The Wildlands Conservancy, Pt.4: Mariposa Preserve via Black Star Canyon

A place of infamous legend....and stunning natural beauty
Welcome to the fourth installment of my series on The Wildlands Conservancy. This sign heralding your entrance to TWC is 5 miles hike from the Black Star Canyon Trailhead near Irvine, CA.

History and Urban Legend

Black Star Canyon is named for a coal mine established by Americans in 1879, but it has been a place of struggle and bloodshed since the Spanish Conquistadors established Mission San Gabriel Arcangel 100 years prior.

Before the missionaries arrived to conduct their forced relocation and genocide, the Tongva Nation flourished all over Orange County for 10,000 years.

Included within Mariposa Preserve is the remains of a Tongva summer village, marked by morteros where acorns were ground into flour to feed the tribe. However, in 1831, American frontiersmen followed some Native horse rustlers to their village and gunned everyone down en mass. Their anguished spirits are said to haunt the canyon to this day.

California Historical Landmark.
Official name: Black Star Canyon Indian Village Site, Reference no. 217

Later on, when ranchers had full control of the canyon, a feud erupted between the Hungerfords and the Greggs, resulting in a sensational murder case. The loser of this shootout, James Gregg, also haunts the site of his Hidden Ranch.

In recent times, ranchers, squatters, cultists, and gangs claimed sections of the rugged area, and were known to shoot at any trespassers and lookyloos. Charles Manson was rumored to have hid out here. Kidnappings, beatings, rapes, and even Satanic ritual murders have all occurred within the rocky canyon walls. People today lead guided paranormal tours, claiming orbs, spectres, wailing noises, hooded figures, high EVP readings, electronics mishaps, strange things in the air, even Bigfoot sightings!

Guard peacock on duty at the boarded-up cabin in Edwards Ranch.

Today, the Orange County Parks have cleaned up and patrol the lower canyon daily. Edwards Ranch has outfitted the public corridor with barbed wire and electric fences to keep visitors on the straight and narrow.

Don't whizz on the electric fence! And don't even think about trying to explore on the spookier eastern side of the road.

The Wildlands Conservancy purchased the property at the top of the canyon in 2005 to protect its crucial wildlife habitat and cultural resources. The foundation purchases checkerboard private land so that blm, forestry, and county wildlife sanctuaries become a solid block of natural legacy. Can you imagine how much this parcel is worth in wealthy, sprawling Irvine?!
http://www.wildlandsconservancy.org/preserve_mariposa.html

The Route to Mariposa Reserve

The trail begins where Black Star Canyon Road hits a locked gate. It is paved for a short distance, and winds gently up along the creek.

This section is wide open space with views of the cliff faces, but it soon turns into a well-graded dirt road traveling through the deep shade of live oak trees, exotic eucalyptus, and thirsty sycamores.

We are warned abundantly by frequent signage touting the dangers that can be encountered, including two radio-collared mountain lions. The entire lower section is seriously fenced off with a combination of multiple strands of barbed wire, electric fencing, razor wire coiled in the corners, and obvious photo surveillance systems. It seems a bit ridiculous unless you know how dangerous humans have proven to be in this canyon.

Alternate routes leading into OC Parks wildlife sanctuary zones are blockaded by massive locked gates with rows of padlocks.

Eventually, we come to the turn off to scramble up to the intermittent waterfall. However, i am here on this cold and cloudy spring day to check out the higher landscape of Mariposa Reserve.

As soon as we pass the peacock cabin area, which is lovely with a tiny pond, firepit, gazebo, and orchard, the wide dirt road takes a steep turn uphill. I put my stride on stairmaster gear, and chugged up the mileage, gaining approximately 1300 feet of elevation. The wind sweeps hard over this broad, exposed route.

You can see the rock face that forms the waterfall crevasse towering over Black Star Canyon. Soon, I will be up there looking down over the crags.

I felt joy surge in my heart when I saw this sticker someone placed on one of the road reflectors.

Peace activism in a canyon known for bloodshed!

Canyons and cloudscapes

The road completes a bend, and suddenly the sign appears, its pillars frosted by the droppings of ravens and buzzards.

There is a vista point carved out of the dense chaparral, and a vulture kept swooping less then a stone's throw above me.

A raven joined the sky dance. I saw a pair of each bird, in fact.

From here, there are singletrack options branching off from the road towards features of interest. I took the first one, which leads to a grassy knoll with a jaw dropping view clear out to the sea. Downtown Los Angeles skyscrapers crown the basin, and the Pacific Ocean forms a thin blue line before hitting the Malibu cliffs.

This trail continues up to a castle of rock with a noticeable "rookery" dripping with guano.

Cultural Significance

I can now see the Indian Village site to the south.

Brisket and I head over to the village rather than attempt more climbing. The site is so green with spring flowers and grasses, and the oak trees form little magical canopies.

Virtually every horizontal slab of rock is dimpled with these food grinding mortars, and some even have smooth areas where the women sat and worked, for untold generations.

Now that's what I call an open plan kitchen!

I imagine groups of Tongva girls, gathered together each with her mortero and a basket of acorns. I can almost hear them pounding their manos in rhythm and singing songs of abundance.

Someone carved their initials here, but I can't quite make out the date. I am thinking it was 1946?

It is so beautiful here, I kind of want to stay forever!

Eventually, my dog and I tear ourselves away, and venture further down the road. Right away, we see another singletrack leading down to a meadow with a tiny stream--a little fresh rainwater still trickling.

My waterdog Brisket was overjoyed!

Tall grasses waving in the gentle air, flanked by sycamores to the left, and oaks to the right.

Because of its crown of mistletoe, I dub this the Kiss-amore Tree 💖

Wildlife Encounter

We have traveled just over 5 miles, and I know we are approaching both my time limit and Brisket's endurance limit for the return trip. We turn back north, go past the village, and take one last detour to see the waterfall crevasse from above.

Before we get there, I spotted three deer browsing across the way.

Here's the path to the crags!

We plummet sharply down, and arrive at the dropoff.

A raven supervises.

It's a tough climb out.

Brisket takes a break. He's only 5, but he has hip dysplasia.

The long walk downhill was a bit of a grind as 5.5 miles up doubles into an 11 mile round trip. We were completely alone up in Mariposa, but saw more and more young people enjoying the trail on bicycles and on foot as we approached the parking lot.

Wildflower Album

I will label as many as I know:

Leaves of three, don't mess with me. I am poison oak in bloom!

Catalina Mariposa Lily with a bee inside!

Hairy Ceanothus, Blue Lilac bush

Wild Mustard

?

Arroyo Lupine

Lupine pods

Indian Paintbrush

This wild succulent is for you, @madpotters!

?

Chaparral Sweet Pea

Wild Cucumber, or Manroot

Alfalfa

Chaparral Beardtongue, Yellow Bush Snapdragon

Chaparral Mallow

Thick Leaf Yerba Santa

Chaparral Yucca

*Whew!!!

That was a long and fabulously diverse trek! Thank you so much for joining Brisket and I on this visit to The Wildlands Conservancy, Mariposa Preserve, as well as the notorious Black Star Canyon! If you ever find yourself in Orange County on a cool spring day, I highly recommend it.

See more of my posts on TWC:

https://steemit.com/photography/@creationofcare/the-wildlands-conservancy-pt-1-bluff-lake-reserve

https://steemit.com/photography/@creationofcare/the-wildlands-conservancy-pt-2-whitewater-preserve

https://steemit.com/photography/@creationofcare/the-wildlands-conservancy-pt-3-oak-glen-preserve

May all beings dwell in love, kindness, peace, and joy. May we learn from our past errors and remedy them, and stop the bloodshed. Your life matters!

Love,Cat

@creationofcare

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