This Easter weekend, Trailhacker and I hiked along Sespe Creek to Willets and then to Sespe Camp. We left on Saturday morning and returned on Sunday afternoon. It was a beautiful weekend to be there.
The Sespe Creek trail is accessible from Lion Camp trailhead. This is the same trailhead for the Piedras Blancas trail and is at the end of Rose Valley road off Highway 33 above Ojai.
The creek was pretty high. We were able to rock-hop across the first crossings right at the beginning. After that, there are no deep crossings for several miles. The first deep crossing is just beyond a wide, sandy campsite. The crossing was deep and long!
Trailhacker was smart enough to bring Crocs to change into. I didn't have any water crossing shoes. I started out by walking across in my sneakers. These were just ordinary cheap running shoes and didn't dry out quickly like fancy mesh ones. They felt heavy after the crossings and stayed wet. Not too bad, though.
After a few of these deep crossings, there is another long section of about 4 miles without creek crossings. Along this section we came around a bend to see the most beautiful patches of fiddleneck flowers I've ever seen. They were really big and fluffy with some purple phacelia intermixed. Unfortunately, both of our camera batteries died just as we got to the flowers so we didn't get to take any pictures of our trip. That's okay, though. Good training for living in the moment.
During this long stretch, I got to try out hiking in a pair of modern-day moccasins that I brought. They feel like moccasins and look like sneakers. They're called Feelmax Osmas. It is really fun to backpack in shoes that feel like you are walking barefoot. I was able to wear them for a total of about 7 miles on the trail, but my feet did get tired so it was good I had other shoes with me. Going with ultralight gear makes backpacking nearly barefoot possible, too.
A little before reaching Willets, there is an old sign indicating an unmaintained trail to Lady Bug camp. We could see a trail going up into some spectacular, rounded red boulders half way up the brooding Topatopa bluffs. I wondered if anyone still takes that trail. It looked like it would be spectacular.
We came around a bend in the trail and could see the trail going up to Willets hot spring in the mountain. Just before a creek crossing, there was a small side-trail that we guessed probably led right to Willets, so we took that. It did and we didn't have to get our feet wet.
We climbed the steep trail up to the hot spring. The big plastic pool appeared to be recently cleaned. The water was crystal clear, the sides of the pool were clean and there was a brush laying on the side. The water was the perfect temperature. We soaked for about 40 minutes sitting under a small tin roof for shade. What a life, we thought, sitting in this wonderful hot spring looking at the snowy cliffs of the Topatopas!
When we had first set off from Lyon's camp, there had been a huge group of young people just starting out. We found out their goal was Willets, too. So we decided maybe we ought to get going before they arrived. Sure enough, they were just crossing the creek to arrive here and take over the place. We got out just in time.
I took a look at the map and it appeared that the area on our side of the creek was flat and wide all the way to where the trail joined again. If we stayed on this side of the creek, we ought to be able to walk cross-country without having to do any creek crossings. So we did that, following a faint trail that others with the same idea surely used, and sure enough we rejoined the creek avoiding two crossings.
After that, there were several more deep and wide crossings until the turnoff to Sespe Camp. I would take off my shoes and walk across in my bare feet and then put my shoes on without socks. I wanted to keep my socks dry for sleeping because I forgot to bring a second pair. Going without socks on worked out well but eventually we went off-trail to see if we could find Coltrell Flat camp. Then I got sand in my heels and instantly the backs of my heels were ripped to shreds. Bummer. :(
We couldn't find Coltrell Flat but Sespe wasn't too much further. We got to Sespe around 5pm and set up our camp. The water in the creek was a crazy lukewarm temperature. As the sun went down and it got cooler, the warm water in the creek felt stranger. The frogs living there have the best life living in such pleasant water year round. We washed up in the creek and after a good dinner where Trailhacker tested more food for his trip, we went to bed. It was a warmish night and I slept barefoot, meaning I hadn't had to spare my socks and destroy my heels earlier. Oh well.
In the morning when we got up, fog had rolled in and the tarp shelter was all wet with condensation. I hate putting wet stuff in my pack. We had a leisurely breakfast and set off around 8am for the return trip.
It was cooler on Sunday coming back. The fog burned off for a while and then storm clouds began to arrive. Toward the afternoon, it seemed a little chilly. We stopped at a swimming hole by some nice rounded boulders for lunch. The sun was out then and I dried all my wet stuff out on the rocks. Then we continued on back to the car in alternating cool breezes and warm sun.
The Sespe Creek area was quite jam-packed with backpackers this Easter weekend. I imagine that on other weekends you could find more solitude, but with nice hot springs and a cabin that you can stay in only 10 miles from the trailhead, I would think that this trail gets a lot of use. Still, I recommend this as a great backpack trip. The grade is nearly flat, the creek is pleasant even if you have to cross often, the scenery is nice and the hot springs are top-notch.
