Mountain Trail sign in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa on 2/10/13.Bench at Sycamore Canyon Overlook on 5/14/13.Bench at Sycamore Canyon Overlook on 2/10/13.

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

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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

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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.

2013 Amgen Tour of California Route Passes Through Ventura County on May 15th

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2013 Amgen Tour of California Route Announced

For the First Time, America’s Greatest Cycling Race Will Travel South to North, Beginning in Escondido and Crossing Beaches, Deserts, Mountains, Golden Gate Bridge

Changing direction for the first time in its eight-year history from south to north, America’s largest and most prestigious professional cycling stage race, the 2013 Amgen Tour of California, will bring riders and spectators first-time destinations, unprecedented climbs and demanding sprints on the approximately 750-mile course.

Amgen returns as the title sponsor for the heralded 8-stage race, set for May 12 to 19, 2013. Beginning with a circuit in Escondido, the route will run through 13 official host cities and include a first-time finish at the top of Mount Diablo, the 3,864-foot peak in the San Francisco Bay area. The race’s last stage will begin along the San Francisco Bay and continue across the Golden Gate Bridge, where a rolling traffic break will give cyclists uninterrupted access for the six-minute crossing.

Two new cities join the race route roster: Greater Palm Springs and Murrieta will host Stage 2, which will include an intense finish up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, one of the toughest climbs anywhere with an 1,880-foot elevation gain in the last four miles. Two other firsts: Escondido and Santa Rosa will become the first cities in race history to have hosted both an overall start and an overall finish.

As one of the most anticipated professional cycling races on the international calendar, the Amgen Tour of California draws top cyclists from the ranks of Olympic medalists, Tour de France competitors and world champions including BMC Racing Team’s current world road champion Philippe Gilbert.

The 2013 Amgen Tour of California will feature the following highlights (route and start times are subject to change):

Stage 1: Sunday, May 12, 11:15 am start – Escondido, Stage Length 104.3 miles

Stage 2: Monday, May 13, 10:20 am start – Murrieta to Greater Palm Springs (126.1 miles) 

Stage 3: Tuesday, May 14 11:20 am start – Palmdale to Santa Clarita (Finishes at Magic Mountain Parkway) (111.8 miles) 

Stage 4: Wednesday, May 15 12:35 pm start – Santa Clarita to Santa Barbara (84.7 miles)

Stage 4 is largely through Ventura Co

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The Ventura County Genealogical Society Can Help You Track Your Roots

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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.