The Pratt Trail to Nordhoff Peak

Nordhoff Peak Abandoned Fire Lookout

Nordhoff Peak in the Los Padres National Forest is the high point of a rugged, mountainous ridge that forms a rampart along the northern border of the Ojai Valley. The peak, adorned with the remnants of a now abandoned fire lookout, stands sentinel high above the village of Ojai some 3500 feet below. Originally named "Nordhoff" after author Charles Nordhoff when the town was first established in 1874, the town's name was ultimately changed to Ojai in 1917. The name Ojai derives from the Indian word "Awhai" meaning "moon" in the language of the Chumash who once inhabited the valley.



California Man Root Growing Along Pratt Trail



Pratt Trail Winding Through Lower Steward Canyon



Wild Hyacinth is Abundant Along the Trail-

There are two principal routes to the summit of Nordhoff Peak from the Ojai Valley: the Gridley Trail and the Pratt Trail. The latter, an 11 mile or so round trip jaunt, begins at a small forest service parking area along the upper reaches of Signal Street. The initial rock-strewn portion of the trail winds its way up lower Stewart Canyon through private property until the path reaches a gate at the terminus of the Cozy Dell Fire Road. Beyond the gate, a footpath branches off to the left and parallels the streambed before re-joining the Fire Road a short distance later near the junction with Fuel Break Road. This entire stretch of trail is verdant, luxurious, and exploding with flora particularly after the drenching winter rains.


Signage at Junction of Foothill and Pratt Trails





Luxuriant Greenery

From this point, the dirt road climbs steadily north and then west to a saddle overlooking Cozy Dell Canyon and the Matilija. To the east, views of the upper Ojai Valley begin to open up. Beyond the saddle, you abandon the Fire Road once again in favor of a well established foot path that ascends relentlessly up the western wall of Stewart Canyon.  



View West at Cozy Dell Saddle

View East Toward the Upper Ojai Valley



Trail Signage at Cozy Dell Saddle

The initial climb out of the Cozy Dell saddle is on a south facing, chaparral-covered slope that is warm in the winter and which would be scorching in the summer. However, the trail eventually contours the ridgeline into the cool shade of the east-facing slope until the trail crosses over onto the eastern slope of upper Cozy Dell Canyon where views open up south to Lake Casitas and the Channel Islands. Midway between these two points, a short spur trail descends to Valley View trail camp which is somewhat of a misnomer depending upon the valley you are supposed to be viewing.

Beautiful Purple Nightshade

Anacapa Island Floating in the Santa Barbara Channel

After a sustained climb, the path ultimately tops out on the Nordhoff Ridge which affords dramatic and panoramic views north into the Sespe Wilderness, west into the Matilija Wilderness, and south toward the Santa Barbara Channel. To the east sits Nordhoff Peak, the summit of which is visible from the trail's crest.


Piedra Blanca and the Pine Mountain Ridgeline from Nordhoff Ridge

Clouds Descending Into Murietta Canyon

Nordhoff Peak Fire Lookout from Nordhoff Road at Pratt Trail

Ominous Clouds Hanging Above Lake Casitas

From the point where the Pratt Trail intersects the Nordhoff Ridge Road, it is approximately another mile of easy walking to the summit of Nordhoff Peak. The views along the ridgeline are dramatic and the place has a primal and remote feel to it that is sometimes absent in the mountains of Southern California.  At the summit, there is a picnic table and a fire ring directly beneath the abandoned lookout tower which you can climb for better views of the Piedra Blanca formation nestled in the Sespe River drainage to the north. There are also two survey markers adjacent to the tower embedded in what looks like concrete footings.

Fog Rolling In Over Nordhoff Peak

Clouds Enveloping Piedra Blanca

Visitor Atop Abandoned Nordhoff Peak Fire Lookout

One of Two Nordhoff Peak Survey Markers

There are two return trip options. You can either retrace your steps back down the Pratt Trail or you can continue east another mile along the Nordhoff Ridge Road and descend the Gridley Canyon Trail which will ultimately deposit you onto Gridley Road in Ojai. Although I did not go this way, it appears that one could easily loop back to the Pratt Trail trailhead by a short traverse west along Shelf Road once back in the Ojai foothills.



Chaparral Currant on the Descent (ID courtesy of Matt Maxon)

A Hot Time on Cold Spring

On Friday I played hooky to go play in the local mountains with my daughter Maddie on what turned out to be a remarkably warm and humid winter day. We decided to go coastal to avoid the rain that was falling inland and headed for the Santa Barbara front range to get the best that both the mountains and the beach could offer. The specific object of our desire was Montecito Peak by way of the historic Cold Spring Trail.

Sun Dappled Cold Spring Trail

From East Mountain Drive, the Cold Spring Trail ascends Cold Spring Canyon a short distance before it splits into east and west forks. The path to Montecito Peak follows the creek up the East Fork before climbing out of the canyon to a vista point separating Cold Spring and Hot Springs Canyon. The trail then continues up the rocky south side of Montecito Peak to a steep spur trail leading to the summit. Ultimately, the main trail intersects the Camino Cielo at the mountain crest separating the front country from the back country. From the Camino Cielo, the Cold Spring Trail drops about 1000 feet down the backside to Forbush Flat (named for Fred Forbush who built a cabin and planted an apple orchard along Gidney Creek in 1910). It then makes another 1000 foot drop to Gibraltar Reservoir and the Santa Ynez River far below.

The Cold Spring Trail is historically significant as it was once one of the prime routes leading from Montecito into the upper Santa Ynez drainage, along Mono Creek, over the Puerto Suelo in the San Rafael Range, and then into the Cuyama Valley. But the trail today up the East Fork is apparently not in the same location as the original trail. According to the Santa Barbara Trails Council:

"Originally, though, the main route was up the West Fork... Passing the site of the Cold Springs water tunnel, bored into the mountain on land donated by Eugene Sheffield, the trail led up to a 300-foot waterfall on the West Fork. There it switchbacked around it on the west and then proceeded by a large pointed rock at the top of the falls, named “The Pinnacle” by E.M. Heath in his 1904 book, A Guide to Rides and Drives in Santa Barbara. From there, it continued up the creek bottom through a narrows, then began to wind its way up shale slopes to the crest, where it crossed over and down the head of Gidney Creek (Forbush Flats) to the Santa Ynez River.

When the Santa Ynez Forest Reserve was created in 1899 the Cold Springs Trail was improved by the forest rangers. Rather than having to split their efforts on trails up each branch of Cold Springs Creek, they decided to concentrate on the East Fork.

“It is considered advisable,” Forest Inspector Louis A. Barrett wrote to his superiors in Washington in 1905, “to have one well built main trail crossing the Reserve from the Coast to the desert side and one half of the field force will be at work on this trail all the spring.”

Felling (sic) that the trail around the falls and up the shale slopes would be too difficult to maintain, the Forest Service began work on the East Fork. With these improvements, the route up this watershed became known as the Cold Springs Trail, and because of them, became the main route over the mountain wall."

Note that the excerpt above refers to the trail as the "Cold Springs" while I refer to it in the singular, "Cold Spring." There appears to be some confusion about the correct nomenclature. Even the signage at the trail head uses both names on the exact same sign-post. Most folks it seems casually refer to the trail and the canyon it ascends as "Cold Springs." But the topographic maps and other sources I have consulted identify the trail and canyon as "Cold Spring" and I believe that is the correct name.



Cold Spring Trail Just Beyond the Trailhead

Water Cascades Into a Pool in Cold Spring Canyon

Cold Spring Creek Deep in the Canyon

With the recent rains, there was still water flowing in the creek. The surrounding canyon was an orgy of greenery and blooms. In addition to a proliferation of colorful wildflowers and verdant ferns, clovers, and grasses, the canyon was thriving with poison oak. The latter can pretty much be avoided if you stick to the main trail and stay observant. 

Bermuda Buttercup (Non-Native)

Wood Fern (Native)



Perfect Vinca in Cold Spring Canyon (Non-Native)



Need Assistance with this Identification - Looks like Arugula



Evil Devil Bush - This is Quite Common in the Canyon

While you are in the canyon bottoms, views toward the coast are limited. But once the trail climbs out of the canyon to a promontory to the immediate east, the terrain opens up and you get unobstructed views of Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands off in the distance.

Cabrillo Beach and Stearns Warf from Saddle

Anacapa Island in the Santa Barbara Channel

From this point, the trail begins climbing Montecito's south facing ridgeline through the dense and aromatic chaparral that we all know and love so well. The route becomes rocky here and because of the south-facing orientation, gets quite warm. A couple of out-of-place Eucalyptus trees at about the 2500 foot contour provide some shade and additional views before the final push to the summit.




Ridgeline Leading to Pt. 3440 (I think)



Platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel



Clouds Boiling Over Santa Rosa Island



View from Near the Eucalyptus Trees



The Eucalyptus "Grove" Below Montecito Peak

Beyond the Eucalyptus tree rest stop, the trail wends its way around to the north slope of Montecito Peak where a steep and well-defined use trail takes you to the summit which offers panoramic views of the Gold Coast and the Santa Barbara channel, a rocky prominence from which to enjoy it, and the intoxicating aroma of blooming Greenbark ceanothus.

The Channel Islands from Montecito Peak

Santa Barbara from Montecito Peak



View South Toward Carpinteria from Montecito's Summit



Lonely Anacapa Island in the Channel Haze



These are Modern Times We're Livin' In

Bare-ly Any Choice But Hillyer

Mt. Hillyer Trail from Rosenita Saddle

It was a damn good plan. Drive the ACH on a warm and snowless January day to Three Points, follow the Santa Clara Divide Road (3N17) to Pinyon Flats, ascend Bare Mountain by way of its south-western ridge (HPS Route #1), loop back down to Pinyon Flats using Bare's south-eastern ridge (HPS Route #2), then drive back home basking in the glory and after-glow of my mountaineering accomplishment.

But much to my dismay, my plan was foiled by a Forest Service gate blocking my path near the last private camp before Bandido that told me that Santa Clara Divide Road was "Closed for the Season."


Shut Out - Santa Clara Divide Road

What is this "season" concept to which the Forest Service was making reference? The sun was out. The sky was blue. It was clear and warm with no hint of a season other than summer. Just like yesterday. And the day before yesterday. And the day before that. Christ, it's been nothing but sunny and warm for the past four years now so the whole concept of "seasons" has become a completely foreign to me. As a result, it didn't even occur to me that Santa Clara Divide Road might be closed for the "winter."

Undeterred, I jumped out of the car and began the westward trek toward Pinon Flats. After all, I hadn't come all this way to be turned back by a Forest Service gate and a little road walk. Or so I thought until half-way to Pinon Flats when I was forced to reconsider. It was already about 1:00 p.m. and I still had about 2 miles to go just to start my ascent of Bare Mountain. If I kept to my original plan, there was a good chance I'd be walking 3N17 back to the car in the dark. I cursed the Forest Service out loud and considered my options.



Mt. Pacifico from Near the Junction with 3N14

Granite Mountain from Near the Junction with 3N14

Round Mountain from Near the Junction with 3N14

View North Toward Rock Creek 

Back at Rosenita Saddle there was a marked trail that lead south to the "summit" of Mt. Hillyer. Named for Mary Hillyer, a clerk who once worked for Angeles National Forest Supervisor William V. Mendenhall, Mt. Hillyer was once the preferred hideout of notorious bandit, horse thief, and general all-around bad-ass Tiburcio Vasquez (for whom Vasquez Rocks in Soledad Canyon is named). Near Mt. Hillyer, the names of both Bandido and Horse Flats Campgrounds give a nod to the time that Vasquez and his horse-stealing boys spent here. Although I hadn't scouted the area and was without map, Mt. Hillyer would have to be my destination for the day.


Mt. Hillyer Trail from Rosenita Saddle

Spontaneous Rock Art Along the Trail Left by Forest Gnomes

The trail leading south from Rosenita Saddle meanders through the forest rising slowly until it eventually arrives at the broad, flat plateau that is the "summit" of Hillyer. To call the top of Hillyer a summit is being pretty darn charitable. Hillyer has a summit in the same way that Wright Mountain has a summit, except the latter peak is toothy and prominent compared to Hillyer. Those shortcomings notwithstanding, Hillyer does offer expansive views south of the Alder Creek drainage, the Chilao area, the Mt. Wilson cluster, and Strawberry Peak. It also provides some unique views west to Pacifico and east to Mt. Waterman and the Twins.



View Southwest Into Alder Creek from Mt. Hillyer

View Southeast Into Chilao from Mt. Hillyer

Communication Towers Atop Mt. Wilson

San Gabriel Peak and Mt. Disappointment

North Face of Strawberry Peak

Mt. Waterman and Twin Peaks from Hillyer

Twin Peaks from Hillyer's Summit

Mt. Waterman from Hillyer's Summit

Mt. Hillyer's "Summit" Such as it is

Pacifico Mountain from Hillyer

After exploring the area for awhile, I retraced my steps back to Rosenita Saddle to began the road walk back my car. On my way, I ran into Sewellymon who was grinding his way up to Hillyer from Chilao on his mountain bike. Along 3N17, the clouds began to creep across the sky providing some interesting and beautiful lighting to the south.

Despite my early fumble, this day was not ultimately disappointing. The mountains and forest still provided. They always do.


Road Walk Back to the Car Along 3N17

Winter Sky from Santa Clara Divide Road

Cargo Ships and Santa Catalina from the ACH

Snow-Capped Mt. Baldy from the ACH