Hiking the backbone trail - Part 6: Kanan Dume Road to Corral Canyon Road
Segments 12 and 13 in The Complete Hiker’s Guide to the Backbone Trail by Doug & Caroline Chamberlin
This hike took us across two canyons in the central Santa Monica Mountains, Newton and Solstice, with a range of landscapes from riparian canyon bottoms to dry, chaparral uplands. This section of the trail is mostly sheltered and quiet and, for much of the way, does not have the panoramic views of the earlier segments. Instead, it’s a haven of plant-life and spring flowers.*
Starting at the Kanan Dume Road Backbone Trail parking lot we climbed up and over the road tunnel with gorgeous views of the Pacific. After crossing the tunnel, we descended down and along the north side of the ridge that blocks further views of the ocean. Here, the Man with the Camera was regularly distracted by plants that needed investigating on the iNaturalist app – some we’d seen before and some new. This is a beautiful wooded hillside interspersed by occasional areas of sage chaparral. Greenbark Ceanothus, Indian Paintbrush and Hummingbird Sage were all spotted along this section of the trail.
After the ridge line, the trail heads down to cross a dry tributary of Newton Canyon before steadily climbing out of the canyon to meet to Latigo Canyon Road at 2.4 miles and the end of Segment 13 in the book.
We crossed Latigo Canyon Road and headed through the dirt parking lot, ducking under a tall Bush Poppy arching over the trail as we climbed gently, before the steep descent into Newton Canyon proper. The trail here is narrow with a steep drop-off at the side. Although the hillside is covered with creamy, yellow Monkey Flowers with Golden Yarrow on the side of the trail, the view below was a tad unnerving for someone who does not love heights!
Once at the bottom, we crossed the dry stream bed and followed the creek before a few switchbacks, then a sharp, steep climb on a rough, gravelly trail to the top. Above, we saw Castro Peak, the highest point in the central Santa Monica Mountains, a private property festooned with radio towers. Next, there was an easy half mile walk to Castro Motorway and incredible views back to the peak, inland and the ocean.
Now, it was time to head into the second of our two canyons – Solstice. The initial descent was again on a rough, gravelly, vertiginous path. However, once at the canyon base, this was my favorite part of the hike. Silenced from the road noise, we felt completely secluded from everything. The trail here weaves back and forth over the creek with stepping stone crossings and even slow-flowing water in the stream. There were many flowers and quite a few plants we had not seen before: Peak Rushrose, Fremont’s Deathcamas, Cardinal Catchfly, California Golden Violet, Twining Snapdragon and Pacific Peas. A calm, green, meadow at the side of the trail was an unexpected gem hidden in this small canyon, surrounded by its dry, upland landscape.
And finally, a long, rolling climb out of Solstice Canyon with views back towards Castro Peak across this high upland basin with little sign of the secret canyon below. Reaching the Corral Canyon parking lot, the Man with the Camera spotted two common plants for his photographic collection – Laurel Sumac and California Sagebrush (known as Cowboys’ Cologne – smell it, you’ll understand why!) – an appropriate end to this hike of many flowers.
36 miles done, 31 to go!
*Other plants seen on this hike included Marsh Pea, Purple Phacelia, Heartleaf Keckiella, Yucca, Scarlet Larkspur, Clearwater Cryptantha, Parry’s Phacelia, California Cudweed, Chaparral Currant, California Mugwort, Scorpion Weed, Broomsedge Bluestem, Southern California Walnut, Coastal Bush Lupine, Common Fiddleneck, Arroyo Lupine, California Poppy, Bluehead Gilia, Cliff Aster, Miniature Suncup.
