PEACE, QUIET AND A HIKE THROUGH OJAI.

Byline: William Toren Staff Writer

OJAI - Now this is getting away from it all.

While I enjoy the semi-urban hiking experience, which combines rustic trails with cityscape vistas, there are times when my soul yearns for the peace and quiet that can't really be found so readily in a canyon off Pacific Coast Highway or a hillside outside Glendale. Fortunately, it isn't necessary to travel too much farther than these destinations to satisfy this craving.

Ojai, an eclectic community tucked into the quiet corner of Ventura County, is little more than an hour's drive from the San Fernando Valley, but the change in tempo from one to the other seems to make me almost think there must be some science-fiction-style hyperspace portal somewhere along Highway 150 as it leaves Santa Paula.

Outside of Ojai itself, between the Ojai Valley School and the Happy Valley School (the region seems to revel in its quaintness at times) is Old Walnut Road and the sign directing visitors to the Ojai Foundation property. Following the sign leads you up a dirt road winding up into the hills, and a small visitors' parking lot adjacent to the foundation's office. A visit to the friendly folks within is worthwhile, whether it's to say hi, learn about the land's history or maybe ask for a little guidance to the terrain.

The best hike continues along the road leading up to the foundation, and it begins amid the tree-sheltered cluster of cabins, yurts and domes that form what is a 40-acre model for alternative living away from the bustle of the city. For a day trip, it can serve as merely a marvelous trailhead, but further exploration can yield much more, as the foundation is devoted to spiritual exploration through all the world's traditions: a shrine to the Virgin Mary rests just yards away from an American Indian medicine wheel. For those with a mind toward adventure, there's a rope-climbing course through a grove of ancient oak trees, available by appointment only.

But it's the trail that calls most to the hiker's spirit, and this one lacks for nothing. The road heads uphill and winds around the foundation's structures - some of them marvels of neo-adobe construction - into the hill beyond. At the top of the ridge, an arrangement of stones marks the first of many spectacular viewpoints - looking directly down one can see the lush canyon directly below, but behind that is the sight of the town of Ojai itself, seeming almost like a Alpine village glimpsed from the top of the Matterhorn, though it's just six miles away. Though the ridge is an easy climb from your car, the illusion of being at the top of the world is dispelled only by turning around and seeing the mountains of the Los Padres National Forest soaring above you.

In the mornings, the sun illuminates a gilded Buddha (another of the broad-minded foundation's shrines), and one need not be a believer to be moved by the sight while looking down from the vista. And this is all within less than 20 minutes of walking from the parking lot.

As the trail continues into the back country, the terrain gives way to the more familiar Southern California hillside chaparral. But looking down into the eastern side of the valley, the sight of well-manicured horse pastures and farms complete with windmills conjures up more of an image of gentrified Kentucky, where the only time you'd hear the word ``arroyo'' is if someone asks: ``Y'all going to the Derby this year, arroyo going to watch it on TV?''

What begins as an easily passable dirt road soon branches and narrows into a slightly rocky footpath along the ridgeline, though there's occasional evidence that some of the more adventurous horse ranchers trust their steeds enough to brave some of the rather steep trails that branch off toward their properties. There's also signs the ridge is popular with coyotes as well, no doubt because of the cottontail rabbits I happened to glimpse while tramping through the brush.

The main trail will eventually lead you back to the highway, a couple miles down from the Ojai Foundation turn-off, but a network of branching routes offer the opportunity for customized exploration if you so desire. It's best not to linger too long when the sun sinks low, however, since the foundation closes its gates in the evenings. Inquire at the entrance as to what the hours will be the time of year you make your visit. The Ojai Foundation, 9739 Ojai-Santa Paula Road, can be reached by calling [phone]. For more information, visit ojaifoundation.org.