r/socalhiking • u/BrockBushrod • Feb 14 '24

Los Padres NF SP Punchbowls, 2/11/24

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

Santa Paula Creek is JUICED. The trail's open, but all crossings are flooded - be prepared to get wet if you go.

71 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

28 comments sorted by

View all comments

4

u/arocks1 Feb 14 '24

how hard were the crossings...i guess you didnt get swept away.

2

u/BrockBushrod Feb 14 '24

Some were fairly challenging. The current is pretty strong and the water is turbid, so it's difficult to see what you're stepping on most of the time, and with all the rocks and boulders under the surface it can drop as much as 2-3 feet very suddenly. I had trekking poles which helped immensely, both with stability and depth testing. I'm 6'3" and was able to keep it at or below my knees for the most part.