Fall Colors on the Matilija

The fall colors may not have quite materialized, but the good times certainly did! We were a bit early for the fickle fall colors on Matilija Creek, given how hot our late summer and early fall have been.  But we took advantage of the warm weather by enjoying the creek's swimming holes.  Surprisingly, there was still quite a lot of water in the creek, even after six rain-less months and a fairly dry winter before that.  The five of us relished our camp under spruces and sycamores, and we marveled at how wild the landscape seemed, even though we were quite close to the city, as the crow flies.

Don’t believe those who say California lacks fall colors. The maples, sycamores, alders and walnuts of the Matilija Wilderness, reflecting on a babbling creek, put on a nice autumn show for those willing to work for it. 

The Matilija Wilderness is the smallest of the wilderness areas of the southern Los Padres National Forest, but it offers some surprisingly wild terrain within easy reach of urban Southern California. How wild? Here’s what the Warren Ledger, a Pennsylvania newspaper, said on October 6, 1882:

“The timberclad hills at the head of the Matilija seem to be teeming with droves of grizzly bears. Last week nine were seen in one day…some of them monsters in size.”

Sadly, the grizzly is now extinct in California, but the Matilija remains plenty wild. Mountain lions, condors and the smaller, shy black bear find a home in its twisting sandstone canyons. Hiking in the dark of the moon two weeks before Halloween, we’ll find some time to wonder what else might be lurking in the deep shadows of the chaparral of the Matilija.

This will be a moderately strenuous backpack, covering 14 miles in two days over fairly rugged terrain, so this trip is suitable only for backpackers in good shape. (Well-prepared beginner backpackers are welcome, however). We'll hike at a moderate pace and arrive at our camp by early afternoon, leaving plenty of time for exploration and relaxation at camp. Creekside swimming holes beckon on warm days. Though we’ll be hiking on mostly clear trails and though our elevation gain and loss will be modest (1,400’), we’ll face the usual possibility of some bushwhacking, ticks, and maybe a late-season rattlesnake or two. Signup preference will be given to GayOutdoors “Full Members,” and the leader reserves the right to qualify participants.

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 or re-route this trip at the sole discretion of the leader, as will fewer than four confirmed signups as of Saturday, October 6. This trip will be by individual commissary, and we’re not planning any shared meals, so please plan to provide your own two-day supply of food.

Our spacious camp can comfortably accommodate several tents, so the group limit of 6 may be flexible.