Santa Barbara has some of the best hiking anywhere, and lots of it!
Lots of hiking trails are listed here with maps, topos and directions to the trailhead. Print out what you need and take it with you.
Then, come back and talk about your adventure.
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Today I hiked with the Sierra Club up to the base of the Cathedral Peak spine. The spine is the prominent rocky ridge with all the rounded boulders that forms the trail to the top.
The weather was warm and brilliantly sunny, with a sea of fog between the shore and Santa Cruz island. Sweat was dripping from my skin in the heat, but the shade was cool and comfortable.
Along the way we could see the 3 pools beyond 7 Falls below. People were sunning themselves on the rocks above the upper pool. A dip in the pool would have felt nice to my sweaty skin.
The trail up to the spine is very steep but all of us made it without much trouble. My knees felt a little sore coming down, but it was not enough pain to prevent me from feeling happy to be back on the trail.
I'm not sure why being on the trail always makes me feel good. As an exercise program, nothing could be better than something that rewards you while you are doing it, even if you are sweating, breathing hard and feeling a little pain. Hiking is the best exercise there is.
After the hike, a few of us went out to eat. We had Thai food at a restaurant on De La Vina St. It was very good and filled me up for the rest of the day. No need for dinner.
