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Arlington -> Cathedral -> Inspiration Loop
updated: Feb 06, 2013, 10:20 AM

By Edhat Subscriber

Does anyone know if the trail exists to connect Arlington/Cathedral back to Inspiration (not back down the Seven Falls way)? I've seen it on maps before, but I'm not sure if is is still unusable/even exists.

If so, where does it pop out near Inspiration: on the way down to Stevens Park, on the way back to Tunnel or right at the Point?

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 371374	2013-02-06 10:38 AM
I've never seen it, and I've hiked the trail to Arlington/Cathedral no less than a dozen times. If you find anything, please let us all know!
COMMENT 371414	2013-02-06 11:34 AM
There are some bushwaking trails but nothing maintained. Did this as a kid in about 1980 and a few other times. Some steep cliffs so be very careful if you try. It is faster to go back down then up at the creek.
COMMENT 371465	2013-02-06 01:26 PM
Yes, there is (from Arlington, not Cathedral), though it doesn't see much traffic. You can find the trail leading off of Jesusita at this point: 34.472666,-119.712111 or if you're coming down from Arlington, follow the ridge down the west side to this point: 34.482461,-119.716184. You'll go left around the first lower tower. About halfway down the trail leads right to a 40' rock ledge, so be careful there and downclimb to the left (class 3). Start early, take plenty of water and DO NOT call Search & Rescue. Good luck.
AQUAHOLIC	2013-02-06 01:43 PM
465....without checking your coordinates, I will assume we are thinking of the same general area. I also have been up to Cathedral Peak from the Jesusita trail. It is not an obvious trail, and as 414 pointed out, is more of a bushwhacked, pirate trail, made long ago. No idea if is still maintained or passable. The area has lots of handmade spur trails. The one I took was well past the creek crossing for seven falls, about 1/2 way before you get to the top of the road...sorry, I can't give better directions. Take all of 465's advice, and, DO take a cell phone with you!
JOHN WILEY	2013-02-06 03:40 PM
I was wondering about hiking it from E. Camino Cielo at La Cumbre Peak. If you look here on gMaps it looks doable on what's tagged (if you zoom in) as the top of Tunnel Trail. I looked at the area in gEarth, and as I recall it's about 1,000 feet vertical from the road to the bottom of the saddle connecting to Cathedral Peak. Of course, getting up to the peak from the trail might be even harder than the rest of the hike. Flying over the area recently, it looks like the dense scrub hasn't fully grown back yet so a trail group might be able to clear a route. Anyone hiked it from the road? Maybe it's harder than from below, plus the climb back up to La Cumbre would come at the end of a tiring day.
COMMENT 371600	2013-02-06 05:55 PM
Years of hiking Mission Canyon have taught me one thing: if you are not on a clearly traveled trail, your hike is about to get really rough. I would bushwhack a little bit but be ready to call it off and turn around.
COMMENT 371602	2013-02-06 05:58 PM
John, I recently brushed the trail from the back side of Cathedral down to the saddle and up to La Cumbre Peak. It's very well-defined, and easy to follow, trending south and west from La Cumbre, starting at the picnic table and turning right at the large boulders with the white GT graffiti. Before the saddle there is the one "tunnel" section where you'll need to crouch quite a bit while you scramble down, but it's short. Note that there are numerous dead end trails that you won't see until you're coming back up to La Cumbre that will take you easily off route (if you go down and back and don't a the loop). I recommend taking a piece of chalk and making a few arrows on the rocks on the way down. (Cairns are annoying and the chalk will wash away with the next rain, making it a more enjoyable experience for the next hiker---once they get past the trash and graffiti.) Have fun, it's a great hike.
COMMENT 371607	2013-02-06 06:04 PM
Well, years of hiking Mission Canyon have taught me one thing: if you are not on a clearly traveled trail, you're probably having a lot more fun and discovering things---like hidden waterfalls, caves, Chumash rock art, wild animals and stellar views---that many people will never see. Everyone's experience is different.
COMMENT 371728	2013-02-07 07:42 AM
Lacumbre peak/'caminomcielo to cathedral= piece of cake, trailhead west side of LCP. no real trail connects to inspiration pt. Do we need a trail there? Do we want to see the scar? What if usfs decides it would make avoid 40' wide fuel break? You trail pioneers are overly enthusiastic about making new trails, higher use over more of the forest to satisfy your desires and egos. Bootleg trails are generally not ok. Illegal brushing caused the Jesusita fire. The upper mission canyon bobcat moved over the hill and the mama and baby bear split. I've been on first name basis with the family for twenty plus years, seen two litters of kittens, on the third generation that I know of. The end was when yall "brushed" the climb to Arlington/cathedral. Really sad about the selfishness of humanity.
COMMENT 371760	2013-02-07 08:43 AM
FYI 728, The path from Cathedral to LCP has existed since before the 1930s, and was most recently widened extensively by the FS during the Jesusita Fire. It is also a continuously used access point for SAR. I highly recommend that you write to your congressperson to complain about the pre-depression-era selfishness and the Forest Service/County Fire's blatant disregard for the bobcats. Facts are a terrible thing to waste.
COMMENT 371777	2013-02-07 09:25 AM
The bobcats left long before the recent fires or FS clearing of the ridge top trail They left after the trail from mission cyn to cathedral, was zealously over-worked by pirate trail trimmers. The path was easy to follow even in the 1970's but then became a freeway, inviting hapless recuees and grafitti artists. How wide a tread and clearing does a trail need to be? Where do we draw the line on ease of access? Because its there and because we can are not a valid rationales for trail construction. Where is the demonstrated need? I propose that trails be built and maintained with the least impact necessary. Trails should be no wider than use required, in these cases, single file foot traffic. To me, it's simply a matter of keeping wild wild. The amount of quality access to quality nature already available in our neck of the woods is staggering. At some point that quality slips away never to return.
COMMENT 372397	2013-02-08 04:25 PM
thank you comment 465 and AQUAHOLIC. those coordinates are helpful, maybe once in the general area they would be easier to decipher, but from google maps it looks like nothing. 465, have you done this hike recently? would anyone be interested in planning an exploratory group?? thanks.

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