By Talya Adams

 

Thanks for coming back for part two of my review of Point Mugu State Park. Below I’ll share tips, advice, and the aftermath of my journey. To say it was a learning experience would be an understatement. Find out why.

I like to be informed in most things I do. When it comes to hikes, I’m someone who prefers a map. So, I got one from the park ranger and studied it before I took off. A camper on the grounds thought she’d be helpful and offered advice on which route to take up to the summit. The friend I’d met up with at the park thought we should take the woman’s recommendation and we did.

I’d say my first mistake, aside from taking this stranger’s advice, was packing a heavy backpack. I had a forty ounce water bottle, tripod, and a camera in my bag. Those were the heavy items. I also had a hoodie, a sandwich, and my jeans in there as well. To say these things added up in weight would be selling it short, but I carried on with determination.

If I had to estimate, I’d say we walked for about 3.75miles before we reached a steep incline up the side of a mountain. Sadly, my friend and I did not finish this hike because the incline went on for about a mile and a half. Instead, we turned around and trekked back the way we came. All in all we hiked about ten miles in total that day.

We were both sore and exhausted as we walked out of the camp grounds. Since I parked across the street, I had to play frogger on the PCH to reach my ride. Unfortunately, traffic had picked up significantly and cars were speeding in both directions. So, after about five to seven minutes of waiting I made it across the street to my bike.

The ride home was uncomfortable and bordered on painful at times as I was spent. Traffic had picked up on the PCH and I had to split lanes for the majority of the trip back to the I-10E. The interstate was okay considering how bad it gets during the week, but I maintain that getting a head start on this trip allowed me to miss a lot of bad traffic.

If anyone is interested in doing this ride, pack lots of water, choose your route carefully, and don’t over do it on the extra weight in your backpack. I wouldn’t recommend this trip to novice hikers, but the state beach across the street is worth the trip alone for a leisurely day.

Stay safe in these streets!