Day 10: Satwiwa to Tri-Peaks

Day 10: Satwiwa to Tri Peaks
Old Boney Trail/Tri Peaks Trail/West Ridge Trail
Point Mugu State Park- Newbury Park, CA
Sunday, July 5th 2015
Time: 6 hours, 42 minutes
Pace: 44:44/mile
Distance: 9.0 miles
Elevation Gain:  2220 feet

Directions: 
Follow my directions from Day 1: Fossil Trail 

Today the family and I headed up to the Sycamore Canyon waterfall  as I described in Day 1 on the direct route from Satwiwa. After hanging out at the waterfall and climbing to the top with my brother-in-law, I wished the family farewell and started my climb to the peak.

Looking down on the family from the top of the waterfall

If you look closely you can see my family hiking out, while I continue up

  After leaving the waterfall, the family headed back down and I continued up the Old Boney Trail until I reached the Danielson Monument. This spot in itself is a worthy hike and a nice spot to visit, but this was just the beginning for today.

Danielson Monument

 From the monument, you continue up the well worn use trail generally heading upward. The trail is easy to follow but is rutted, steep and in some places narrow through the bushes. You are almost in a tunnel of chaparral as you continue climbing.

Heading through the "tunnel"

Steep, rocky, rutted

 After a while you burst out of the heavy brush and emerge to an amazing view of the Conejo Valley and beyond below you. There are some really neat rock formations near the top that give Boney Mountain its name and make for some great photo backdrops.

Almost there

Looking toward Big Sycamore Canyon

 After a stop at the giant boulders, I headed up to the eastern of the Tri Peaks to find the geocache there, and then from this spot continued to the west peak, which most people see as the main peak.

Looking at the West Peak from the East Peak

Looking south toward Sandstone Peak and the ocean

 After a short break at the top, I headed over to the south peak to look for a geocache, but with limited daylight left, I decided to leave that for another day.  From here I headed back down, but this time I took the Western Ridge trail down....this is quite an extreme trail.

Looking back down toward Newbury Park

The marine layer is starting to come in

 The sun was setting fast and I didn't want my car to get locked as they close the gates at sunset, so I booked it down the mountain.  It was not easy going, I was sliding about as much as I was walking and the fog was coming in fast. It was a surreal experience sliding down a mountain into the clouds.

Fog is closing in

The "trail" takes you right down the center of these two enormous boulders

Heading into the fog

 After getting back to the Old Boney Trail, I made my way back to the car as fast as possible, jogging at times to make sure I wasn't locked in when I got there. Made it back just as the sun was setting and drove out of there before I was stuck.

I grew up with a view of this mountain and always wanted to climb it. It was everything I imagined it would be and I will for sure be back to summit this one again.