3.5 miles to the Pacific Crest Trail. Steep in
spots. Good views of camp and the surrounding
area. Side trips to Bergman Spring and Mt. Birkenstock.

The Lost Valley Trail was originally cut by the Bergman family in 1898, though portions of it may be older still. The Bergmans, a pioneer Aguanga cattle ranching family, had just purchased Lost Valley and cut the trail in from Chihuahua Valley to bring their cattle in and out of Lost Valley. The Bergmans used Lost Valley for summer grazing for almost 60 years, sometimes keeping as many as 200 head in the valley. Until the 1950’s they all came in and out over the Lost Valley Trail.

The Lost Valley Trail was also the trail Arlie Bergman used when he packed in the materials to build his homestead cabin in 1915 (which still stands near the Shotgun Range). Arlie’s nine-year-old nephew, Walt Bergman, helped with those pack trips. More than 75 years later he recalled:

“We’d have two sheets of galvanized iron on each burro and it’d be sticking out two or three feet behind them and two or three feet ahead of them. So I helped to guide those burros around the corners...they weren’t about to go in the direction that they couldn’t see.”

The Lost Valley Trail had quite a reputation among the old timers. Evelyn “Ma” Smith (1897-1988), who lived in the Warner Ranch area for many years, once recalled:

“It was an awful hard place to get in in the early days when they went in with the cattle. It was nothing but boulders, you didn’t see any dirt. I went over the trail [and] I said “never again!” I just held my breath.”

After the completion of the Old Road from Chihuahua Valley in the early 1950s the Lost Valley Trail fell into disuse. By the 1970s most of it existed only as a dotted line on old topographical maps. In 1977 Irvine Commissioners Ralph Nordstrom and Mark Rodgers became interested in re-blazing the old trail. Using map and compass, Nordstrom managed to locate much of the trail, and work began to mark and rebuild it.

The original trail went out past Combs Camp into Chihuahua Valley. The modern trail grows faint after crossing the ridge out of Lost Valley, and disappears after it meet the Pacific Crest Trail.

As work progressed on reopening the Lost Valley Trail in 1977, Nordstrom and Rodgers became interested in trying to cut a new trail across to the rocky mountain face to the north known in camp lore as “Flame-Around-The-Ankles” mountain. Years earlier, Nordstrom had used the mountain as the setting for his weekly campfire story--a mock Indian legend about an evil spirit that was finally trapped behind the rocky peak. The story was popular with campers, and the name stuck.

From the top of the ridge (mile 1.8) they began a new trail towards the peak. After a little work, Rodgers says, they decided “it was probably possible [to get there], but it was more than we wanted to do in the summer.” Instead, they made for a small rocky peak just above the trail. They dubbed it Mt. Birkenstock, after the brand of natural sandals that Rodgers was fond of wearing. Despite rumors to the contrary, Rodgers maintains that “nobody really wore Birkenstocks” when out on the trail.

The first group reach the top of the 5,440-foot peak in August of 1978 and additional work on the Lost Valley Trail and the Birkenstock cut-off was done that summer.

The trailhead is located at the north end of the dam at the bottom of Agua Caliente Lake. As the road crosses the dam it forks, and the right fork is signed as the start of the Lost Valley Trail.

0.0 Trailhead (signed). The road quickly degenerates into a trail. A recent by-pass now leads you up to the right over a small rise, then down to meet the old trail just above Sycamore Creek.

0.25 Sycamore Creek enters from the right, the first creek crossing. Head down across the creek, then up as the trail begins to follow the main creek upstream along its right (north) bank.

Side Trip to Bergman Spring (signed)

0.0 After you cross Sycamore Creek you come up alongside an oak tree. From this point it is possible to turn right and follow the creek up .5 mile to Bergman Spring. The trail is faint, but by staying close to the left (west) bank of the creek you’ll get there.

0.35 Cross two tributary creeks entering Sycamore Creek from the left. Watch for downed branches that knock you off the trail.

0.4 The first of the sycamore trees that give the creek its name. There are also cottonwood and alder trees here. This is one of the few areas these trees are found in Lost Valley.

0.45 Cross a tributary entering from the left.

0.5 Bergman Spring is located in a little cove on the left (west) side of Sycamore Creek. Bergman Spring was apparently unknown to Lost Valley Scouts until 1986, when the Stables staff stumbled across it while out exploring in the hills west of the Old Road. It is a small spring, improved by the Bergmans with a pipe (since replaced) and concrete cistern during their cattle ranching days in Lost Valley--perhaps as late as the 1950’s, when the Old Road was built. With its year-round water supply, Bergman Spring supports a lush growth of ferns and grasses, which sometimes almost hide the cistern itself. From here, it is possible to head east across Sycamore Creek and climb up to meet the Old Road for an easy hike back to camp.

End of side trip.

0.6 The main trail drops down to the junction of two creeks. Stick with the right fork and continue paralleling the creek along the right bank.

0.75 As the bank get steep, the trail drops down into the creekbed for about ten feet then comes out to the right in a small grassy meadow. Continue upstream.

0.82 As the trail starts up a small canyon it drops down beside the creek (and sometimes in it for a step or two). The climb starts to get a little steeper.

0.9 The trail crosses the creek to your left, then continues on up the opposite bank. The first switchback is just above here.

0.95 The trail crosses back across the creek to the other side and continues to parallel it.

1.0 The trail crosses to the left (south) side of the creek at Swiss Cow Crossing. The trail continues up about ten feet to a long single switchback.

1.1 Top of the first saddle. Bear right across the top, then after about 20 feet the trail turns down to the right. You’ll get your first good views back across the valley along this stretch of the trail.

1.2 As you pass a large boulder on your left, head straight on into the trees, then bear left and continue uphill. Directly behind you as you enter the trees is a good view of Hot Springs Mountain and the old Forest Service fire lookout tower (now abandoned).

1.4 A few feet up the slope, above the present trail, is an old piece of trail marked with a small wooden sign which reads “2.5”. The best guess is that this was the turn around point for five-mile hikes leaving what is now Camp Grace in the mid-1960s. At the corner up ahead, a little seep sometimes flows. Even when there is no water visible, the grass is always a little greener here. The trail then turns to the left and follows the creek (on your right) on up. This is a very old stretch of trail through here.

1.6 At the top of the rise, bear right.

1.7 By turning around, you can get your last good view of the valley from here.

1.8 Junction with the trail to Mt. Birkenstock (signed).

Side trip to Mt. Birkenstock

0.0 The trailhead (signed) is located on your right (north) just a few feet below the top of the ridge. The trail enters the brush, then cuts to the right, paralleling the Lost Valley Trail back about 75 feet before turning to the left towards the peak. The trail continues through the brush, bearing to the right towards a small grove of trees. This is the last shady spot for anyone who doesn’t feel like going to the top. From the trees, the trail bears to the left. The trail winds through the rocks, heading towards the west side of the peak.

0.2 From a rise on the trail, you can see the Pacific Crest Trail on the ridge off to your left (west), and further off in the distance the white dome of the Palomar Observatory can be seen. Continue ahead, winding through the rocks. Mt. Birkenstock is towards your right. The trail drops down into a small bowl before continuing up towards the peak.

0.32 The trail squeezes through two boulders -- the Scoutmaster’s Revenge. Much of the trail leads across solid rock through here, not soil. Watch for the stacked rock cairn trail markers. After the squeeze, the trail turns up to the left towards the base of the rocky peak. From this point, it is mostly scrambling up the rocks. Remember to watch for snakes! Head up along the west face, bearing to your right as you near the top. The best approach to the top is from the north face.

0.5 The top of Mt. Birkenstock, elevation 5,440 feet. The view from here extends for miles in every direction. Looking east into the valley you can pick out many of the camp roads and buildings. Turning counter- clockwise you can see in turn the Old Road dropping into the valley, the Lost Valley Road with the Santa Rosa Mountains off in the distance, “Flame-Around-the-Ankles” mountain, the Pacific Crest Trail, Palomar Mountain, the Warner Ranch in the Vallé de San José, and Hot Springs Mountain.

End of side trip

1.8 The Lost Valley Trail continues over the ridge and down into the next valley --apparently called the Little Rock Valley by the old timers. The trail from this point is much fainter, and eroded in spots; but even if you lose the trail, your ultimate goal -- the Pacific Crest Trail -- is almost always in sight on the next ridge.

1.92 As the creek turns to the left, cross it and follow along on its right bank. As you drop down from the ridge you begin to get into some trees again. In some places along here the old trail is worn in quite deeply.

1.95 Cross the creek to your left and continue ahead and over an old fallen tree. The trail bears to the right down into an open area. The trail continues to cross the creek several more times, but always parallels it on one side or the other.

2.15 Bouchard Meadow, a small grassy spot under the oaks, makes a good resting place or overnight camping spot (but remember, no fires). The Bergmans apparently called this area the “Little Rock Valley”.

2.2 The trail bears to the right, following the creek up a small canyon. The creekbed will be on your left.

2.6 The trail reaches the top of a rise, then drops back down, still following the creek. Most of the trees in this valley are pines, but there are a few oak trees.

2.8 The Pacific Crest Trail is visible ahead. The old trail is clearly visible in spots.

3.0 The trail begins to drop again, and the brush gets thicker.

3.1 The trail turns up to the right, and then turns to the left through an opening in the thick chaparral. The trail continues another .1 mile, then turns to the right through thick, thorny deerbrush on either side.

3.5 Junction with the Pacific Crest Trail. From here it is about three miles north (right) to the Lost Valley Road. From there, it is 1.2 miles to the Old Road, the quickest route back to camp.