Boney Peak

Boney Peak
The peak viewed from the trail to the northeast
Highest point
Elevation2828+ ft (862+ m) NAVD 88[1]
ListingSierra Club LPC[2]
Coordinates34°06′59″N 118°56′26″W / 34.116281°N 118.940434°W / 34.116281; -118.940434[3]
Geography
Map
LocationVentura County, California, U.S.
Parent rangeSanta Monica Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Triunfo Pass
Climbing
Easiest routeOld Boney Trail from Satwiwa

Boney Mountain in Ventura County, California is one of the highest peaks in the Santa Monica Mountains. The prominent mountain visible from Newbury Park, California is 2,825 feet (861 m).[4] It is also known as Boney Peak.[5] The mountain contains four of the highest peaks in the coastal range of the Santa Monica Mountains: Boney Peak, Sandstone Peak, Exchange Peak, and Tri Peaks.[6] The highest summit in the Santa Monica Mountains is Sandstone Peak (Mount Allen), situated less than a mile northeast of Boney Peak along the same ridge of volcanic rock. It is the top section of a mass of volcanic rock which solidified around 15 million years ago, and was later uplifted to its dominant position, overshadowing western Conejo Valley.[7] The Chumash Native Americans have a long and deeply spiritual history of interaction at and near the mountain, and the peak is considered a sacred mountain to the Chumash people.[8][9][10][11][12]

It is located in the Circle X Ranch Park, within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.[13] The surrounding Boney Mountain State Wilderness Area lies within the eastern portion of Point Mugu State Park.[6] Boney Mountain State Wilderness includes trail access to the rest of Point Mugu State Park, as well as Big Sycamore Canyon and Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center.[14] Hiking trails from Satwiwa Native American Cultural Center in southernmost Newbury Park reach Boney Mountain and Peak, and feature views of the Pacific Ocean, Channel Islands, and Mount Baldy. Nearby trails lead to Danielson Monument and the Sycamore Canyon Waterfall.

Boney Mountain was described by Chumash Indians to anthropologist John P. Harrington around year 1900:

Early one morning in 9080 B.C., the ancestral grandfather from whom I took my name, headed west on one of his most adventurous hunting trips ever... As the group climbed Old Boney, they looked back to the north and could see the pleasant openings of the Conejo- and Hidden Valleys. There, there appeared to be good grazing ground for the mammoth herd and they proceeded thence.[15]

The story may be a lore related to the Paleo-Indians, the distant ancestors of the Chumash.[16] An ancient Chumash village known as Satwiwa was located at the foothills of the mountain, which remains sacred to the Chumash people.[10][8] Satwiwa is believed to be first inhabited 13,000 years ago,[17] and was still a Chumash inhabitation site as of 2,000 years ago.[8]

In 2019, newspaper photos showed the peak was frosted with snow. Long time Newbury Park residents said it was the first time they had seen snow on the peak.[18]

  1. ^ "Boney Peak". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2009-12-17.
  2. ^ "Lower Peaks Committee List". Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club. Retrieved 2009-12-17.
  3. ^ "Boney Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
  4. ^ "Boney Mountain Peak Hike From Newbury Park". Conejo Valley Guide - Conejo Valley Events. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Boney Peak : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". www.summitpost.org. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
  6. ^ a b Stone, Robert (2011). Day Hikes Around Ventura County. Day Hike Books. Page 136. ISBN 978-1573420624.
  7. ^ Schad, Jerry (2010). Afoot and Afield: Los Angeles County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide. Wilderness Press. Page 192. ISBN 9780899976396.
  8. ^ a b c SANGER, TOM; SANGER, KAY (10 March 1990). "Museums, Festivals, Classes Open Door to Learning Indian History". Retrieved 20 March 2019 – via LA Times.
  9. ^ "Chumash influence lingers". www.vcstar.com. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  10. ^ a b Riedel, Allen (2008). 100 Classic Hikes in Southern California: San Bernardino National Forest, Angeles National Forest, Santa Lucia Mountains, Big Sur and the Sierras. The Mountaineers Books. Page 118. ISBN 9781594851254.
  11. ^ Riedel, Allen (2011). Best Easy Day Hikes Conejo Valley. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 21. ISBN 9780762765812.
  12. ^ Mallarach, Josep-Maria and Thymio Papayannis (2007). Protected Areas and Spirituality. Island Press. Page 109. ISBN 9782831710235.
  13. ^ "Circle X Ranch" (PDF). Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, National Park Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-06-01. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
  14. ^ "Newbury Park | in the shadow of Boney Mountain". 2 February 2016.
  15. ^ Maxwell, Thomas J. (1982). The Temescals of Arroyo Conejo. California Lutheran College. Page 9. Library of Congress Catalog Number 82-072788.
  16. ^ Maxwell, Thomas J. (1982). The Temescals of Arroyo Conejo. California Lutheran College. Pages 5–9. Library of Congress Catalog Number 82-072788.
  17. ^ Bangs, Ray and Chris Becker (2004). 52 Great Weekend Escapes in Southern California. Globe Pequot. Page 55. ISBN 9780762730834.
  18. ^ Wenner, Gretchen; Childs, Jeremy (February 20, 2019). "Snow, hail fall in Conejo, Camarillo; Highway 33 closed". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 20 March 2019.