Jesusita Trail

Santa Barbara front country




Heading up to Inspiration Point can be a bit of a zoo from Tunnel Trail or a longer walk with frequent, but not constant, meeting of other hikers from the water filtration plant. I prefer this second route. It is a frequent enough hike for the Wednesday conditioning hike the local Sierra Club chapter does, but it has been a while since I have done it in the light.

Cathedral Peak
Cathedral Peak as I start.

pink wild peas
Some pink sweet peas and Douglas nightshade blooming.

The poison oak is lush this year. The creek is still flowing, as are a few small tributaries. It is nice to hear the water. I hear the bees buzzing, too, and quickly locate a bee hive in an oak about a yard from the trail. It is good to hear the bees, too.

picnic table among lush green of poison oak
The picnic table still sits under the trees. Just about all the green surrounding is poison oak.


bee hive
Bees passing in and out of an opening in an oak tree show where there is a hive.

water flowing in the creek
Not much, but water is flowing.

The clouds are generally complete keeping the day cool, but it is a bit muggy. Coming to the farm house along the way, I notice that someone has felt the need to go up the field instead of the road and they have been forced to put up barriers on the path being created. They should not have to do this. By the drinking fountain, there is a note on a wooden box that it is not for trash. They should not have to do this. By the horse is a sign saying you can talk to it and pet it, but please leave feeding to the owners. They should not have to do that either. It seems many people have not been mindful of the consequences of their actions.

blue and orange stripes on a bit of fungus
A bit of colors coming on in the fungus on the logs.

miner's lettuce
Some miner's lettuce with leaves as big as a fist.

gopher snake
A gopher snake desperately hoping it is not seen.

The poison oak eventually thins as I climb first one set of switchbacks, then a second.

tiny white blooms
A burst of white.

trail along the green
The trail as it climbs.

orange alighting on yellow
A butterfly partakes in some mustard.

trail below
Looking back on the trail.

bush poppies
Bush poppies being reliable.

rippling clouds A little bit of storm coming in.

At the top, there is more view than I worried there would be with a bit of rain moving in.

panorama from Inspiration Point
The whole ocean view from Inspiration Point.

flowers in many colors
A rainbow of colors on a single plant.

little rattlesnake in the bushes
A small rattlesnake that was for sneaking off rather than rattling.

bee on black sage
Pollinating black sage.

large hole in sandstone
One rock far down from the point.

spot of sunlight
A spot of sunlight on the ocean.

*photo album*




©2015 Valerie Norton
Posted 12 March 2015

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