Snake - 0, Lizard - 0

Q: Who is more fierce, the lizard or the snake?

A: It's a tie, they both died

National Trails Day, June 6th 2015, Romero Canyon Trail

Special thanks to the agencies and all the volunteers who helped make National Trails Day on Romero Canyon a success!  Lots of work was completed opening up trail narrow by slough, slides, and brush.  In addition, long lost water drainage features were reinstated, and short cuts were eliminated.

The volunteers gathered at the trail head

Steve, Jim, and Mitch removing slough and brush 

After, the trail as it should be

SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS

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National Trails Day is June 6th - Romero Canyon Trail!

1st Rattler Of The Year...Romero

This medium size one was crossing the trail

Romero Canyon Trail By Horseback, 3/11/12

More Mountain Lion Sightings Reported On Upper Romero - 2/11/12

DFG - Staying safe in mountain lion country brochure

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Romero Canyon Mountain Lion Sighting - 2/3/12

Act Accordingly!

California Mountain King Snake

This CMKS was spotted on Romero Cyn Yesterday

Mountain Lion On Romero Canyon, Xmas Bell Building Party...

Dear Trail Users,

This morning on Romero Canyon Trail a woman who was hiking alone(husband had hiked ahead) was surprised by a mountain lion that bound onto the trail in front of her in hot pursuit of a coyote it was chasing. Although the lion was not interested in her, the brief experience did leave her frightened. The location was along the lower canyon trail and the time was around 8am.
Mountain lions have been seen on Romero over the years and will continue to be there in the future, be prepared when traveling in mountain lion country!
The following tips from the DFG are helpful when traveling on Romero or any other trail where mountain lions call home:
Never Hike/Ride Alone!
Avoid using the trail during feeding times- dawn, dusk, night
Don't run if you encounter a lion
Careful with small children in lion country.
For more info visit the Department of Fish and Game's mountain lion page
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Ever wonder how all those bells you like to hear get on bikes out there on our trails? SBMTV is the group that provides them and they need a little help assembling them.....
Next Tuesday night, Dec 14th, SBMTV will be supplying Pizza to all who show up to the Rusty's Pizza upstairs backroom on Castillo and Bath at 6pm.
The catch? You gotta cut a piece of velcro and stick it in a bike bell. Yep, you could say this is SBMTV's bike bell build Xmas party.
Any way, help you your local trail system next Tuesday by eating pizza and putting some bells together!
Xmas Bell Build PartyTuesday Dec 14th, 6pmRusty's Pizza,
Upstairs back room232 West Carrillo Street, Santa Barbara
Contact : chris.orr@sbmtv.org
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Finally, with nice weather brings heavier use out on the trails. Now is a good time to remind everyone of some simple steps to how we can all get along better. Our trail code page has some good tips for all users- learn it, know it, live it!

Romero Canyon Sunset Photos- 10/1/10

Pot Farms Busted On Romero and Cold Spring Trails

http://www.keyt.com/news/local/Sheriffs-Swoop-In-and-Wipe-Out-a-Pot-Farm-in-the-Montecito-Hills-99501784.html

Coccinellidae Return To Romero

Seems like Romero Canyon Trail has become a breeding ground for Coccinellidae A.K.A. Ladybugs. They will be appearing daily for the next several weeks at all the creek crossings.

Tree Huggers

Romero Canyon Gets Dozed

As soon as I got the press release that some of the Front Country Trails might be open, I got out there. I haven't been on any of the FCT'S in over a week and a half and was starting to go through withdrawals. I headed out to Romero to do the 5.5 mile loop run and I thought maybe I had heard wrong when I pulled up to the trail head. There were three large semis almost blocking the road and a half dozen other fire fighting vehicles nearby. The Cal Fire guy waved me through and I asked if the trail was open. He told me yes, they had just finished and apologized that they may have ruined the fire road by plowing it. I told him not even a problem and thanks for all the hard work. Anything that is going to make the fire fight a little easier I am all for even though it may slightly change the landscape.

Heading up the fire road it was really powdered. Much more powdered than the last time it got plowed and much wider this time too. In fact it was almost wide enough for two cars to pass each other in some places. It is definitely still a 4x4 road but much smoother than the last time they plowed during the Zaca Fire. As I headed up the canyon trail it looked the same. It was the same until one spot about 1/2 mile from the cross-roads where rocks and debris from above have covered the trail. I cleared a bit of the smaller stuff away but a boulder the size of a desk is still on the trail. Other than that, the trail is virtually the same up to the fire road.

On the way down the road I could hear the dozers at the very top near Camino Cielo working. From what I could tell nobody had even been up there yet on bike or foot. As I headed down I ran into a few other hikers and cyclists trying this new road out. It will be some time before it is back to a hard packed tread again. After getting home I spoke with local ranger Kerry Kellogg who told me for the first time since the 1970's he drove the Romero Road again today. I was happy to have this trail back especially after seeing photos of Tunnel and Rattlesnake Trails in the Indy and the damage they sustained. Both these trails are going to need extensive repairs in the near future to become usable again. Dave

Parking Area?

The New Trail Head Masticator

Romero Canyon Trail Debris

More Debris

The Newly Widened Cross-Roads

Romero Highway

Another Happy Trail User- Note This Area Had Large Rock Slide Damage Before Last Week

Ladybug Redux

Romero Canyon today where the ladybug invasion is still on.