It's hard to say which is more impressive—the battle to bring one of the largest remaining saltwater marshes along the California coast back to its natural wetlands form as a food rich market for fish and wildlife that rivals a tropical rain forest—or just standing on the trail between two channels of water filled with hundreds, maybe thousands, of birds nesting, standing, eating, swooping above and around the trail. Barbara and I waited weeks for the rain to come and then go away in order for us to hike the wetlands of Bolsa Chica that the National Audubon Society calls "a globally important bird area" In addition to land mammals, reptiles, rare and endangered, plants, it's said that about 200 species of birds live or pass through here. The air and sky were clear, the trail between the channels easy to follow, and the signs along the path laid out the history that almost destroyed and then brought back this magnificent place. Archaeological evidence dates back at least 9,000 years to ancient burial sites for Tonga and Acjachemen peoples. Jump to 1899 when wealthy L.A. and Pasadena businessmen acquired a portion of this land and created the exclusive Bolsa Chica Gun Club catering to duck-hunting politicians and celebs with rifles. Ducks and geese like fresh, not seawater, so the clubmen dammed off the area from the ocean to create freshwater area. The ducks and geese came in droves, the change fractured the health of the wetlands. In 1920, Standard Oil entered into a lease with the Gun Club to begin oil extraction in the wetlands for a lot of money, a bonus, revenues. From 1941–45 (WWII), fearing attack from Japan, the US Army made the Gun Club HQ for a shore artillery battery as part of the Coastal Defense System then returned the land to the Gun Club after the war. 1960s, a developer acquired the land for a a marina and massive housing tracts—leaving only 300 acres for the wildlife. The move jarred grassroots efforts that echoed into action from the Amigos de Bolsa Chica, formed to preserve the wetlands, to the courts to the state capital. In 1997, the state of California purchased back 880 acres. The restoration of the wetlands, 1300 acres of coastal habitat, was completed in 2006, including an inlet to the Pacific for the first time since the Gun Club dammed it in 1899. Hiking the reserve trail was a jaw-dropping experience for us. We could identified colorants, herons, seagulls, pelicans, and turkey vultures, some in large groups, hanging out, nesting, ducking and dunking, in addition to the birds we didn't know. Bolsa Chica is utterly amazing. Don't miss it. 

 

At face value this hike is an easy, flat walk through part of the Conejo Open Space to a museum and back. Great for Fido, bicycling, the kids. But, as Barbara and I discovered, if you take a little time to get to know the history, the land comes to life with caves holding pictographs, spaces with the bones of a village and a field, and, at the bottom of the halfway loop, a museum filled with artifacts and facts about the Chumash peoples. Think we're so cool for our 500-ish years making and developing SoCal? Before the arrival of the Cabrillo expedition in 1542,  the Chumash peoples spent 11,000 years on this land. This hike tours a portion of the historic former Chumash village of Sap'wi (House of the Deer)—a Ventura County Historical Landmark and a Thousand Oaks Landmark—including a stop (if it's open) at the halfway point at the Chumash Museum for a look at artifacts. There are 20 caves on the property, several with pictographs, cave paintings of swordfish created by swordfish shaman spirit helpers. Too bad for us you need to be on a tour to see the caves, and wait until noon for the museum to open, but we had a great time imagining the activities in the village. The early part of the hike led us up, and then down into the low grounds at the base of the mountain. We saw the caves above but couldn't get up there, instead following the oak-shaded  fire road along the grounds between the mountains and a creek. We stopped for a snack at the small village, the activity area for the tribe. Three thatched "aps" made of long willow branch frames interwoven with insulated, water-resistant tule reeds, circle the central hearth for cooking and warmth. There's an area for men to make tools and to process meat and hides from the hunt. Another area for women to weave the baskets the Chumash were famous for, and create household goods like baskets. About fifty feet or so from the village, a long field lined with benches is the "malamtepupi," the game field where games were held during tribal gatherings. The most popular game, "Ma'pon," is an ancient "rabbit stick" game that travelled across America. The proceeds from betting games like peon, or games like the ancient Hoop and Pole game, or the ring and stick game "Shpalutspuq," are donated by the winning team to the host village. There were games like Shinny—Tikauwich with 200–300 players who used small sticks to put a small wooden ball through the opponent's goal post. Rings? Sticks? Poles? Don't laugh, aren't we STILL playing with sticks and balls before huge audiences?  So, yes, a pleasant, easy hike with lovely views, OR, a trip back in time to visit the home of peoples who hung out her for thousands of years. And why not? The area is gorgeous. Side note: I mentioned the shaman spirit helpers, and though there's nothing spooky about the area, and we rounded the halfway mark, my iPhone in my pocket took two photos all by itself. Cool hike. We recommend going during museum hours for the full experience.