Gridley Trail - Topatopa Mountains - Nordhoff Ridge Road - Clouds - Aerosol Spraying - Ojai, California - Photos - Pictures - Photographs

Gridley Trail - Topatopa Mountains - Nordhoff Ridge Road - Clouds - Aerosol Spraying - Ojai, California - Photos - Pictures - Photographs - 2008-2012

The Gridley Trail starts at the base and is highlighted in green. At the top it intersects with the Nordhoff Ridge Road. One time I found a rest station at the top that was part of a 100 mile ultramarathon event. (Perhaps it was the Coyote Two Moon in March of 2011, although I didn't see any outlandish outfits.) Many times I ran into mountain bikers who enjoyed the 25 mile circuit up Sisar Canyon (the beginning of the Nordhoff Ridge Road) and would bike up and across to Gridley and then down and back to their starting point. Some mountain bikers would be accompanied by small wirey dogs with endless energy (whippets were popular). One time, two miles into the trail, I came upon a collapsed Saint Bernard whose heavy frame had caused his paws to be torn up on the trail's endless rock rubble. He was simply not nimble or light enough to make his way safely. So another guy and I carried the 100+ pound beast out on a tarp.

California Black Tarantula (Aphonopelma reversum) (Wikipedia), horny toad in my hand, oak tree with view toward Nordhoff Ridge of Topa Topa Mountains along the Gridley Trail. 7/11/2008.

Black bear droppings next to my shoe, Gridley Trail, Ojai. 9/14/2008.

View of Lookout Tower atop Nordhoff Peak in the Topa Topa Mountains above Ojai, California. There was still snow in shaded areas, and the fast-flying clouds chilled you. 12/25/2008.

View of the Nordhoff Ridge Road and Chief's Peak from the upper portion of the Gridley Trail. 12/25/2008.

Views from Nordhoff Ridge of the Sespe Wilderness and Maricopa Highway 33 as it winds through the mountains. 12/25/2008.

View of Nordhoff Ridge and its Lookout Tower from lower Gridley Trail. 12/26/2008.

View west at sunset from Gridley Trail, with closeup of large antenna array overlooking Carpinteria from above the clouds. Nothing like after a good long climb to be greeted by a subtle energy polluting and DNA harming forest of masts. 1/30/2008

That's Chief's Peak at center, and to the right the famed "pink moment" Topa Topa Mountains. Pic taken from near the top of the Gridley Trail. No chemtrails, nice. (4/6/2010).

Trail sign at intersection of Gridley Trail (22W05) with Nordhoff Ridge Service Road (that connects to Sisar Canyon and Highway 150). It's about 3800' at this point, but you can push upward another 500 feet to reach Nordhoff Peak. I usually turned around here as it was more EMF protected (prior to to the antenna farm installation overlooking Horn Canyon). (4/6/2010).

I thought I had harmed this horny toad when I pulled him up through some brush, but it turns out that these reptiles sometimes secrete blood from their eyes as a defensive mechanism. So it looks like I just scared the little guy, rather than hurt him. Nevertheless, I was grossed out and refrained from catching another one for a long while. (4/7/2010).

Chemtrails over Ojai, California. (2/11/2010).

Hedgehog Agave (Agave stricta) on Gridley Trail in Ojai, California. (2/13/2010).

2010.11.21. Photos of the Topatopa Mountains from the higher reaches of the Gridley Trail before it intersects Nordhoff Ridge Road. The sun's reflection off the verdant manzanita and other shrubs always gave my eyes a boost of energy. It's nice to see some natural cloud formations. In one of the pics you can see Ojai Valley and Sulphur Mountain. In the last three pictures you can see the microwave and cellular installation just 2-3 miles away (installed in April 2010?) above Horn Canyon and Thatcher School that made this trail unusable for me. While I benefitted aerobically, the excessive electrical stimulation would cause my brain to knot up, my feet and hands to burn, and my sleeping to become fitful. The ensuing weight gain of the next few years was a result of my seeking insentience and sleep rather than an exuberant embracing of my environment. For my wellbeing and livelihood I had to maintain psychological equilibrium at all costs. This losing battle persists some 5 years later as I have still not been able to find a setting that allows me to work, live, and hike on a daily basis in a manner consistent with my spiritual needs.