Matillia Canyon is just outside of Ojai. Just drive to the end of Matillija Road, hike through the wildlife sanctuary, turn right at the fork in the road, and bushwhack up the creek.

These huge cliffs tower over you as you hike up the canyon. You can imagine condors making their nests up there.

The creek in this canyon is fabulous. The water is so inviting.

The slanted rocks give the place a geologically raw feeling. Many of these rocks have fossilized river-bottom and lake-bottom ripples or mudcracks in them.

Another inviting pool.

Still another inviting pool.

This pool was very deep and crystal blue. It was about as long as a regular swimming pool.

The furthest pool is the pool in the previous picture. I heard tales of some guy who slid down the chute into the first pool. On this hike, that same guy didn't try it, so maybe it's not a good idea.

Here's the double-waterfall that was our destination for lunch.

You can see where we ate lunch on the ledge between the two falls. There is a huge, deep pool up there that is frigid because it never gets out of the shade.

Here we are lunching and napping.

Here we are taking a break. Note the second woman from the left, wearing hiker-chic cut-off sweatshirt arms, duck taped to her legs. That is because the brush was so scratchy as we bushwhacked that her legs couldn't take it anymore. Mine couldn't either, but I suffered anyway.