Fall Colors on the Carmel River

A threatening weather forecast prompted us to reconsider our itinerary and shift our search for California's elusive fall colors from the Carmel River to a river canyon closer to home - the lovely, wild Manzana Creek in the Santa Barbara backcountry.  This was a definite trade up.  Instead of rain, we were drenched in sunshine.  And fall colors we found in abundance - colorful sycamores, maples, cottonwoods and even poison oak .  We relished two nights in our base camp beside a lovely 15' twin waterfall and on our second day set off on a adventurous 15-mile dayhike deep into the mysterious San Rafael Wilderness.  Good times, good times.

“The Carmel is a lovely little river…everything a river should be.” – John Steinbeck, Cannery Row

Autumn is awesome in the Ventana Wilderness. Summer’s heat has abated, the biting flies are gone, and low water levels allow easier hiking along its creeks and rivers. Best of all, the canyons light up with the golden hues of alders, black oaks, sycamores, and bigleaf maples. Even poison oak atones for its crimes against humanity by setting itself aflame in crimson.

After a long (5 hour) carpool to our trailhead Friday morning, we’ll start our outing Friday around noon with a moderate 8.0-mile traverse across mostly open slopes to lovely, spacious Pine Valley Camp, our basecamp for two nights, nestled among dramatic rock formations and ponderosa pines along the high headwaters of the Carmel River. En route, we’ll check out a series of caves where the vanished native Esselen people painted mysteriously stylized hand prints on the walls. Saturday morning, the adventurous among us will head downstream on a rambling, 13-mile dayhike to sample a series of waterfalls, fern-lined grottos, and (if it’s still warm enough) a couple of enchanting swimming holes. Less ambitious hikers will be welcome to spend Saturday as a layover – birdwatching, journal-writing, or just relaxing at camp. We’ll hike out together to our cars on Sunday morning, returning to L.A. by Sunday at 8:00pm. If we’re very lucky, we may be treated to a glimpse of one or more of the condors that like to hang out at an astronomical observatory near the trailhead. Or we may spot a bona fide “trail angel.” At over 90 years old, spry Jack English still lovingly maintains his homestead in peaceful, roadless Pine Valley. The last time I passed by, he invited my entire hiking party in for a cup of tea and regaled us with stories of his travels, his craftsmanship, and his dearly departed wife, whom he still remembers as “Scrumptious.”

This will be a strenuous backpack, covering 25 miles in three days at a purposeful pace over challenging terrain, so this trip is suitable only for experienced backpackers in very good shape. We’ll cheerfully face the possibility of bushwhacking, several shin-deep stream crossings, a lethargic late-season rattlesnake or two, and abundant poison oak and stinging nettles. Much of the area was badly scorched in the massive Basin Complex Fire in the summer of 2008 and is only starting to recover, so trail conditions may vary from clear to miserable.

Signup preference will be given to GayOutdoors “Full Members”. Per-person cost of $75 (carpool gas & mileage) must be pre-paid and will be refunded only if the leader cancels or if a replacement signup is found. This is a consciously low-impact outing, so carpool participation is required. The cap of four signups may be lifted if an additional 4WD vehicle becomes available.

This trip is strictly dependent upon a favorable weather forecast. A National Weather Service forecast of rain within 72 hours of our start will cancel this trip, as will fewer than four confirmed signups as of 8:00pm, Tuesday, November 2. This trip will be by individual commissary, and we’re not planning any potluck meals, so please provide your own two-night, three-day supply of food.