Barbara's and my first outdoor hike of 2026 came with a little drama, a big coincidence, some good history, and SoCal's phenomenal January hiking weather. The contrasts of white clouds in a clear blue sky over a canyon filled with rain-fed green made for an utterly gorgeous hike. Drama opened the morning—we originally planned a different hike a few miles north. However, AllTrails was unaware that the trailhead is inside a gated Calabasas community. No access! Fortunately the guard sent us down to Vanowen Street and a quick turn west took us straight to El Escorpión Park and the trail. Free parking and all. We found the park in AllTrails and started up the trail. Looking around, it is hard to imagine why some hungry developer hasn't $natched up this space for condos and a business plaza. The Tongva-Fernandeño and Chumash Ventureño tribes of the Simi Hills inhabited this space for 8000 years until the Spanish showed up. Portions of the DeAnza expedition party, the OG party of California hikers, passed through here. The canyon passed through many hands, including a 1920s-30s stint as the Lasky Mesa silent and talkie movie ranch. The developers tried and tried and failed, and finally in 2003, the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy stepped in and saved the land for the people. Our first historically significantly sighting followed us along the trail: Castle Peak, altitude 1,475 ft. is a geographic landmark. The name is an American form of its Chumash name, Kas'ele'ew. Because of its visibility from a distance, during the time of the Chumash, a village at the base of Castle Peak served as a meeting and trading point. Not too far in along the trail, we realized we were in the same green space as the Munit Caves, a hike we did—get this—as our first hike of 2020. Total coincidence! Today we hiked the floor of the valley instead taking the trail up to the caves. A Munit is a Chumash Shaman who lived in the caves and was killed after murdering the son of a Chumash chief. In addition to some fun climbing around it that's for you, it's said the caves are haunted by the Munit's spirit. Our hike was a simple in and out, North to South on El Escorpión Trail to Hunter Allen Trail and back. A very popular local hiking spot, we met hikers, happy dogs and their walkers, and a number of dirt bikers. Parts of the trail split into layers, other parts rutted and cracked by the rain, and barely, if any shade. Up and around all of it, a breathtaking view of fields and really cool caves.