March 2000 Volume 6 Issue 3
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Volume 6 Issue 3 March 2000 JUAN JOSE FUSTERO: LAST OF PARK DISTRICT FEBRUARY TRAIL THE PIRUS WORK PARTIES ASSESSMENT DRIVE Juan Jose Fustero was born in 1841 near a Due to the Boy Scout Adopt a Trail sweathouse at the mouth of Holzer Canyon A word of acknowledgement and effort, two work parties were again about two miles south of present day Lake thank to those Rancho Simi Trail held this month. Eleven scouts Piru. Juan, by the tradition of the time, Blazers who helped with the Park and 2 leaders from Boy Scout was the last full blooded Piru (pi’rukvit) District Assessment ballot measure. Troop 682 were directed by John Indian. The Indians of the village of Piru Members of whom I am aware that Downey and worked on the Upper Stagecoach Trail. Lopping and mi- (listed as pi’iruk by Harrington - the final k helped include (I’m sure that I have is half silent) were Tataviam - also called nor trail tread work was per- failed to mention one or more formed. Trash on the trail was also Alliklik by the Chumash (Serreno by the persons - please forgive the removed. Spanish), part of the Indians of Shoshonian omission.): Marcie Kraft (the chair- stock that migrated from the Great Basin person), Don Hunt, Tom Frye, Don Special thanks to work party and Mojave Desert beginning approxi- leader John Downey, Scout lead- mately 1,200 years ago, displacing the Alexander, Jeane whittle, and Gary Cremeans. Ballots will be counted ers Houston Keathley and Craig Chumash Indians in the process. The Oakford and scouts Michael name pi’iruk, like most Tataviam names in the night of March 9. Hammon, Anthony Harper, Jesse the area, including kamulus (camulo to the Jenkins, Michael Lindberg, Justin Spanish) was of Chumash origin. The Matheson, Jeremy Mortensen, Mi- name refers to “tules.” RSTB CLUB MEETING chael Oakford, Stephen Sass, Dean Smutny, Darin Turpin and The Tataviam were much influenced by the The monthly club meet- Brent Whitney. Chumash - adopting many Chumash names ing will be held at the On the Chumash Trail, work was and customs. For example, the Tataviam Community Center had practiced cremations, but adopted buri- concentrated on the center portion als under the influence of the Chumash. In the B-1 Room of the trail near Hamilton Saddle The Tataviam also adopted the Chumash 1692 Sycamore and consisted of berm work and calendar. They had kept no calendar for At 7:00 PM filling in and smoothing the trail surface. In addition, a large tall more than a year at a time. So, nobody On knew how old they were. Their calendar rock jutting up in the center of the Wednesday trail has been a hazard and was was limited to the phases of the moon and removed. We worked from 8:00- was not adjusted to the seasons, i.e., the March 15th. 12:00 and as usual, met at Chuy's winter or summer solstices. after finishing. Many thanks to the following workers: At the age of 32, Juan Jose sought U.S. citizenship in court in Ventura County. Arlene Altshuler, Gary Cremeans, Needing a last name (The Tataviam fo- Martin DeGoey, Tom Frye, Mi- cused only on their first names.), the judge chael Kuhn, Kris Miner, Don Plo- ascertained that Juan, like his father, was a ski, Chris Ploski, Chuck Por- maker of saddle trees, so he assigned the toghesi and John Sabol. last name of fustor to Juan to reflect his trade. Juan’s father, also named Juan Jose, WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Also, a special thanks to two died some years later without a last name. mountain bikers who frequent the To younger Juan’s dying day, he did not Kerry Iverson trail, Fred Ansaldi of CORBA and consider a last name necessary. his friend Gary. Earlier in the Robert Foster week, working by themselves, they did a great job moving dirt and fill- Cont. on page 2 Col.1 Cont. on page 2 Col. 3 Cont. from page 1 col. 1 Cont. from page 1 col. 3 Juan enjoyed a relatively simple life in ing in three areas on the upper Chu- GEOLOGY OF THE CAN- Piru Canyon. He seems to have garnered mash that had severely protruding YON VIEW TRAIL the respect of his Anglo-American neigh- rocks. Thanks guys! bors as one of the best lasso and saddle tree makers, horsemen and ropers in To facilitate the Boy Scouts “Adopt a The Canyon View Trail extends along Ventura County and as the last of the Pi’i- Trail” effort and eliminate the diffi- the top of the ridge south of Long rukvit. Juan’s father had sold much of his culty of providing leaders and tools Canyon Village in Wood Ranch. The portion of Piru Canyon when Juan was for multiple work parties, a trail main- trail head is located on the northern sixteen for the price of 40 horses cut from tenance schedule for the entire year side of Long Canyon road a few hun- has been made up. The schedule will the herd of Don Ygnacio del Valle at dred feet east of Wood Ranch Park- be distributed to the scout troops and Rancho Camulos. Don Ygnacio had way. The entire trail is underlain by posted in the Simi Valley and Oak the Las Llajas Formation, an Eocene originally paid $4,000 for his three square Park trail kiosks. It is hoped the leagues of Piru Canyon. However, he Epoch marine formation that was de- scouts can attend the scheduled posited between 54 and 50 million found much of the canyon occupied by Rancho Simi Trailblazer work parties Piru Indians, who he induced to move fur- years ago in a warm ocean. At the until such time they feel comfortable time, the earth was going through the ther up the canyon beyond the grasslands they have learned the basic mainte- needed for his livestock. last true greenhouse effect. The polar nance techniques and can perform areas were ice free and warm currents trail work on their own. bathed the continental margins. Juan became as famous for his gold as for his horsemanship. Periodically he would The next work party will be held take the train into Los Angeles, where he March 18 on the Hummingbird Trail Where the trail begins east of the in- would sell a polk of gold dust and an arm and we will work from 8:00 AM to tersection of Wood Ranch Parkway load of reatas (lassos) fashioned from the 12:00 PM. Hope to see you there. and Long Canyon Road, a low pass native grasses of Piru Canyon. Most of into Long Canyon is formed by the the money was used in the bars of Los Work Parties Chair presence of gray silty claystone and Angeles, but he would return each time John Sabol siltstone. This material weathers into with enough money to pay his grocery tab high clay soils - so don’t go hiking to L.B. Mayfield in the community of after a rain or when the ground is very Piru. Juan and his family would then sur- wet. The mud- and siltstone abruptly vive on the new tab until he again traveled transitions into a tan sandstone, which to Los Angeles. Grocer Mayfield, eventu- was deposited in shallow water as ally adopted the habit of borrowing $50 storm-influenced sands. The sand- from Juan every so often, so that when stone forms picturesque outcroppings. Juan would return from Los Angeles he The sandstone is bounded on the north would find five ten dollar gold pieces CLASS ON HIKING IN SIMI by mud- and siltstone that was depos- stacked on the counter at the Mayfield VALLEY ited in deep water. The top of the store to pay for the groceries he needed. ridge directly north of Long Canyon is defined by another stratum of shallow Obviously, Juan trusted grocer Mayfield. The Trail Blazers will offer a class on marine sandstone. This sandstone is Hiking in Simi Valley beginning on well drained and easy to walk on even Juan Fustero married twice and his eight Tuesday April 4 and 11 from 7:00-9:00 children were part Piru and part Teme- when wet. The sandstone is more re- p.m. in the Multi-purpose Room at the sistant to weathering and erosion than cula. Park District headquarters at 1692 Syca- the siltstone. As a result, it is respon- more Drive. Saturday hikes are also of- sible for the presence of the high ridge Many individuals tried to find the source fered on April 8 and 15. The classes will of Juan’s gold. But the secret died with between Long Canyon and Simi Val- cover basic hiking techniques and equip- ley. him in 1921 at the age of 80. Like his fa- ment; trail etiquette, local trails, intro- ther and several of his children, he was duction to published literature, how to All of the bedrock units dip by 35-42 buried under what is now Lake Piru - the use maps, trail hazards, maintenance and last of the pi’irukvit. degrees to the north-northwest. Be- construction. Saturday hikes will be on cause the siltstone and mudstone is the Mt. McCoy and the Hummingbird Mike Kuhn structurally weak and poorly drained, trails. The cost is $15. Signup is the north side of the ridge is given to through the Park District. Call Mike some instability. Approximately 1,000 Kuhn (805) 583-2345 for information. feet west of where First Street enters Long Canyon, there is a large old, per- haps tens of thousands of years old, landslide that can be seen if you know what to look for.