April 29, 2020
Paradise Falls - Hiking Alone(with Dad)
Just prior to the current unpleasantness shut down most activity in California, I paid a visit to the town where I grew up. I've not been back much since we sold off the house I grew up in after my mom's passing in the late 80's, but I wanted to return for a hike to Paradise Falls. Paradise Falls is along the north fork of the Arroyo Conejo about a mile before it joins the south fork in Hill Canyon. The area was pretty undeveloped and being used for westerns(one season of Gunsmoke was filmed there) until the eastern portion was developed in the late 60's. The western portion was acquired by the city as open space, now known as Wildwood Regional Park. There was even a fort at the eastern access to the arroyo. In my teen years my dad and I explored the heights of Montcleff Ridge, the Indian Cave and often visited Paradise Falls. I believe the last time we made this hike was in 1977. I didn't hike much after I went off to UCLA and dad passed away during my senior year, and I never really got back into hiking until recently. This hike has been on my todo list for a while and I've not done it mainly due to traffic on weekdays and the prospect of crowds on weekends. With California pretty much starting to shutdown third week of March with traffic being almost non-existent, I decided to go. I took the same route that we took the last time we hiked there 43 years ago and not much had changed. Some of the arroyo crossings were a bit more developed and the area around the falls has a few more railings to keep folk from falling in the drink.
As Vice President Biden said, the thought of your (loved one), brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. Dad seemed old then, now I realize after completing that hike, I'm older now than he was then.
Read MoreJust prior to the current unpleasantness shut down most activity in California, I paid a visit to the town where I grew up. I've not been back much since we sold off the house I grew up in after my mom's passing in the late 80's, but I wanted to return for a hike to Paradise Falls. Paradise Falls is along the north fork of the Arroyo Conejo about a mile before it joins the south fork in Hill Canyon. The area was pretty undeveloped and being used for westerns(one season of Gunsmoke was filmed there) until the eastern portion was developed in the late 60's. The western portion was acquired by the city as open space, now known as Wildwood Regional Park. There was even a fort at the eastern access to the arroyo. In my teen years my dad and I explored the heights of Montcleff Ridge, the Indian Cave and often visited Paradise Falls. I believe the last time we made this hike was in 1977. I didn't hike much after I went off to UCLA and dad passed away during my senior year, and I never really got back into hiking until recently. This hike has been on my todo list for a while and I've not done it mainly due to traffic on weekdays and the prospect of crowds on weekends. With California pretty much starting to shutdown third week of March with traffic being almost non-existent, I decided to go. I took the same route that we took the last time we hiked there 43 years ago and not much had changed. Some of the arroyo crossings were a bit more developed and the area around the falls has a few more railings to keep folk from falling in the drink.
As Vice President Biden said, the thought of your (loved one), brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. Dad seemed old then, now I realize after completing that hike, I'm older now than he was then.
