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.
Today I hiked the Tequepis Trail in the rain.
If anyone read my trail journal of my PCT hike, they know from my travails in Washington how much I do not like hiking in the rain. Today it was not so bad.
I was smart enough to bring a rain jacket. I wore that but kept it zipped open so I wouldn't overheat inside. I also stripped down my zip-off pants to shorts so my pant legs would not get went, which would be colder than having wet skin that can dry more easily.
I also wore Chaco sandals on the hike today. The Tequepis Trail is very well graded with mostly very smooth tread and so it's a good hike for minimalist footwear. I actually like hiking in the sandals a lot. Strangely, my socks were drier hiking in sandals in the rain than they normally are hiking in shoes on a dry day. My legs stayed dry, too, since there was no brush on the trail to get them wet. I guess my nice, plump body serves as a good umbrella for my legs.
The scenery as we ascended was lovely. Cachuma lake was visible in the valley below. As we climbed we entered the clouds and had no view at the summit. It was cold, windy and there was no shelter from the rain, so we touched the summit and immediately started down again.
On the way down, I took notice of how green and lush the trail seemed. There were lots of banana slugs, ferns and small plants sprouting up.
I got a little bit of a chill on the way down, finding it harder to stay warm with the reduced effort of descending. It reminded me a lot of hiking in Washington. I miss the gloves I lost on the trail in Washington. I would have liked to have had them today. I stayed a lot drier than Washington because the Tequepis Trail is well-maintained.
Later today, on a completely unrelated topic, I found a link to a web site about bears. Lots of people ask me if I was afraid of large animals while hiking the PCT. I was not afraid. I think this web site is a great resource to help dispel myths about bears. Check it out: Learn about bears.
Is now a book!
My trail journal on the Pacific Crest Trail