Sunday, February 23, 2020

2020/2/23 MeetUp & LPTR at La Misión de La Purísima Concepción de la Santísima Virgen María



A fine day to climb to the higher Burton Mesa area of La Misión de La Purísima Concepción de la Santísima Virgen María. From there we had a view of the entire Lompoc Valley.

We  started by walking up the central valley of the lower Mission acres, before going off onto the trails.                             Eventually we covered        6.31 miles in 2:20 hours.

The dirt access road still has the system of stone cisterns alongside that were used to bring water down from a spring to the main Mission buildings.
 
Today with the cheerful bright sunny day it was still eerie to see all the Spanish moss draping the trees.

                                                                This tree obviously scarred by fire had a ready made home for a small creature.
Our goal, visible on the upper horizon, was to angle on the access roads toward the tanks, and then return by a more circuitous route through the single-track trails.

The trails are overgrown, but we cheerfully bashed our way through them, knowing full well that we could be knocking ticks down on ourselves. 
I'm quite sure that after a couple of weeks just hanging around his paddock Tobe Mule is as happy as I am to be out in the landscape. 
And today he earned himself a lot of extra carrots taking us up to the top of the Mesa.

Once there I asked all the gals to line up their animals for souvenir photos. Always a nice memory to share.

Jamie Buse on Mosca the Thoroughbred

Jo Benko on JohnBoy Mule
Lisa Bullock on Shameless the Rocky Mountain Horse

Nancy Moore on Jugueton the Paso Fino

Stormy Knight on Pico the Performance Arabian
Bunnie Dunstone on Greter, 3/4 Arab and 1/4 Quarter Horse
Deborah Thorsen on Carbon Del Peru the Peruvian Paso
and of course
Pat Fish on Tobe the Rocky Mountain Mule

Then it was time to head down the trail towards the rigs and home.
Tobe and I followed a bit behind the group, letting their dust settle before we brought up the rear.
No rush. 
This landscape was once teeming with the padres and their congregants, the captured local Chumash Indians. Now only their ghosts remain, and we are free to explore the chaparral and the views.

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" Stick to your dreams 
and determine that you're going to make them come true."
- Ronald Reagan

#####FIN### PAT FISH #######