Often times, in order to get to the really cool boulders, cliff, swimming holes, ect, one must put down some millage to get there. I took advantage of a break in the local rain and got the boys outside for a day on the Mishe Mokwa trail in the Santa Monica Mountains.
This would be Jacob's first time out with us, so this was an opportunity to see how he handles himself on the trail. The Mishe Mokwa loop is only seven miles long with a mere 1000ft in gain/loss. The trail is well marked and fairly well maintained. Easy and fun.
The Mishe Mokwa trail loops one right through the middle of the Sandstone Peak area, which is a collection of sandstone cliffs and peaks on the northern end of the Santa Monica Mountains. The high point of the range is Sandstone Peak aka Mt Allen which stands at just over 3100ft. Other peaks of note in the area are the Tri-Peaks and Boney Bluff. The trail takes you past both of these formations and we would be visiting the Bluff on this trip.
From the trailhead parking area, the Mishe Mokwa climbs steeply for the first half mile to a junction. From this junction, one can either continue on the main trail toward the Mt. Allen summit or follow the fork heading southeast. This fork will lied you first past Echo Cliffs and the Balanced Rock.
Shortly after you walk past Echo, the trail drops down to a small creek which serves as the areas main drainage outlet. It is also where you find the Split Rock picnic area and the approach for Echo and the Balanced Rock.
The main trail turns sharply to the west from the Split Rock/Echo junction and follows the drainage right up into the heart of the Sandstone Peak area. As one ascends higher and higher up the trail, the Tri-Peaks formation comes into view on the right and the Hueco Wall pops up on the left. A little further on, the trail curves to the south and another trail junction is encountered. This is the continuation of the Backbone Trail, which leads down to Sycamore Canyon and eventually to the trail terminus at Mugu Peak. This is also the jump-off for Boney Bluff.
The western faces of Boney Bluff look down upon and can be seen from the Oxnard Flood Plain, and the 360degree view from on top of the the peak is awesome. There are a couple of ways to approach the formation from the trail, we use a fail trail located on the northeastern side of it which leads to a group of large caves and overhangs. All the really meaty classic climbing routes are on the south side of the peak. Boney Bluff was developed in 1996 by Louie Anderson, Bruce Anderson, Pierre Daigle, Scott Sanchez and Tom Wright and has yielded some area classics like Atomsphere and Lithium. The area is features heavily pocketed, overhanging sandstone and is bolted to the nines. Very fun sport area for the 5.11-5.13 climber.
After Boney Bluff, the trail turns again to the southeast heading in the direction of Sandstone Peak. As the trail gradually ascends the western side of Mt Allen, several other climbing areas can be seen. Top Hat, Paleface, Mt. Olympus and Pico Roquelita are all just a hop and a skip from the main trail. 
Eventually the summit block of Mt Allen is gained and the short trail takes you right to the summit register. The view from up top is fantastic, and on a clear day one can see as far as Palos Verdes and Catalina Island. From the Sandstone Peak summit, the trailhead is only a mile and a half away and all down hill.
