Prior to going to California, I had done some research on hikes in the area around Ojai. Mugu Peak looked like a very cool hike, so we decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, dogs aren't allowed in state parks, so we had to leave Bean behind.
From the trailhead, the path leads uphill for
almost a mile. My calves begin to burn. We stop several times to take in the
view of the ocean behind us and catch our breath. We take the road less
traveled and head down behind Mugu Peak into a large open field, full of tall
grasses, wildflowers, and the charred remains of trees and shrubs that had
burned in the 2013 wildfire. The landscape is surreal. Foothills surround the
basin; in the distance above the foothills rises the jagged silhouette of the
Boney Mountain ridge. The ground is hard as cement. It's so dry that the earth
has cracked, forming gaps beneath my feet, some several inches deep.
The
trail gradually heads back towards the coast, and we begin our ascent of the
mountain. To one side of us is a deep valley, to the other side the endless
Pacific Ocean extending all the way to the horizon, and ahead of us, above us,
is the peak with its American flag waving. Such a combination of mountains and
oceans is rare in New England (except for maybe in Acadia), and I am in
constant amazement at the scale and beauty of my surroundings.
At the
summit, we wolf down PB&J sandwiches. A dry throat, peanut butter and bread
do not mix very well. After gulping down some water, we continue down the
trail that loops across the front of the mountain, overlooking the ocean. We
soon come back to the saddle where the paths split, and we follow the steep
trail down towards the trailhead. We practically stumble down the final section
of the trail back to the car. Exhausted, somewhat sun-burnt, and
quite possibly dehydrated, we make it down and blissfully enjoy a car ride
back to Ojai with the air conditioning blasting.
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