June 1-2 Manzana Narrows Overnight Backpacking
Our June backpacking trip took us again into the Los Padres National Forest in the San Rafael Wilderness north of Santa Barbara with
a good group of more than twenty leaders and scouts. Manzana is a Spanish word for apple; some sources report that Manzana
wilderness was called this because in the 1870’s there was a large apple orchard here. Others speculate it possibly refers to the
large number of Manzanita bushes that grow along parts of the creek. The Chumash Indians used this land for hunting, gathering and
accessing water sources in the area and were known to eat the fruit of the Manzanita bush. The trailhead was originally called
Manzana Camp. However, during the Great Depression the US government spent money under the terms of the National Industrial
Recovery Act (NIRA) to build the road and parking lot. Thus, the work camp was renamed NIRA and the camp we backpacked into
was named Manzana Narrows.
The easy six mile hike up the rocky trail was scenic walking along the creek. There was plenty of water and many calm pools. The
evening meal was memorable because the temperature was cold and the food was good and hot. Liam told us on this trip he did not
complete any rank or badges but he and the other scouts did get a decent amount of signoffs on their blue cards. His advice for the
next trip is to make sure you have a properly fitted backpack and to not carry too much weight. Good advice for all trips!
