May 16, 2023
If you had asked us at the beginning of this year where we would be trekking in 2023, we would not have given the California Missions Trail as our answer. We were in the midst of planning a 700-mile backpacking section hike across New Mexico on the Continental Divide Trail. But, since then, things transpired in our personal lives and with the weather conditions to rule that trek out for this year.
When we discussed the California Missions Trail as an alternative journey, we were both a little nervous about a trek with so much urban hiking and road walking. At our core we love being in nature. Fortunately, we had some experience last year with this type of road trekking in Northern Ireland and Ireland.
So we committed to this trek, and, thus far, we have already completed some city hiking during our first two weeks. But now we were about to embark on a trip through the heart of the concrete jungle – Los Angeles County, home to the second-largest city in the United States.
Nobody Walks in L.A.
We had seen many people walking in the coastal cities we hiked along during our first week on the trail. As we continued north and west through the cities and communities adjacent to Los Angeles, we walked down streets for long periods of time with no other pedestrians in sight. And when we encountered people who would ask us what we were doing, we mostly received confused looks and denials that we could possibly be walking north from San Diego for 800 miles. But walk forward we did.
We began an 11.5-mile stage hiking through Old Pasadena and caught a glimpse of the iconic city hall. Walking down Colorado Boulevard, we saw a sign denoting that the street was on the historic Route 66 road that was built in the 1920s from Chicago to Santa Monica, California.
Pasadena City Hall; sign designating historic Route 66 on Colorado Boulevard
Soon, we came to the Colorado Street Bridge. It was the highest concrete bridge in the world when it was built in 1912. My parents, who attended nearby Occidental College in Eagle Rock, told me it was known as the “Suicide Bridge” when they were there because dozens of people ended their lives by jumping off the structure. We saw that a tall fence had been installed on each side as we walked across the bridge.
Continuing on Colorado Boulevard, we entered the city of Glendale. In downtown Glendale we stopped at the famous Porto’s Bakery to enjoy a piece of cake in the early afternoon. It was difficult to choose something with all the options in front of us. In the end we opted for a slice of the Parisian Cake. It was delicious.
Items at Porto’s Bakery in Glendale; enjoying a slice of Parisian Cake
After an overnight in the city of Burbank, we embarked on a day of trekking 12.3 miles through the most urban stage yet. Not only did we encounter significant car traffic, but for periods of time we walked alongside the Burbank Airport and next to the track where the Metrolink (commuter) trains run. We also hiked by a few gritty sections, but never felt unsafe.
With several days of urban hiking under our belts, we had made several adjustments. Even though it annoyed Darren at times because it slowed our progress, we used the pedestrian buttons to cross at busy intersections. At quieter intersections we sometimes crossed if the traffic was clear. Before we began each stage we looked on a map to find a park where we could take a break. Even so, on several days we had to turn off to a quiet street and sit on a curb to have a snack or eat our lunch.
One of the biggest challenges were bathroom stops. The books I purchased listed some options, so we took those into account. But what worked best for us were a combination of parks (when they had the restrooms opened), grocery stores, and Starbucks or McDonald’s (where we would buy a drink and take a break). It was tempting to limit our water intake while walking, but we knew that becoming dehydrated was not a good idea. So we kept drinking and hoped the bathrooms would work out.
A Mission San Fernando Respite from Our Urban Walking
At the end of the stage we arrived at Mission San Fernando. Established in 1797 as the 17th of the 21 missions, San Fernando was constructed to fill the gap between the San Gabriel and San Buenaventura Missions. On one side of the grounds was a distinctive convento or long building. The structure contained over 20 rooms and was used as a residence, guest facility, kitchen, storehouse, and winery.
We toured the museum, located in the convento rooms, and peered down into the wine cellar.
Walking down to the wine cellar; viewing the wine barrels
We found the mission to be a peaceful respite from the urban area around us as we explored its courtyard and gardens.
The church altar featured a hand carved wood statue of the mission’s patron saint, the 13th-century King Ferdinand III. The statue was sent from Spain.
Behind the mission was a large cemetery. Several celebrities are buried there, including comedian and actor Bob Hope and his wife Dolores.
After completing our mission visit, we walked a short distance to our hotel.
Our final day of walking in urban Los Angeles County was a short 8.7-mile stage from San Fernando to Chatsworth. We hiked at a leisurely pace, taking several long breaks, including ordering coffee at a Starbucks (and using their bathroom there).
Leaving Los Angeles County via an Old Stagecoach Trail
The next day we had a more typical 13.9-mile distance to complete as we left Los Angeles County. We welcomed walking a route that utilized mostly dirt paths and bike trails. To begin the day, we climbed on an old stagecoach trail over the Santa Susana Pass. The path was part of the main stagecoach route between Los Angeles and San Francisco between 1861 and 1876.
We joined a paved road to begin our hike to the pass.
The road soon ended, and we turned on to a rocky trail to begin the real ascent.
With an elevation gain of 800 feet over two miles, it was steep and rocky in a few places. We were happy to have our walking sticks with us for this very occasion.
Near the pass and the top of the climb, there was a plaque commemorating the old stagecoach trail.
View of the plaque near the pass; close-up of the sign
After taking one last look at Los Angeles County and the San Fernando Valley at the top of the pass, we descended into Ventura County.
As we hiked down toward the city of Simi Valley, we walked on a path lined with oak trees.
Joining the Arroyo Simi Greenway Bike Trail, we hiked seven more miles before exiting a short distance from our hotel.
Sign for the bike trail; walking along the path
Hiking Along a Busy Road with No Sidewalks
Leaving Simi Valley the next morning, we began an 18.3-mile stage. Now away from the urban sprawl of Los Angeles County, we welcomed the more rural environment in Ventura County. However, this meant we would be hiking on more roads without sidewalks. We got an immediate taste of this, as we walked the majority of the stage on a road that was busy with Saturday traffic.
We hiked through the city of Moorpark before ending our day in Camarillo. Along the way we passed by horse stables and fields growing fruit.
It was our sixth day in a row of hiking, and the challenge of walking next to the busy road frayed both our nerves. To make matters worse, we had a communication misunderstanding about where to take a break, causing us to bicker. But we knew we only had one more stage left to reach the city of Ventura and a greatly anticipated rest day.
Waking up the next morning, we were motivated to complete the 15.7-mile stage. We mainly walked on frontage roads close to U.S. Highway 101, which parallels the old El Camino Real that was used to travel from mission to mission.
We saw several strawberry fields as we hiked.
At the end of the stage we came to Ventura, where we saw the ocean for the first time since May 2 in South Orange County. After checking into the hotel and showering, we celebrated with pizza and beer at an outdoor restaurant in the heart of downtown. The pizza was so large that we had leftovers for lunch for two days.
A Rest Day Visit to Mission San Buenaventura
We used our rest day in Ventura to visit Mission San Buenaventura. It was established in 1782 as the ninth and final mission in (initial mission founder) Father Serra’s lifetime.
The mission was built between the previously established missions to the north and south because of the fear of pirate invasions and native people revolts. While a revolt never happened, there was a pirate pillaging incident in 1818.
The small mission museum featured wooden bells – the only such ones in the network. There are metal plates on the bell’s interior which provide the sound. One explanation for the wooden bells was that the muted sound would be less likely to attract pirates, who could hear metal bells from the sea.
We also learned about a seven mile long aqueduct that was built to transport water to the mission from the nearby Ventura River.
The church’s beautiful interior featured a 400-year old crucifix from the Philippines.
Before leaving, we took a few moments to sit in the quiet courtyard. Even though the San Buenaventura Mission was the smallest of the missions we had visited to date, we found it to be quaint and peaceful.
With our arrival in Ventura, we passed over 200 miles of trekking since we left San Diego. After navigating the challenges of urban hiking, we looked forward to more wide open spaces (albeit with busy road walking). And a treat was in store for us, as we only had 31.7 miles and two scenic days of walking ahead of us before we would arrive in Santa Barbara for another rest day and a visit to the “Queen of the Missions” – Mission Santa Barbara.
As we left Ventura, we filmed a short video recapping some of the highlights of this latest trekking section.