Summer hath crested.
Hot. Dry. Crowded.
Your weekends? Spent out of town, if you know what’s good for you.
Otherwise: avoid beaches and strip malls. Opt for a hike. That no one knows about. ‘Specially out-of-towners.
Hike to Cave of the Munits, a geologic anomaly of a calf-burner sliced into a rolling hill just north of Calabasas.
The Chumash Indians once celebrated the summer and winter solstices there.
Getting to the trailhead’s a cake: drive to the top of Valley Blvd. Stop at Victory Trail. There’s a paid lot, but also plenty of free street parking.
Once inside Victory Park, take the far-right trail until it ends at Castle Peak. You’ll see the cave, gashed in the mountainside like an open wound.
The trail to the opening is steep; scrambling is necessary but worth it.
Heading back, take the trail to the right and walk around and up the surrounding hills, which are lush and golden this time of year.
All in, it’s about a three-mile hike, depending on how many detours you take.
Afterwards, stop for brunch at the Pedaler’s Fork in Calabasas for a fresh and tasty shakshouka (poached eggs in a chile sauce). Then grab some food from the farmer’s market, which is open until around two.
It’s a locals spot.
Trust.
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