2021/5/9 Mothers' Day MeetUp at Rancho Oso

 

An opportunity to follow a cool and shady trail on Mothers' Day, through the white oaks in the acres surrounding Rancho Oso, a Thousand Trails Resort on the Santa Ynez River above Santa Barbara.

We seem to have tracked the shape of Africa as we rambled across the Arroyo Burro trails.

Not a long ride, but a pleasant one.

We did not have too much of a plan, just to be above the city and in nature.

Leading directly out of the paddock area the trail is well used by people who board their animals here and the many locals who come up to access the trails.

Because the land is technically part of the Los Padres National Forest no chainsaws can be used.

So if a tree falls across the trail a work-around must be created, instead of cutting a passageway through the trunk. 

This leads to a lot of detours.

Heading up toward Camino Cielo the trail is cut very deep into the dirt. In some places walking in the ditch it was so deep the bottoms of my stirrups touched the sides.

In places like this the shade under the trees and the sounds of birds is quite transporting. We move through it at mule speed, and observe the tiny spring flowers blooming and the hear the rustle of small creatures getting out of our way.

When the trees open out into grassland we can see the Edison lines on the upper horizon, evidence of civilization in a place where there is minimal cell phone reception. Every so often all our phones will start to ping in unison as we happen upon a part where the phones pick up a signal and download messages.

For me, I like best passing through the oaks, feeling like I am back in time and voyaging across landscape in another part of the world.  As we head into summer the green is still with us, not yet the high fire season.

Today my companions were Cookie on Morgan, Jamie on Mosca, and C.C. on Woodie. Cookie boards her horse there, so she was our informed guide.

We passed the entrance to the White Oaks Camp of the Santa Barbara Trail Riders.

All I know is it is exclusive and online it says they are a non-profit with 95 members.

And NO girls allowed in that club.


Well heck, we've got the MeetUp with 421 members and we like everybody.

So we headed back down toward the river. Tobe and I often mosey along this far back, it is the best of worlds. We have the safety of being with friends, but the sensual experience of being out alone. Plus if I want to sing silly cowboy songs to Mr Mule no one laughs at the lyrics.

This very strangely formed rock placed on a boulder seemed like a signpost, but for what I will never know.

It qualifies as found art.

Here the trail meandered back and forth, sometimes dropping with very rocky sections, causing what the mule guys would call a "pucker factor." 

But if the horses ahead of me can manage, I must not fear, for yea I go forth on a mule.

Then it was time to ford the Santa Ynez River. At this time of year, not much rain and going into summer, it is only inches deep and not very wide.

Of course the animals like the opportunity to get a drink, and cool their hooves in the water, and have a snack of the reeds. On the other side Morgan is not quite sure what looks edible.

Tobe Mule would always rather snack on water plants than have a drink, so he appreciates the time-out.

We passed on heading up into the canyons, where we usually opt to go, because today we just wanted a short ramble. So we walked up the dry riverbed and angled back toward the staging area.

Walking up toward the barn we saw a massive amount of piled up deadfall branches. A combination of trees dying in the drought and not being able to burn campfires.

And the last sight on this trail, the string horses waiting patiently for the little buckaroos to load up and get ready to go out for a pony ride.

That was certainly my introduction to equines, half a century ago, but then it was in the mountains of Pasadena, California. How much more splendid these landscapes here, how very lucky I am to have the ability to explore them.

“Bilbo was sadly reflecting that adventures are not all pony-rides in May-sunshine...”
― J.R.R. Tolkien,The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

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2021/3/21 MeetUp Oso Canyon Exploration

 

Oso Canyon above the Santa Ynez River, off Paradise Road.

Six MeetUp riders, 6.51 miles in 3.21 hours on the trail.

As always a diverse group of equestrians with their mounts of many styles and colors. 

We began at Rancho Oso, where we know the gatekeepers will guarantee our rigs from vandalism. We started out with a plan that was quickly derailed when Jamie saw the sign for the Waterfall Trail.

She's one of those gals who just has to check out a place she's never been, so off we went to see what there was to see.

This astonishingly huge tank appeared at the end of the trail. The last time I rode out there all that existed was a flat cover over a cistern. 

Come to think of it that was quite a few years ago.

So now we know what's there!

Curiosity satisfied we got back on the main Bath Tub trail and passed by the mare pasture where one of the horses traveling with us lives. 

Her pasture mates called out to her.

But we passed by.

The spring grass was abundant, and it was a pleasure that some rocky places in this trail that had always been a challenge have been repaired nicely.

Of course even as we headed into wilderness there were the inevitable signs of civilization, antivirus face masks on the trail.

But we were breathing the pure fresh air of nature, and glad of it.

We passed through the camping area, and headed down to the Arroyo Burro river crossing.

The shady oaks on a hot sunny day were very pleasant.

Then we turned the corner to the river, which usually would be filled with an expanse of water at this time of year. But it is completely choked with reeds.

There was just enough water to get the animals' hooves hydrated before climbing up into the canyon.

For comparison

this is what this exact spot looked like 5 years ago.

Tobe Mule was in the middle of taking a drink when suddenly 3 bicycle riders careened around the trail corner and skidded to a stop at the water's edge.

They were pleasant enough, but when they were informed that good trail etiquette encourages them to announce their approach when riding up on equines they seemed to have never been informed of that.

Thankfully we met lots of other bike riders who slowed down and did announce themselves, nicely sharing the trail.

We let them speed on ahead and started the ascent to Paradise Road.

The road is filled with bicycles and cars, amazing how differently humans behave. Some slow down graciously as they pass us by, some, not so much. Tobe Mule is a steady fellow. He will track their passing with his ears but he keeps his feet on the path.

From Paradise Road we could look down, across the Santa Ynez River, and back to where the rigs were parked on the grounds of Rancho Oso.

We stopped in some shade to let the animals rest a bit before continuing on.

Finally, onto the trail and up into Oso Canyon, fording the stream that joins the river.

Lots of the path was very dry, and I tossed the last of my California state flower poppy seeds out onto the waste areas. It may be too late in the season for them to take root now, there may not be rain to sprout them.

In which case the ground squirrels will thank me for delivering a treat.

So many of the trees that should be budding forth Spring growth looked dead, just like we see on all the trails.

BUT once we got into the Upper Oso Campground it was astonishingly green. The pole paddocks for horse campers had been repaired, and were very overgrown, waiting to be used.

In contrast to the giant motor homes filling the campsites at Rancho Oso, here the place was deserted.

The roads were still in poor condition, as they have been for several years.

There is a lot of evidence of flash flooding washing away roads and campsites. 

But traveling on the four-legged as we do this was no deterrence. 

Water spilling over what used to be a road made a nice waterfall.

Having reached the end of the route we wished to take we turned back toward home.

It would have been nice to see families out here teaching their kids about nature.

Less than an hour above the cityscape of Santa Barbara, the restorative quiet of the mountains.

So down the canyon, across the road and back to Rancho Oso. Just enough for one day's adventuring.

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where –"
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

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