Mule Trail

The view we love, looking out from the Live Oak trail toward Lake Cachuma on the horizon.

The most beautiful visual from the overcast day were the stands of opuntia cactus, with their fruit still golden and not yet ripened to crimson.

Pat and Tobe take a tour of a place we all know well, Ellwood Devereux Mesa.

Once again the weather calls us up North to Mission La Purisima, often reliably cooler and overcast making for pleasant rides.

Pat and Tobe Mule went for a ride to see the seasonal changes at La Purisima Mission above Lompoc.

Tobe Mule and Pat had the opportunity to ride around the grounds of the Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Time for a visit to a slower pace of life up to Foxen Canyon in Los Olivos at the Brown Ranch where cows amble and coyotes howl between the more civilized neighboring acres of famous vineyards.

Pat details a ride on the 30,000-acre Huasna Land and Cattle Company private ranch out East of Arroyo Grande.

Tobe Mule and Pat ventured up and over to the Santa Ynez Valley, where a bright sunny day awaited to explore the trails on the 2,860-acre property of the Midland School.

A lost calf was stuck on the Live Oak Camp side of the fence that divides the public lands from the Rancho San Fernando Rey property.

Pat and Tobe took a mule ride with the Santa Ynez Valley Riders at Live Oak.

The first mule ride of 2022 included blue skies over Live Oak

The last mule ride of 2021 took place at La Purisima Mission on December 19th.

Pat and Tobe take a ride looking out to the sea and one of the oil platforms, the high view from Gaviota State Park, at Las Cruces where the 101 and 1 split.

Seeing the wild Bucking Horses at Live Oak is always a special thrill.

Pat shares a lovely trail ride through Live Oak Camp at Lake Cachuma near Santa Ynez.

Pat and Tobe took a trip up north and rode along the Oceano Dunes of Pismo Beach.

The mountains that form the Gaviota Pass, bringing Highway 1 out to the Central California coastline above Santa Barbara.

Pat and Tobe joined ten riders at Los Flores Ranch, eight miles south of Santa Maria in the Solomon Hills in Northern Santa Barbara County.

Pat and Tobe explored the Baron Ranch on the Gaviota Coast.

Pat and Tobe trekked through the fog of the Gaviota Coast.

Pat and Tobe tracked through a little-used side trail on the grounds of La Purisima Mission.

On a day too hot to ride elsewhere we chose to explore the forests and back trails of the La Purisma, where it was comparatively cool and shady.

Looking West from an observation point on Los Flores Ranch, to the seacoast under a marine layer of fog near Santa Maria.

On a hot summer day, Pat and Tobe the Mule rode the grounds of Mission La Purisima in Lompoc.

Pat and Tobe took a tour of the set where M.A.S.H. was filmed in Malibu Creek State Park.

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.

Another mule trail ride through oak trees on a path at the La Purisima Mission.

The MeetUp Conquers took a ride up the Live Oak Chalk Hill Summit last weekend.

Pat went a trail ride at the Paramount Movie Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Agoura.