Adventure 008, Hike 056 - Las Zanjas Trail

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 008, Hike 056 – Las Zanjas Trail

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  August 17, 2012

Location: Lompoc, Mission La Purisima State Historical Park

Hike Info:

            Trail: Las Zanjas Trail

            Distance: 1.40

            Duration:  0:35

            Elevation Rise: Mostly level

Description:

Las Zanjas—it just rolls off of your lips. How exotic! How wonderful it is. And right here, just outside of Lompoc. And that gives an idea of what you should have expected. Las Zanjas means the ditches. And that it is. Shortly after we picked up the trail, we came across a little swampy place, being held back by a retaining wall. There was reeds growing up out of this swamp. It drains into a ditch. The trail follows the ditch all the way back to the mission. Along the ditches, there was a couple of holding vats where the mission controlled the flow of water coming down. The ditch enters the Spring House, close to the mission. The Spring House is where the water was stored, controlled, distributed and filtered. The mission filtered the drinking water through charcoal and leaves. Not a long trail, b­ut one which is full of history.