Santa Barbara Adventure People

Wills-Rice Loop Trail should be beautiful this time of the year. The hike is relatively easy, 4.8 miles, 500’ of elevation change. After the completion of this hike, you have the opportunity to explore the scenic Ventura River, by hiking along the river banks, wading, rock hopping, or a combination, and experience the Ventura River Preserve from a different perspective. We will explore the river all the way to the bridge/ Hwy 150, and turn back, for an additional 5 mile estimate of a fun workout. This is also a testing ground to find out if you may be interested in more challenging adventures, such as to Santa Paula Punchbowls and Matilija Wilderness.

If you are also passionate about exploring in beautiful nature, committed to health, fitness & agility, and meet the quality below by self assessment, you are welcome to submit your intent to join.

Mindset: adventurous yet very safety conscious, self responsible & self accountable, intellectually curious, independent thinking, open-minded worldview, collaborative & can do attitude

Personality & Character: authentic yet respectful, down to earth, pleasant to chat with, thoughtful, effective in communicating, intelligent, competent

Physical & Mental: healthy & fit for hiking & exploring adventure, mentally & emotionally sound

Ability: assess and manage risks effectively, carry on meaningful conversations

Experience & Skill: uneven terrain hiking; wading & rock hopping

Distance & Climb: up to 10 mile, 1000’ climb & descent

Supply & Equipment: adequate hydration & nourishment

Trailhead: Ventura River Preserve - Oso Trailhead

Bishop Peak is my favorite spot in San Luis Obispo for some fun boulder climbing and consistent great panoramic views of SLO and the surrounding areas, especially at sunset. The hiking trail itself is relatively narrow and steep, with some boulders, making it less mundane and more exciting to hike. The forested area in the lower section with boulder outcrops is very scenic. Frequently there are other hikers along the trail going up and down, and quite often I encounter other hikers and climbers that bring meaningful conversations on top of the boulders.
The main focus is boulder climbing and exploring the boulder fields on top of the peak. There will be some bushy traverse, including encountering poison oaks. This is fun and exciting for me, but for sure not for most people. I plan to enjoy a meal and watch the sun setting on a prominent boulder with 360 panoramic views, and descending with headlamp.

Santa Barbara Old Mission, Mission Canyon, Dragon’s Back Ridge, Arlington, Cathedral & La Cumbre Peaks, these are all some of the most beautiful and exciting places for hiking and exploring in Santa Barbara.

This hike combines scenic urban exploring, hiking, boulder climbing, and full body workouts in very beautiful nature.

However, you should be a highly experienced hiker and have some basic boulder climbing skill. Beginners with inadequate safety acumen would most likely not survive this hike. If you don't know what to expect on this hike, and have to rely on me or anyone else to advise you on what to bring and what to do, this hike most likely is not for you.

This hike starts from Santa Barbara Mission, then passes through scenic Rocky Nook Park, Mission Canyon, and up winding Tunnel Rd by foot. The main & strenuous hike starts at Tunnel Rd north terminus trailhead, to Santa Barbara 3 Peaks Loop (Arlington, Cathedral, La Cumbre) via Dragon's Back Ridge. We take lunch and break on top of La Cumbre Peak, then descend through E Camino Cielo Rd, then Tunnel Trail, and follow the same morning route back to Santa Barbara Mission.

If you cannot keep up, you will need to descend on your own. Catch a ride back to the mission. Again, this hike is for very experienced and self reliant hikers. You join this group for good company and conversations.

My videos from previous hikes:
https://youtu.be/Tt9yA-eY93g?si=XEsSv4t6TY9kObC4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CW8-DC7G60&t=1326s

Do your own research, read up on alltrails's 3 Peaks Loop (Arlington, Cathedral, La Cumbre), and other sites. Know what to expect, plan and prepare accordingly.
If you are still undeterred and want to do this hike, you are welcome to join. If you could pull this off, you would be considered a local elite hiker, with a great sense of accomplishment.

Mindset: adventurous yet very safety conscious, self responsible & self accountable, intellectually curious, independent thinking, open-minded worldview, collaborative & can do attitude

Personality & Character: authentic yet respectful, down to earth, pleasant to chat with, thoughtful, effective in communicating, competent, intelligent

Physical & Mental: healthy & fit for hiking, exploring & boulder climbing adventure, mentally & emotionally sound

Ability: assess and manage all risks effectively, navigate urban street & roadway traffic safely, carry on meaningful conversations

Distance & Climb: up to 14 mile, 4500’ climb & descent, strenuous and demanding for most people

Experience & Skill: urban & winding roadway walking, rocky terrain hiking, scrambling, boulder climbing, wild bush traverse

Supply & Equipment: adequate proper hydration & nourishment, based on personal need and weather condition; reliable headlamp for potential night descent, navigation apps, first aid kit

Start & End: Moorish Fountain, Santa Barbara Mission

We will start this wild exploring adventure from beautiful Rattlesnake Canyon, hiking on trail and in combination of exploring in the very scenic Rattlesnake Creek, which flows parallel and in close proximity to the main trail. After about 2.4 miles, we would connect to Gibraltar Rd, to get to Gibraltar Rock and Flores Peak trailhead. The creek traverse could be a new experience and adventure, and is done by exciting rock hopping, hiking over and around water, or wading, depending on skills and preference.

Flores Peak, at 3340’ above sea level, is a beautiful hilltop with great views of the cities and ocean below. And quite often there are para-gliders circling above the sky and over the horizon, and people doing slacklining and highlining over the canyons. There is some scenic scrambling on the way to the peak. After the descent, we would check out Gibraltar Rock, a popular landmark for rock climbers.

From Gibraltar Rock, we would head over to White Mountain Rock Garden. At 3700’ above sea level, this area is a beautiful, vast, and whitish sandstone boulder fields on the Santa Ynez Mountains, visible from many parts of Santa Barbara and the coastlines below. This is one of Santa Barbara's most exciting places for hiking, boulder climbing and adventurous exploring. This area has great panoramic views overseeing the Pacific Ocean, Channel Islands, Santa Barbara, and the surrounding coastal towns. Also one of the most beautiful settings to enjoy the sun setting. We would explore and climb many boulders in this beautiful and distinctive boulder maze.

🏞️🌿🌞💧🌄 Overall, this hike would be a fun adventure and great workout in some of the most beautiful and distinctive natural environments. This is my new favorite in Santa Barbara or anywhere else, combining scenic creek traverse, boulder climbing, rock maze, scrambling, and lots of panoramic views.

If you are also passionate about exploring in beautiful nature, committed to health, fitness & agility, and meet the quality below by self assessment, you are welcome to submit your intent to join.

Mindset: adventurous yet very safety conscious, self responsible & self accountable, self reflective, intellectually curious, independent thinking, open-minded worldview, collaborative & can do attitude

Personality & Character: upright, authentic yet respectful, pleasant to chat with, thoughtful, effective in communicating, intelligent, competent

Physical & Mental: healthy & fit for hiking & exploring adventure, mentally & emotionally sound

Ability: assess and manage risks effectively, carry on meaningful conversations

Experience & Skill: rocky & uneven terrain hiking, scrambling, boulder climbing, creek crossing and creek traverse by rock hopping or wading

Distance & Climb: up to 10 miles, 4500’

Supply & Equipment: adequate proper hydration & nourishment, and clothing, based on weather and individual need, reliable headlamp in case of delay

Trailhead: Rattlesnake Canyon Trailhead