Mama's House

That was a question frequently asked as Mehran, Lindsey, and myself continued the new tradition of going out for a post-holiday hike.

Our first post-Christmas hike took place Saturday morning at the Sage Ranch Loop.

This is one of my favorite hikes to take my 5 year old grandson on. It's a short easy hike, with lots of spectacular rock formations to either view or carefully climb around on. There are picnic tables amongst an oak grove, which makes for a nice picnic spot. Highly recommended.

Mehran picked Sage Ranch, saying it was right by Tita Malou's. Ummm... not so much. We actually got a little bit lost driving our way to the trailhead. That's right, we got lost in a car, with printed directions, on our way to go hiking out in the wilderness. Not the best of starts. Granted we got lost because we came to a fork in the road.


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Instead of going left we went right. After a few winding miles steeply up, and after a couple of jokes about just getting out of the car to start our hike, Lindsey finally looked up directions on her iPhone and got us back on track with a newly scratched bumper on Mehran's car. The way over there isn't all too difficult so long as you keep in mind that you'll pass three of the largest white horses you'll ever see. Trust me on that.

So we get there, park, and come to this signpost.



Mehran being the honest man he is, did pay the iron ranger. We make our way up a paved road only to find more parking up there. Also up there is a bulletin board which we took a look at and that look would pretty much define our hike. On that board was a warning to be on the lookout for leaves of three and to leave them be. Apparently poison oak (what we would from then on refer to as poison ivy) is a presence to be wary of when hiking. Who knew?


No longer blissfully ignorant, we stopped at every damn plant we came across, took a close look, counted the leaves, and debated if it was poison ivy. Mehran and Lindsey were pretty adamant that 90% of the plants we encountered were poison ivy while I was fairly certain that none of it was. Yeah, I think we all can see where this is going.

Now poison ivy isn't that big of a deal really because the trails are usually cleared pathways which usually prevents one from coming into physical contact with any of the surrounding plants. Of course, that comes with the caveat that one actually stays on the trails.

Can you see what's coming now?

Long story condensed, we go off the trail; Lindsey and Mehran are extra careful in avoiding any skin contact with plants, which at times meant hands inside of sleeves and arms shielding faces from suspicious plants (every plant to Mehran and Lindsey); me recklessly going through the brush; taking in a view of Simi Valley; spotting a boulder teetering precariously above Simi Valley; and hiking to said boulder before turning back.

I would like to say with sweet irony that it was Mehran and Lindsey who ended up getting a skin rash but there was instead a bitter truth for yours truly.