OJITO CAMP TRAIL
- USFS Trail #
- Parking: See Coast Ridge, Stone Ridge Trails
- Watershed: Devils Canyon Fork Big Creek
- Junctions: Gamboa Trail
- Connects: Ojito Camp with Gamboa and Stone Ridge Trails at Ojito Saddle
- Camps: Ojito Camp
Conditions reported by:
Jeff Wheelwright
Survey date: 25-MAY-2007
General: IMPASSABLE
Specific:
The trail from the saddle down to Ojito Camp is impassable and is one or two seasons away from being lost altogether.
Conditions reported by:
Mike Heard
Survey date: 25-NOVEMBER-2006
General: PASSABLE
Specific:
On Nov. 23-26 three VWA Trail Crew volunteers surveyed the upper Vicente Flat, Stone Ridge, Ojito, lower Gamboa, and Cone Peak trails. The information below is adapted from the report we sent to the Forest Service. Be aware that conditions may have changed since that time -- in particular, the recent storms may have resulted in significantly more downed trees.
The tread is in generally in good shape, surprisingly so for such a steep trail. Encroaching ceanothus needs to be cut back near the upper end of the trail at the Ojito saddle. There are fifteen small downed trees between the saddle and the upper (unofficial) camp, plus a large tan oak and two large madrones on the camp trail leading to the lower (official) camp. One of the downed madrones has the remains of the old sign on it, and covers up the old ice mold stove. The upper camp is littered with refuse left behind by previous campers or hunters.
Conditions reported by:
Carl A. Mounteer
Survey date: 16-JUNE-2004
General: WILDERNESS FREEWAY
Specific:
Section: Ojito saddle to Ojito Camp
There are two big challenges to hiking this trail. The second is hiking
back up the trail from Ojito Camp. The first is finding it.
At Ojito Saddle at the end of the Gamboa Trail there is a sign posted to a
burned and dead redwood tree that has an arrow pointing towards Ojito Camp.
The trouble is that the arrow is pointing up the Gamboa Trail. To find
Ojito Camp Trail you have to walk about 10 yards west from the Gamboa Trail
past a hedge of brush that conceals the Ojito Camp Trial from sight when you
come off the Gamboa Trail. But since I have now festooned the first 50
yards of the Ojito Camp Trail with lots of pink ribbons, it should be easy
to find.
The most absolutely amazing thing about this trail is that, although it is
in one of the most remote and inaccessible spots in the Ventana Wilderness,
the trail is infinitely better maintained than other trails despite a
tremendous amount of brush bordering it. How is that accounted for? It
looks like a trail crew visits it once a week! It is also at least three
times wider than the Coast Ridge, Cone Peak, and Gamboa Trails.
Schaffer suggests that, once you get to the creek, you not camp there
at the unofficial site but go an additional 200 yards to the official
campsite which he says is much nicer.
I disagree. First, the trail disappears and is essentially non-existent for
the first 50 yards downstream. This requires boulder-hopping over the
creek. Once you find the trail it is blocked at one point by a huge fallen
tree. Once you get to the official camp it is gloomy, with little or no
view of the sky or the surrounding canyon, and so far elevated from the
creek it is difficult to reach it and it cannot be heard.
The unofficial site, on the contrary, is in a beautiful clearing among some
majestic trees with lots of light and views of the surrounding canyon. The
creek murmurs comfortingly nearby. Remember, Shaeffer's recommendation was
made 17 years ago and it seems much has changed since then.
The only drawback to the unofficial site was a discarded orange,
self-inflating mattress, a pair of cutoff jeans, a T-shirt, and a Levi shirt
someone had left there, seemingly in a hurry.
Even the bugs weren't so bad here. The mesh face covering I needed all the
way down was not needed at the camp. But it was 5:45 P.M. when I got there
so they may have just retired for the night.
I would consider whether or not the effort to get into and out of Ojito Camp
is worth the four-hour effort from the Coast Ridge Trailhead. Trail Springs
Camp probably rates a B- against Ojito Camp's A+. But Trail Springs is 1/3
the distance of Ojito Camp and has a nice stream running in the winter.
Conditions reported by:
Mike Heard
Survey date: 20-Aug-2003
General: CLEAR
Specific:
Section: All
As noted in the previous report, the trail down to the creek
was brushed last year (Aug 2002) by a USFS trail crew, and
the work is holding up very well. The only significant
obstacle is a fallen tree right at the bottom of the trail
where it meets the creek, but this is easily detoured. If
you decide to camp here, note that the first campsite is
unofficial; the second, which is about 200 yds downstream,
is a bit bigger and a lot nicer (there is even an old USFS
ice mold stove still around, but unfortunately it's not in
operating condition).
Conditions reported by:
Rob Yang
Survey date: 12-NOV-2002
General: CLEAR
Specific:
The trail down to the creek seems to have been recently brushed - it's now a
nice wide thoroughfare. It's also quite steep - the Sierra Club guide says
700' in 0.6 miles, but the switchbacks help a lot.
I noted two sites on the south side of the creek (left bank): the first was
small, but the second was larger, and centered around an old madrone. I may
have missed something in the guide, because it says you have to cross the
creek to get to the camp. I guess I didn't want to do any wading - the day
wasn't
that warm.
The locale struck me as chilly and damp, being in a steep canyon, but is
graced by the presence of Santa Lucia fir, bigleaf maple, and sugar pine. I
may stop in later when the weather warms (wonder how the creek's water
supply holds up in the fall).
Conditions reported by:
Mike Heard
Survey date: 30-JULY-2002
General: DIFFICULT TO PASSABLE
Specific:
Encouraged by Chris Lorenc's report from last April, I made a day trip
up from Goat Camp with a bow saw and pruning shears (and lots of drinking
water) to clear what deadfall and brush I could. Not only was the trail
fairly easy to find with the help of Chris's directions, but it was also
well-flagged. I only got about half-way down to Ojito Camp before I had
to turn back owing to running out of time and energy, but I was able to
get rid of the worst of the deadfall up to that point. In order to get
this trail completely open a lot of brush clipping still needs to be done
at the top and the deadfall still needs to be removed from the lower part.
In addition, I found the section immediately below the saddle where the
route now follows the gully to be almost too steep to climb up even without
a pack; some regrading of the tread at that point would be most helpful.
Conditions reported by:
Chris Lorenc
Survey date: 7-APRIL-2002
General: DIFFICULT TO PASSABLE
Specific:
I was remarkably surprised by how easy to find and follow the Ojito Camp
trail was. True the Ojito saddle is quite overgrown with brush following
the Kirk complex fire -- but after the first 100-200 feet, the Ojito Camp
trail's tread becomes very evident and can be followed easily the half-mile
or so down to the camp at Devil's Creek. I went to the lowest eastern point
of the saddle and picked my way through brush until I began to follow the
gully. Either I missed the trail's tread near the saddle, or very likely,
the tread has been erased by the gully. Nonetheless after 100-200 feet or
so, the gully crossed very evident tread, which I began to follow very
easily. The tread is surprisingly wide and well contoured, 2-3' wide most
of the switchbacking way down. True, there is one significant slide and a
couple of more minor ones -- and there are requisite downfalls. But I
picked my way through or around each of them (without a pack, however)
without enormous trouble. In the case of each obstacle, the tread can still
be easily picked up again. It would only take an afternoon or less of work
with a bow-saw to open the way entirely. Most of the deadfalls are not huge
trunks.
Ojito Camp itself is very pleasant. Because of the orientation of Devil's
Creek at this point, it received full, excellent morning sun -- at least
this time of year. There are, of course, deadfalls here, too -- but less
than one might expect. There are two creek crossings, quite near one
another, and at the lower one, there remains the posted board on which
presumably a trail-sign once hung. Across (east of) the creek, tread can be
picked up again which leads generally northeast past two or three
fire-rings. Then there is a major deadfall. Beyond which the trail seems
to (vaguely now) tend upslope. But I couldn't pick it up clearly in a quick
perusal. Either the trail on the east side of the creek only leads to these
campsites, or, what appears equally likely, this route could also have been
the continuation of the "Old Mountain Trail" that was the route to the Coast
Ridge before the trail that passes Trail Spring was constructed in the
1920's. I checked out the south end of Ojito Camp and didn't see any hint
of a trail in that direction -- nor did the steepness of the slope there
seem to invite one.
All in all, the trail to Ojito Camp is much more promising than the existing
trail to Goat Camp. Not only is it shorter, but the tread is in much better
condition -- again, very well contoured and 'engineered' for its steepness.
Again, a few hours with a bow-saw (and shears at the top) would make it a
model short, steep trail.
Conditions reported by:
Steve Bonds
Survey date: 29-MAY-99
General: DIFFICULT TO IMPASSABLE
Specific:
I turned back after about 100 yards, which took
about 10 minutes. There was some faint tread up to that point which
became a wall of deadfall. It looks like I was not the first to get that
far and turn back.
