Second Hiker Injured in the Last Two Days- Be Careful Out There People!

From the News Press:

SANTA BARBARA- A man who broke his ankle while hiking near Stevens Park had to be carried out by Santa Barbara fire crews Tuesday morning. The unidentified 62-year-old was located about a half-mile north of the park, near the Jesusita Trailhead, off San Roque Road. A fellow hiker reported the incident about 8:30 a.m. after walking back to his home on nearby Foothill Road. Crews had to hike in to tend to the victim.

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Hiker Injured On Rattlesnake Canyon Trail

An experienced hiker fell and was injured while hiking in Rattlesnake Canyon Monday. The accident happened in the early afternoon approximately 1 mile from the trail head(see photo). The hiker who was alone at the time, recieved assistance from two hikers on the trail that heard his yells. The two hikers called 911 and helped the injured man by getting him into some dry clothes and applying pressure to help stop bleeding. County Fire flew in and air lifted the man out to be taken to Cottage Hospital. His injuries were a broken wrist, a shattered vertebrae in the low back and head lacerations. The exact location and or trail is unknown but the victim says that it was a narrow portion that just gave out. We have hiked the main trail and found it to be intact up to the meadow but there are numerous trails that run along the creek that also get high usage. The hiker is local and a frequent trail user and we wish him a speedy recovery and hope he is able to get back on the trail soon.(Photo Courtesy of M. Bacon)

Typical Winter Weekend Weather In Santa Barbara

Can You Name That Trail?

Tunnel Trail Christmas Rainbow 12/25/08

Merry Christmas From The Multiuse Trails Coalition

Bye Bye Billy Goats

They came, they saw, they ate...everything. After several weeks on Tunnel Trail the goats have moved on to greener pastures. Set up as a test program by the Mission Canyon Homeowners Association and the County of SB, the goats seemed to have hit the mark. There is a noticeable decrease in the amount of brush on both sides of the trail the hope being that this will reduce the chance of fire in the MC area. The goats, who have been in various MC locations since October of this year are still around just in less noticeable areas. Hopefully this catches on and other parts of SB use the goats too.

The Website: http://www.brushgoats4hire.com/

Stuck All Day In The Board Room Friday

Luckily the board was my snowboard and the room was the secret mountain at an undisclosed location that got another foot of powder since my last visit. Even with my 30" snowshoes I was sinking in about a foot for every step I took due to the light snow density. At this point the mountain had excellent coverage and no longer did obstacles stick out from the snow. I had the mountain all to myself in the AM, heading up and down the 1000' elevation gain 2 times before I was joined by Rob in the afternoon. Something about having to get to the top on your own or maybe the natural terrain make backcountry funner than riding up on a chair. Here are some photos from the days events.

My Chair Lift
Self Portrait
My Boardroom
Penthouse View
Antelope Valley
Me
Leaving My Mark
Natural Terrain

Fun Features of the Boardroom
Me
You Should Have Been There
Rob

Who Needs A Ski Lift?

Location: Secret, Gear: Snowboard, Snowshoes, Conditions: 2 feet of powder, 30 deg and dropping, Date: Dec 16th 2008.

Due to global warming I haven't been back to this Southern CA secret spot in the last 4 years. There are no lifts, not many other people and no shortage of bitchin'. Here is the photographic account from the days events.

The Mountain

The Terrain
This guy Jim who also had the same idea.

More Terrain

Me

Snow

Depth Gauge

Fresh Tracks

More Fresh Tracks

San Ysidro Sunset 12/11/08

Rattlesnake Canyon Trail Re-Opened This Weekend

Three weeks after the lower part of Rattlesnake burnt, the City has reopened it. First thing you notice about it is how open it is with all the brush gone. The fire charred both sides of the trail up until the Gibralter Road entrance. From that point it stayed just to the east side of the trail just past the second creek crossing where it burnt away from the canyon and towards the circular house. The trail is in good condition and City Parks reminded us that they would like people to stay on the trail to help preserve delicate hillsides.

Just after the T.H.

The trail was the fire line here
Second creek crossing
Hillside above the second creek x-ing

Names Of The Tea House Fire Starters

This seems to be what everyone is talking about, whether or not to release their names. If they charge them with a crime then it seems appropriate but waiting to release info seems to be angering people I have spoken to. A friend who lost his house and did not have a chance to pack a single thing told me he hopes they release the names. I came across this article of another accidental fire starter who was just sentenced:

http://cbs5.com/local/yosemite.fire.jail.2.880804.html

He burnt down 30 homes and 34,000 acres and was sentenced to probation and 541$ fine. The sentence for the 10 will probably be along those same lines if they are charged.

Task Force Recommendations Progress Report

As reported earlier new kiosks will be going up on all the trails in town. Soon to follow are the informational/interpretive signs for these kiosks. This first kiosk was spotted on Tunnel near the fire road.