Willett Hot Springs

As hoped, the day dawned bright and springlike.  I knew something was awry, however, when 1/2 mile into our trek, we made our first of FOURTEEN planned crossings of Sespe Creek, and I saw the water was higher than I'd ever seen it in my several years of hiking it.  We all made it across the first few crossings without a hitch, taking our time and using our trekking poles to steady ourselves.  But as we made our way downstream and the river gathered its power, we started to pass wide-eyed, weary groups of backpackers (and lots of cute college boys) unable to safely make any of the lower crossings.  We pushed on, bushwacking a couple miles to avoid two of the hairiest crossings, but then we came upon a couple friendly, seasoned cowboys on horseback who were outfitting a trail crew further down the line, and they shared with us the depressing news that our destination, beautiful Willett Hot Springs, was down for the count as a result of recent storms: full of rocks and mud and the hot tub piping destroyed!  My happy memories of my several trips last April, after a much milder winter, flashed before my eyes, and I was sorry my new pals would have to miss out on Willett (see pic from last year). Oh, well. Win some, lose some.  Everyone took the news sportingly well and agreed that the hike was still a happy adventure, with nice wildflowers, nice companionship, and nice pizza topping it off.

Let’s celebrate the spring with an invigorating all-day hike exploring some of the most scenic terrain in the Los Padres National Forest, winding our way down the dramatic canyon of Sespe Creek, Southern California's one and only federally-designated "wild and scenic river". Our mostly clear, well-graded trail through the rugged Sespe Wilderness will offer us awesome mountain views and the potential for wildlife sightings ranging from condors to bears, but the surefire highlight will be the awesome wildflowers which carpet the canyon in April. The canyon was thoroughly scorched in the Day Fire of 2006, but regeneration is progressing nicely, with possibly spectacular displays of fiddlenecks, gilia and bush poppy.

Though the trail is mostly clear and flat, we will be covering about 20 miles round-trip at an aggressive pace, so this will still be a VERY STRENUOUS HIKE SUITABLE ONLY FOR HIKERS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. We will also face several knee- to thigh-deep stream crossings, as well as the possibility of mud, ticks, and rattlesnakes fresh from hibernation. Amphibious hiking shoes are required, as we will not be stopping to change footwear at every crossing. Trekking poles are strongly encouraged, as they make the creek crossings considerably safer.

A word about the hot springs: if we have succeeded in beating the backpacking Spring Break co-eds onto the trail that day, we may have an opportunity to enjoy a quick soak at Willett Hot Springs, which is our turnaround point on the Sespe River Trail. Because many visitors prefer to enjoy the hot springs in the nude, this is definitely NOT the hike for you if you are at all uncomfortable with public nudity. However, that said, please bear in mind that away from the springs, this is NOT a clothing-optional event. We will not be hiking nude and any nude hikers will be asked to separate themselves from our group. This is a serious, strenuous hike requiring good gear and clothing.