Hiking the backbone trail - Part 8: Lois Ewen Overlook to Piuma ROAD
Segments 7, 8 and 9 in The Complete Hiker’s Guide to the Backbone Trail by Doug & Caroline Chamberlin
This hike is effectively a 500 ft climb to Saddle Peak, one of the highest points in the Santa Monica Mountains, then an approximately 2,300 ft descent over nearly five miles. You will experience an incredible variety of landscapes and views on this hike from ocean vistas to green meadows and shady woods.
The Man with the Camera and I parked the first car at the Piuma Road trailhead. Then we drove up into the clouds to begin our hike on Stunt Road at the Lois Ewen Overlook. We had read that the ocean views would be stunning and would extend across Santa Monica Bay to Palos Verdes and beyond from this point. Unfortunately heavy cloud prevented that!
Starting the hike, we climbed through woods and elfin forest with glimpses of inland views to the right. Just below the water container, we branched left on the BBT and kept it to our right as we followed the trail uphill towards Saddle Peak. Along this stretch, we saw a number of new plants not previously seen on the BBT – Striped Treasure Flowers, Silverpuffs, California Chicory and Wild Cucumbers. We also saw a lot of California Dodder blanketing and strangling several of the plants in the landscape. This orange parasite plant draws its nutrition from its host but rarely kills it, apparently.
Having seen so many native plants on our BBT adventure, this time we also saw a lot of invasive ones. With its golden flowers, Spanish Broom is very attractive. But along with Italian Thistles, Fountain Grass and Black Mustard it draws available resources and water away from native plants in the mountains.
Few fauna showed their faces this time, but there was lots of springtime birdsong, a squirrel rustling in the trees and caterpillars munching leaves.
At the top, we decided not to follow the side trail to the actual peak as the clouds were still low. So, at this junction, we turned right to follow the BBT as it starts the descent down through the famous Rock Garden. Giant reddish sandstone hoodoos towered above us on either side of the rocky trail – clearly providing interest for the Sunday morning rock climbers we encountered here.
After just over a mile of this descent down the mountain, we reached the junction that marks the connector to the Stunt Road cutoff. We went straight on here towards Piuma as the trail continues mostly downhill for the next two miles through woods and more elfin forest. Butterflies danced on the breeze in amongst the oak trees and over the trail. And the sheer walls of Saddle Peak towered above us.
A bit further on, the landscape opened out to bright green meadows. Here and there we saw many delicate, pale pink Catalina Mariposa Lilies. Further on, we could see across to Calabasas and looked down at the private estates in Cold Creek Canyon.
The final mile was an intense 700 ft descent on switchbacks – rocky and treacherous in places but with gorgeous views towards Malibu Creek State Park. These finished at Dark Canyon, a beautiful stream surrounded by oaks and sycamores – delightful after the long, hot descent. Then, a short 100 ft climb took us out of the canyon up to Piuma Road and the end of the hike.
The Chamberlins’ book describes this as one of the best of the BBT hikes. They are not wrong.
47 miles done, 20 or so to go!
