Week of July 3rd 2011: Rattlesnake Canyon

I really love hiking, but it's a little ridiculous how infrequently I do it. My parents house was located behind a huge park and I basically grew up going on hikes, climbing trees, and discovering new paths literally in my back yard. I always want to go on hikes but it is one of the few things that I won't do alone (I've read enough articles about young women disappearing in the woods) so when my cousin posted pictures on Facebook of a beautiful hike in the Santa Barbara woods - I asked if she would take me on that hike when I visited.

My cousin, Alexah, loves the outdoors. Last summer when I went to visit, it was the summer before her senior year in high school and she was about to go on a fellowship in Yellowstone. She was also on track (and did) to graduate a semester early. She's pretty much amazing so I was pretty confident that she was going to lead us on a great hike.

We drove through the winding Santa Barbara hills until we finally arrived at the place where we could enter the hike. As we were following a stream, Alexah suggested just walking barefoot. At first my mind jumped at every terrible possibility - leeches, slipping, stepping on a pointy rock - and then I thought, "She's clearly done this before and you used to this when you were her age too. When did you get so... worried?" so I took off my shoes and joined her.

The hike was amazing. It wasn't the normal trail path that I do occasionally here in San Francisco, but one where you had to step over stones, fallen branchs, walk through the creek and climb over rocks. This is the kind of thing that I used to do when I was Alexah's age and younger and I missed it so badly. We eventually got to a point where there was a short waterfall and a pool of water. Alexah climbed up the rocks and jumped into the water and I knew I couldn't let her show me up so I soon followed. We continued our hike through the hills until we found a second waterfall / pool area. Alexah continued to jump into the water but this pool was a lot colder and a little shallower so I decided just to watch this time.

I loved this hike so much. It was nice to do something carefree but also a little more complicated than just following a trail - anyone can do that. I also got to spend some time with my little cousin in almost total solitude (we only saw two other people the whole time). I will definitely drag her out for another hike next time I'm in Santa Barbara for a weekend.