more Matilija backpacking

[veloracat]

After a rather cold night with just barely enough to keep myself warm, I packed up the stuff I'd want dayhiking and gathered the rest in one spot in the campground before heading up the trail some more.  There was a lot of frost along the way, some of it had gathered like snow in places.  There wasn't any for me getting up because it was, as I said, dry there.  The trail seemed the least used between my camp (Upper Matilija) and the next (Maple).  It wiggled a bit extra like bushes were pushing it around.  It crossed the stream not just when rocks on one side forced it to but when it looked like the vegetation on the other side was softer to get through.  Eventually I came to the next camp.  Above that, the trail was quite clear and well used.  I started the last climb to the road and motorcycle trail above and started to get glimpses of the ocean beyond.  The view was great near the top.  The very last bit of trail lost that view, though, and was a bit done for completion rather than it being interesting, but I didn't know that yet because I hadn't finished it.  The road at the top was slushy mud with a few bike tracks and old car tracks.  After a short bit, I started down again, stopping in a couple nice spots on the way down, including one to draw.



After another downstream look at the canyon from up on its edge, I continued back down to my camp and packed up the rest of my stuff.  Once heavy again, I headed out.  As it got dark, the wet and cold areas below didn't seem so cold compared to the others.  It warmed up a little as I went lower, and the lower camp was actually quite nice.  I hiked the last bit along the road by a pleasant moonlight.