Monday was a beautiful day, even with the weather heating up considerably. My buddy from San Francisco came down for a couple of days to visit and we decided to take advantage of our Ojai back yard. We lightened up our two BMW dual sport motorcycles and drove over to the Ranger Station on Ojai Ave. The Ranger said that hunting season had just started and asked if we were certain that we wanted a permit for the Wilderness Area. We figured it was Monday morning, should be quiet, and hunters have to go 150 yards from the road anyway. We got our permit and headed up Highway 33.

This was my first trip onto Nordhoff Ridge. We entered through a locked gate at Rose Valley Campground and spent 2 hours driving about 30 miles on some rough dirt roads. We drove out to Chief’s Peak and Hine Peak and took in the views of Upper Ojai, Santa Paula, Ventura, Camarillo, and the Channel Islands. Not a perfectly clear day, but enough to see the tops of the Islands.After turning around we headed for the Nordhoff Lookout Tower between the top of the Gridley Trail and the Pratt Trail. What a view. Ojai Valley. River bottom. Lake Casitas. The Ocean. What a treat.The picture above is from the Tower. The only downside to the day was when I crashed in the soft dirt of the 29th mile. Just some sore ribs and minor damage to the bike. What a thrill. We are truly fortunate to live in such beauty.