I went to sunny California a few days before a work meeting began, visiting a friend and then doing some exploring. I drove to Santa Barbara and found a trail that would take me into the mountains above the city. I parked at a busy trailhead (holiday, or these rich people just don't work) and headed up the San Ysidra Trail. The first mile is moderate and crosses a creek a few times, though the water was low. Then I started a consistent climb (I'm guessing it was about 2,000 foot elevation gain, I turned just below the summit). I took one small detour after getting out of the woods, then found the correct trail again and really mountain goated up an exposed face. I was laboring (In-N-Out for lunch didn't help), but the views back over SB and up and down the Pacific Coast were stunning. We don't have that scenery here. After 40 minutes of climbing I turned and bombed back down, burning my quads in the process and getting some footwork practice in. Wonderful run on a sunny, 80-degree day. 1:07:00 supernova sequence |