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Leo Carillo
May 5th and 6th, 2016 (Friday and Saturday nights)
Much more info to come

Leo Carillo Part Deux Blow Out

All good, but filled with the usual confusion. It was short and sweet and as always spending time off campus with our beloved leaders from Hedgerow is a dream come true.

You just never expect fresh flowers on a camping trip, but with these folks its a must.

I loved the drizzly weather and if it were not for the 50 mph wind warning from the ex-hippie snake wrangler campsite host living in a winne, I would have so enjoyed being there another night.

(with that said, it was soooo nice waking up in my bed Sunday morning)

For me it is a bit of a last hurrah as it will be the last camping trip of Luke's tenor at Hedgerow. But not the last camping trip, oh no

...and not the last camping trip for me either.

If you have comments leave them, photos you want posted, send them, otherwise see ya round the clubhouse.

photos courtesy of Frank

Leo Carillo 2015

IT'S COMING

LEO CARILLO

APRIL 24th and 25th

2015

Chris has graciously notified me that he is bring boards and wetsuits for general amusement, perhaps it is a good time to start thinking about the other things we have wanted, but did not have last time around. What I remember is:

• campfire music
• designated firewood organizer
• extra lanterns for the night eating extravaganza
• collapsible stand alone garbage bag holders

If you are interested in adding to this list, or making a commitment, please let me know!

Circle X

Question: "What's your favorite part about camping?

Answer: "The lack of cell coverage"

P. McGraw

Circle X was once again an opportunity to remember how much I love to go camping with a bunch of 3-5 year olds. At first I was totally wishy washey. Oh, it is going to be a low turnout. oh, I am too tired, oh. There is too much going on in my life right now to go on a camping trip, yada, yada, yada.

But then you get there and then you once again experience how awesome it is to see stars, how awesome it is to hear silence and how awesome it is to watch a bunch of yungins go kooky crazy, not eat anything for days on end, find anything they can do to keep going and just go nutty fun crazy. Sorry, but as a parent, I think there is nothing better.

Circle X is a really pretty site, with a fully shaded all day long table area and quite a beautiful surrounding vista of what Luke called "chocolate covered mountains".

Sleep, nah, eat much, nah, but I think a great time was had by all and I feel down right anzy about Leo Carillo in April, 2015. It is going to be an awesome trip, I can feel it in my bones and I am already designating it the Chris L. memorial Birthday trip, bebecauset is indeed Chris L. birthday that weekend.

Thanks everyone for showing up and a special thanks to the grey fox and the newt who made Circle X a really memorable trip.

Wow, might be a first!

I booked our next outing this morning with the help of Zoe, for April 24th and 25th at Leo Carillo State Park, perhaps our official favorite camping spot, though we shall see if Circle X brings on the magic in just a few short weeks. (October 24th and 25th)

So, for this small window we have TWO reservations for group sites for our lovely tribe and all I can say is.

Bring it!

(as always, if there is something you want posted here, please let me know. Like lists, directions, camping info, etc, etc.)

All is well

The more I go to that site, the more I appreciate it. Yet another wonderful trip filled with warm caring people and somehow the crazy winds decided not to creep into the Leo Carillo valley.

Highlights included:

Watching Ty eat four breakfasts including two helpings of Special K with red berries. A trip back to Malibu circa 1968 with naked children running everywhere at the beach. The COOKIES. Joe's marshmallow tree.

A special thank you goes out to Gino for invisibly starting and maintaining the most difficult Sunday morning fire I have ever witnssed. Way to go Gino, you are the offical Hedgerow firestarter!

And all without a single rattlesnake bite!

I did not take a single picture and if anyone wants to send me some via dropbox or another manner I will gladly post a slideshow here.

Circle X Malibu is new territory

CIRCLE X RANCH GROUP CAMPGROUND, CA
OCTOBER 24th and 25th (Friday and Saturday nights)

I spoke to Beth and decided to book a trip for October, 2014 (the booking window at Reserve America is six months in advance and bookings go about as fast as Bruce Springsteen tickets, so...) But when I logged in to make a reservation for Leo Carillo I noticed this foreboding message in big red digital ink:

Warning:

Leo Carrillo Group Camp Closed to Construction: Construction project at Leo Carrillo will take place in and around the campground from June 1st thru December 31st, 2014. Expect noise and delays Monday thru Friday, 7am to 7:30 pm. No vehicle access to North Beach parking lot.

CONSTRUCTION: Large portions of Leo Carrillo campground will be closed for construction between the months of September 2014 through March 2015. Expect delays and noise Monday through Friday between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.


So, I decided it was time to try something new, and the closest campsite to our fair city is the Circle X in Malibu. I have never been and in truth have always wanted to, so now is our chance.

I hope I don't jump the shark by posting this before the upcoming Leo Carillo trip, but I get excited about these things if you have not noticed already.

Circle X Malibu Creek looks like a great spot and perfect for those who want to just come up for the day.

The website lists these activities:

Enjoy a visit to the Grotto or a creekside picnic at the trailhead next to the campground.

Grotto Trail 3.5 miles round trip, moderate to strenuous; no bikes, no horses. This trail traverses hillsides and leads down to the West Fork of the Arroyo Sequit. The trail is downhill from the Ranger Station, which means an uphill return. The Grotto area is rugged terrain; be careful and wear appropriate hiking attire. The last 1/8 mile is through an unimproved streambed and dogs are not allowed.

The Ranger Contact Station can provide you with free hiking maps of Circle X Ranch. A publication of park-led activities for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is also available. Visits to nearby Malibu and the Pacific Ocean are just a short drive way.

The group site looks very nicely situated away form the other individual sites as well.

And get this, it is really inexpensive? At first I thought I was doing something wrong, but the total cost for the two nights is less than half of Leo Carillo. This must have to do with the fact that it is not a part of the California Parks and Recreation, but the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation. When I searched for it at ReserveAmerica.gov (where I book all the previous trips), I was re-directed to Recreation.gov. I will have to do more research on the whys and hows of this.

About the only downside I can see is that I believe they do not allow firewood fires, only charcoal. It is a bit confusing to me as they have fire pits listed, but maybe they only allow charcoal in those as well. A small price to pay for a camping trip 30 minutes away from Hedgerow!

We are well prepared for the remainder of 2014!

Next Trip! Leo Carillo Redux May 10 and 11, 2014

Hedgerow folks, our game is on!
Last trips overwhelming success makes our upcoming reservation a very exciting event indeed. Look for more info from our fearless leaders soon.

Leo Carillo Group site (yes, the exact same one as last time)
Saturday and Sunday nights May 10th and 11th

Things we discussed after our last adventure:

• All staying at the one group site
•  Firewood coordinator
•  Music
• More lanterns
• More carts to shuttle gear from parking lot

All the local hotspots!

View SoCal Group Camping in a larger map

Take a look at my SoCal campsite Google Map and perhaps we can think about where future trips ought to be held?
  

New lease on life

I started this blog many years ago when I first encountered group camping with kids at the Growing Place.

Our trip this last weekend to Leo Carillo was so great and so rewrding that I decided to change the name of this blog and contiue to post my experiences and give the Hedgerow community a place in the history of Southern California Group Camping fun!

Leo Carillo is truly a great spot, and as Beth will let everyone know I have an exisiting reservation for Friday and Saturday nights, May 10 and 11th, 2014.

But we should not stop there, there are a number of great group sites in the LA area, the one I have my eye on, but have never been to is:

Malibu Creek Cirlce X Ranch

Looks pretty sweet, I like the way it seems to be at the end of the line.

But I also know that looks can be deceiving. Patrick suggested we take a scout up there sometime and see for ourselves and see if meets the Leo Carillo mark or perhaps even excels past it! Malibu Creek is the closest State Park Group Site that I know of.

I am too tired to do much else, but lets say:

• Cuts and Bruises: 4
• Broken limbs: 0
• Nighttime departures: 1

A very respectible first outing.

Feel free to make any comments about how I can make this blog more useful and interesting for our future adventures.

Cachuma Lake Santa Barbara Yurts

Cachuma Lake is a reservoir just north of Santa Barbara on Route 154. They offer yurts, which I have had the bookmarked for quite awhile and finally had a chance to stay in one.

The facility is part of the Santa Barbara Recreation Area and it run by the Parks Dept of California, so it is pretty much like a State Park. You can reserve Yurts, Campsites, Group Campsites and Cabins online. The recreation area at Cachuma Lake is situated on a point that juts out into the lake on the south western side.

In general Cachuma is is a pretty flat, scrubby unshaded facility and many of the campsites do not look all that appealing. By change I happen to pick the best situated Yurt of the bunch. The Sage Yurt is well shaded and has a fantastic view of the north end of the lake. You have direct access to the water for fishing and rocking tossing. It is a great spot for sure.

 

There are seven Yurts all together, four on the eastern edge of the point, that are right next to the boat launch and I felt very over exposed. The other three are up at the top of the point, facing west, with exquisite sunset views.

The are multiple group sites, but if I ever try to organize a group outing to Cachuma my idea would be this. Try to book all three yurts on the northwest side and make that your group site, a bit more expensive, but you have the best view, the best location and the most privacy in the entire facility. The Yurts ranges from $60-85 a night.

Since we went in September so it was quite hot during the day and since you are not allowed to swim in the "lake", it is a bit frustrating. You can however rent a boat at the launch and putter around the lake which was fun and cooler than being at the site. At around 4pm the wind comes blowing off the north side of the lake right tint the campsite, which was very welcome, but made it virtually impossible to start even "match light" briquets.

There are also cabins at Cachuma lake that are quite new, but they have tv screens and DVD players in the, which seems quite antithetical the the whole camping experiencing in my opinion.

Our second night I forgot to put the cooler back in the car and there was a fierce racoon/skunk brawl late in the evening, when I went out to move the cooler I clocked at least five LARGE racoons that barely moved until the made my own raucus.

I have never stayed in a cabin or a yurt before and I must say it takes a huge chunk out of the setup and tear down time, when traveling with little ones this is a big deal. I plan on returning to Cachuma someday and when I do it will certainly be to the Sage Yurt.

Bonus points if you head over to the Cold Spring Tavern for a meal, where I have had two of my most memorable Thanksgivings ever.

Things to remember:

Pros:
Great view
Genreal store
Gas Station
Boating

Cons:
4pm wind
Racoons
No swimming

Found a jewel

I am in Santa Cruz for the weekend and decided to go for a day hike in the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park which includes a some old growth sequoias. I noticed that they have overnight camping so I decided to take a drive around the campsite loops. Boy am I glad I did!

To me, this is as good as it gets. Beautifully maintained campsites, trail heads that start right inside the loops, relative privacy, and the surrounding area has horse back riding, the pacific ocean is a couple of miles away and the nearest town of Felton has a really good Health Food Store for supplies.

The most amazing part of all is that there was virtually no one there the day I went, which was a Sunday. I just feel like this is really a great spot that does not have any of the things I find objectionable from past excursions, noise, tail gaiters, drunks teens, boom boxes, etc.



I even jotted down what I thought were the best looking sites. Sites 15 and 18 being on the shady more nestled secluded wooded side and 40, 78 and 82 being on the ridge side with what I think are the best views I have ever seen directly from a campsite.

Here is a link the booking page and a contact number 831.335.4598


Anyway, I hope to make a jaunt up there soon, Even at 347 miles I think it will be really worth the trip.

Leo Carillio April 10 and 11, 2011

Back to the place where it all started for me. the Leo Carillo group site is still one of the best group campsites I have been to and it is only an hour away, who could ask for more!

Hope to see you all there, if you have not signed up for emails, please do so by using the form at the top of the page and if you know someone that might like to be on this mailing list then tell hem to fill out the form as well.

Lookout Towers Camping

Ever since I have heard about lookout towers I have been in love with the idea of staying in one. I came close last year and booked one, the closest to Los Angeles, but alas I did not make it. The good news is that I have done a lot of homework and am gladly sharing it with you here.

There is plenty of information on the web about these fascinating accommodations, since I have yet to actually visit one I will just list the info and you can look into it on your own. Please let me know if you discover something I should know about staying at a lookout tower.

From Fire Lookout Wiki Page:

"The typical fire lookout tower consists of a small room, known as a cab located atop a large steel, or wooden tower, however sometimes natural rock may be used to create a lower platform. In some cases, the terrain makes it possible so there is no need for an additional tower and these are known as ground cabs. Ground cabs are called towers even if they don't have a tower to sit upon."

Here is a map I made of all the closest lookout towers up to the Northern edge of California.


View Lookout Towers and Cabins in a larger map

Here is a vast page of state by state lookout tower information including rental information.

Here is a listing from an interesting website on unique places to stay called Odd Inns and Uncommodations

Here are some direct links to lookout towers and cabins in California that you can rent within the states park and national forests websites:

Bear Basin Crescent City area
Girard Ridge Mount Shasta Area
Post Creek Shasta area
Oak Flat in Sequoia. This is closest Lookout Tower to Los Angeles as far as I know.

Just to wet your appetite, this is some time lapse film a friend of mine shot at the Girard Lookout Tower after I told hi you could rent these places and he could not believe it.

Labor Day Weekend 2010

Please enjoy a beautiful sideshow of photos from the trip via Mary Redfield and a sideshow movie courtesy of Henry Cline

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Sequoia National Forest, Kern River
September 3rd, 4th and 5th 2010

I had a heck of a time trying to book something this morning. I tried like five spots and all were unavailable. Then I started fishing around and came across this. Looks pretty outstanding if you ask me, so I booked it.

Hope to see you there!

Camp Three Group Site

Camp 3 Campground is located on the Upper Kern River 5 miles north of the town of Kernville. This mountain setting campground with oak and locust trees stretches along the Kern River that offers many water activities. The campground consists of 52 paved sites with and a group camp that will hold up to 30 people for friends or family gatherings.

The group site is at the head of the campground and therefore I hope it would afford some privacy. But heck, it is literally on the Kern River! That has got to be fun.

GP Alumni Google Map

View GP Alumni Camping in a larger map

Here is a Google map that has most of the Campgrounds we have visited in the past and a few I have my eye on for the future.

I am going to try and book either Lake Casitas or Dorst Creek next. Please send me your thoughts, comments or additions to this map.

Trip Four Anza Borrego Redux! January 16-18, 2010

It was a mere two years ago that we made the jaunt to Anza-Borrego and to this day it is the trip that Jack requests most often. So, it being July 1st and me being up and at the computer at 8am PST, I decided to book a return visit for January, 2010.
As usual there is nothing to do now except save the date and wait.

Here is a link to the photo's from last time if you want to get a taste of it and below some of the usual site info.

Anza-Borrego State Park US Parks page
Anza-Borrego Wiki page
Anza-Borrego Google Map



Did you know that Anza-Borrego State Park is the largest non-contiguous State Park in the State of California? Well, now you do!

Trip Three! Pt. Mugu State Park April 17-19th, 2009

Thanks to everyone who joined us, it is indeed a great spot and perhaps one day we will visit it again. There was a request to post a paypal button for payment for this trip. It is $30 and the button is below:

Also here is a slideshow of the images I had a chance to take. Not as many as I would normally have liked.




Pt. Mugu Booking info:

Just booked the third trip! Very excited too. I got a hot tip from a GP Alumni who has only the best things to say about Point Mugu State Park. Here are the bullet points:

One hour from LA
Very private group site
Trails that start right in the camp ground
Wifi (I know, crazy, huh?)
14,000 square miles of park
If nothing else, the Pacific Ocean is across the street

What Trails.com has to say about the park's trails

"The La Jolla Canyon and La Jolla Valley Loop Trail has an assortment of highlights. The trail enters a narrow, steep gorge following a perennial stream to a 20-foot waterfall and pool. It crosses broad meadows with spectacular views of La Jolla Peak, Mugu Peak, and Laguna Peak. There is a coastal overlook and a pond by a picnic area."




Point Mugu State Park

It is a good sized reservation with room for 50 people and 16 cars. Should be plenty of room for all.

Looking forward to it already!

Second Trip Malibu Creek Oct 10-13

OK, here is a real crowd pleaser. Close to home and plenty of space!
October 10-13 (3 nights!)
# of Occupants: 50 (min: 9, max: 60)
# of Vehicles: 20 (max: 30)

Once again, an awesome, out of the way group site:

Description - Just 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles, the park offers an escape from the city within the city. Twenty-five-mile Malibu Creek in the park is the principal watercourse of the Santa Monica Mountains - from Boney Mountain to Malibu Lagoon. The park was the center of Chumash Native American life for centuries and was once used to film numerous movies and TV shows, such as Planet of the Apes and M*A*S*H.

Attractions - Just 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles, the park offers an escape from the city within the city. Twenty-five-mile Malibu Creek in the park is the principal watercourse of the Santa Monica Mountains - from Boney Mountain to Malibu Lagoon. The park was the center of Chumash Native American life for centuries and was once used to film numerous movies and TV shows, such as Planet of the Apes and M*A*S*H.

Recreation - The park has over 4,000 acres, featuring hiking, fishing, bird watching and horseback riding opportunities. There are 15 miles of streamside trail through oak and sycamore woodlands and chaparral-covered slopes.

Climate - A warm, dry Mediterranean climate prevails over Southern California - inland it is hot in the summer, mild in the winter. Coastal areas have a more moderate climate with frequent fog in the summer. Most of the precipitation comes as rain during the winter months.

Location - The park is located four miles south of Highway One on Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon Road, south of Agoura Hills.

LAT: 34.1033395
LONG: -118.7339771


View Larger Map



Sate Park Website

First Trip! Refugio State Park, Santa Barbara Sept. 5-7

Photo gallery from Refugio Trip






















Arrival Date: Fri Sep 05 2008
Departure Date: Sun Sep 07 2008
2 Nights
Campground: Refugio SB, CA
# of Occupants: 20 (min: 9, max: 32)
# of Vehicles: 8

One last chance to get together before the next school year. This trip was recommended by our own Marie Pederson and it sounds to me like Refugio is the perfect spot for us.

Refugio State Beach offers excellent coastal fishing as well as trails and picnic sites. Palm trees planted near Refugio Creek give a distinctive look to the beach and camping area. A bike trail along the beach bluff connects the beach with El Capitain State Beach, 2.5 miles east.

Refugio SB is located 20 miles West of Santa Barbara on Highway 101 at Refugio Road

I have not been to Refugio, but it sounds like a great place for us to have a GP Alumni get together. The site I booked looks SWEET! (it is the GANA group site. All by itself at the end of the loop)





















Here is a Google Maps repository of all our camping adventures.



View Larger Map

Here is a review of the camping at Refugio. And another

When we get closer to the dates I will start asking for confirmation from interested parties. Until then have a GREAT SUMMER!