Roads, subdivisions and golf courses are seen as the trail presses east, a reminder of how close you are to the urban edge. Once you cross Yerba Buena Road, you start to observe signs of civilization, Waycott says, at odds with the pristine habitat you just walked through. Here it’s all about savoring the views, crossing the south side of Triunfo Peak and looking at the ocean. This newer segment makes the 10 miles almost easy walking. Much of the route combines old ranch roads and animal trails that weren’t constructed with modern-day hikers in mind. This long, gradual section passes through the most recently constructed part of the Backbone Trail. One-way distance: 10.2 miles, 2,780 feet of gain/loss moderate The segment climbs 1,000 feet and then heads downhill 3,000 feet, ending in wooded Blue Canyon before arriving at Danielson Ranch, the same end point as hike No. Here too begins the Mediterranean habitat shaped by hot summers and mild, wet winters, one of five discrete places on the planet where forest, woodland, savanna and scrub-plant communities thrive. This part of the trail takes you through the only wilderness area in the SMMNRA. “You’re in the spirit of the hike now, right?” he usually tells his hikers. A nearby picnic spot in an oak grove is a good place to take a break. Walk west to east through the rock to cleanse yourself of demons, Waycott suggests. Two landmarks along the trail: Balancing Rock, which lives up to its name, and Chamberlin Rock, also known as Split Rock because you can walk inside its walls. Waycott likens the rocky landscape to sculptures worthy of an art gallery. Yep, volcanoes erupted millions of years ago and left much of what you see on this route. Spoiler alert: The peak isn’t made of sandstone but rather volcanic igneous rock. The Mishe Mokwa takes you to Sandstone Peak at 3,111 feet. This is one of the most dramatic parts of the Backbone Trail, placing you at the highest point in the mountain range with views in all directions. One-way distance: 8.3 miles, 4,500 feet of gain/loss strenuous After three miles, you approach the Overlook Fire Road at the top, where you’re about as far from the hum of the city as you can get. Look for sagebrush, buckwheat, ceanothus, monkey flowers and coastal sage scrub, the only place on the Backbone Trail where these plants thrive. The higher you get the more you see - first the Channel Islands and then, inland, jagged Boney Ridge. “Exactly where you are standing, Indigenous people have been living for tens of thousands of years,” Waycott tells hikers. The native Californians traded food and tools with others, used shell beads as currency, and often paddled to the Channel Islands. It rises from Pacific Coast Highway and climbs gradually above the coast and into the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains where Chumash villages once stood. The western end of the trail starts at its wildest part. One-way distance: 8 miles, 1,975 feet of gain/loss easy Start: Ray Miller Trailhead, west of Malibu in Ventura County
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