Lucky 777
By Pat Fish
Winter Solstice and perfect bright climate (can’t call it weather) beckoned to us to explore the shoreline and eucalyptus forests just North of UCSB.
We started out at the Ellwood School parking lot on the mountain side of Hollister Avenue, rode across the Mesa out to the cliff edge, proceeded South to check out the slough, then meandered back through eucalyptus groves and grass fields.
Five-ish miles in two-ish hours, just enough to stretch out the equines’ legs and get us out in nature.
A section of the Ellwood Mesa has been set aside as a preserve for the Monarch Butterflies. Tragically, today we saw NONE. Here are photographs taken there in 2011:
We used to see branches so covered with the orange magnificence that you couldn’t see the green leaves they clung to.
And with a certain irony, the news headlines today read:
With no effort made to water them the trees are on the verge of collapse, and with them will go the habitat the Monarchs relied on.
Once on the Mesa, the view of the Islands and the sea. The oil platform still dots the channel, and several more run up the coast, despite it being a marine sanctuary.
Once upon a time we used to be able to go down the cliffs to the beach and ride, but the Snowy Plover preservation plan has quashed that. One member of our group grew up boarding her horse nearby and riding wild through these trails, down onto the beach, being a thoroughly wild thing. As we walked the civilized paths she regaled us with tales of naked escapades and drunken near-death exploits.
Nature abides, and how wonderful to be out from behind a computer and seeing landscape stretching away in space.
This is the wicked little sign that forbids equines and dogs from going on the beach. In an age where people want to rat out their neighbor for not wearing a mask, we dare not trespass.
And these are the oil tanks that offshore oil used to be pumped in to.
But after several spills, they were abandoned and this area became part of a “wetland restoration” project to “mitigate” the careless use of the land.
When I was last here 4 years ago this was a native plant propagation lab, filled with plants that were being transplanted out into this landscape. Now it seems abandoned.
This used to be a lush golf course, filled with men in absurd bright plaid outfits and little golf carts whizzing around.
This is my photograph of this same area in 2011. It was actually quite lovely.
NOW it is a deserted waste of trampled dirt.
Airplanes constantly growling above add to the post-apocalyptic feel.
Equines forget nothing. Does Tobe remember this as lush grass and disturbing golf carts?
Signs forbid entry and call it a restoration, but it looks like a defeat.
We are forbidden entry, but I say it all looks like it could use a delivery of manure compost to mulch these dried up bushes.
Then we followed the road out to look at the slough.
I may be sounding uniquely cynical in this commentary, but I found the sight of masks on so many people dreadfully sad. Here they are, out in the fresh air, walking or bicycling alone, wearing a mask as if they believed the magic Virus could drift on a breeze and kill them.
And then, there it was, the slough. Almost dried up. A tiny trickle of water ran in a stream down the center. For comparison, here is a photo I took from near this viewpoint in 2011:
Few egrets hunting today, in what I had always seen as a rich ecosystem teeming with life.
But we all know you can’t go home again, so it was onward with today’s trail ride, time to turn back toward the starting point.
Which involved navigating not one but two metal span bridges that made more noise with every hoof step than any equine would like to hear.
Somehow this plover monument that bears a passing resemblance to male human anatomy felt like a big f-you to anyone who wanted to run amok on the beach with their horse or dog, or have a lush golf course at the seaside. Of course our native with childhood memories was doubly aghast, as she wondered where buildings like the old golf course club house had gone.
And crackerbox housing smashed densely together where once milkweed grew.
This is this field in 2011
Ah, sweet Goleta, the formerly Good Land.
But before we left it was opportune to take some portraits of my trail companions, with Santa Cruz island as the backdrop.
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| Noe on Marcos |
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| Maggie on Woodie |
Jamie on Mosca
Deborah on Carbon
and I’m a bit of a blur on Tobe Mule so I will close with this photo of us down on the beach in 2016
Horses are not supposed to be on North Campus Open Space, but masks are.
I find the sight of masks on so many people a sign of hope for the future, and am very grateful for the fact that they are doing what they can to protect me, my loved ones, my health care workers, and my community.
I was so enjoying your commentary and your pictures until you had to make a negative comment about people wearing masks – even in the fresh air – even outdoors. It’s so important to wear a mask anytime you are outside your house. I stopped reading at that point….
100%!
Wearing a Mask on an open air somewhat desolate hike (for most people) is quite silly. Yes Wear it in crowds and in indoors at stores/shopping (and if you are 80+ and/or immunocompromised) but seriously… silly comments on this post.
So far, just one silly comment, demonstrating a lack of understanding of virus transmission, at 5:44 PM.
Duke, I agree with you but the photo she made that comment on is not desolate, it is a relatively narrow road with lots of hikers and bikers passing each other in both directions. It’s an appropriate place to wear a mask.
You are correct, lot of silly comments on this thread (yours, et all).
That road is much wider than 6’ and the horses and the walker are the only people on it. Wearing a mask on that road is silly. I’ve hiked and run it hundreds of times. Silly time/place to wear a mask…
The funny/sad thing is you actually think you are right…people on hikes in nature HAVE to wear masks!! Crazy crazy!!!
Cue logorrhea.
Shackles and chains? In the context of this post (and it’s comments) the sentiments were outrage that the writer was disappointed to see people in nature on a hike in masks. You can do what you want… but like the writer it’s sad (and against science logic and health) to wear a mask in nature on your own…
And you are right… it’s not a big deal! But it’s akin to wearing a helmet everywhere you go. We all agree and understand that helmets are great and save lives… but you don’t need them when you step off the motorcycle/bike! Take the mask on and take a deep breathe in nature. Suicides and overdoses are up exponentially this year… A bit of of nature and some nice deep unencumbered breaths might just help…
Enjoyable read, thank you. I appreciate Pat’s sardonic ways.
maybe leave off the commentary next time?
Not to worry EdHatters, in future blogs I will return to my goal of making you all wish you were so fortunate as to own a mule and go adventuring in the front country. This day the landscape seemed ravaged and it made me sad, so I was a bit snarky. And If I believe, with DUKEMUNSON, that people out in nature ought to be getting the full benefit of oxygen, well, to each their own. I always wear a helmet when I ride, I use seatbelts, we make the choices for personal safety that each of us considers appropriate.
Please let us know how a mask deprives one of oxygen.
Thanks! I enjoy the photos – and also appreciate the commentary, although I may not agree with all the observations. It was very surprising to read the start-off one, that in the future there should be just photos, …by photographers EMI and AQuaholic! I love seeing what I have not before seen and reading observations I may not have thought of or agree with!
Hurrah for Edhat for encouraging (by allowing) differing points of view … and why I subscribe and do not to the once-independent Independent or the News-Press or pay to belong to the “progressive” LWV-SB. It’s getting rare to be able to hear or even read differing local voices.
On a nature hike it’s silly to wear a mask… take it off and breathe!!! We live in a place where you can easily get out and distance… leave the mask in the pocket and enjoy all that we have to offer.
Wearing a mask outside makes no sense whatsoever in most circumstances, but I often see people driving alone in their cars with masks on also. It is sad, and the vitriolic comments about those who don’t wear a mask outside remind me that prohibition wasn’t so long ago and was enforced by the same kind of small-minded busybodies.