+Irie Pete's Random Thoughts

Monkey's Butt Cave

+Irie Pete — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 19:27:22 GMT

At the base of the Monkey's Tooth is a giant cave. The entrance is about 40 ft wide and 20 ft tall and the cave goes back inside the rock about 60 ft. Biggest cave I've been in all of Santa Barbara. No Chumash rock paintings, but you could tell that they had used it as a shelter and sacred spot.Thanks BDow for letting me know it's there. +Irie Pete

Climbing to the Clouds

+Irie Pete — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 19:21:29 GMT

Finally managed to climb up Cathedral Peak to what is known as "Monkey Tooth Rock" on Sunday. It was a super strenuous straight up boulder scramble up the Dragons Back from Seven Falls. Spectacular views from the top of the rock were a satisfying reward for the effort. Signed the register, enjoyed some lunch and a bowl while soaking up the December sun in the Santa Barbara hills. Made it back down as the sun set, dead tired, but elated. +Irie Pete

Amazing Monarchs

+Irie Pete — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 19:11:46 GMT

I took the kids to visit the Monarch groves out at the Coronado Monarch Preserve at Elwood Beach over Thanksgiving weekend. Large clumps of butterlies in the Eucalypus trees--they look just like leaves when they fold up their wings and hang from the branches in big groups. Early morning is a good time to go, since most are still resting. As the sun warms them, they begin to flutter about foraging on the many flowering plants in the area. +Irie Pete

Frog City at Seven Falls

+Irie Pete — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 23:44:36 GMT

Well, my company still gives us Columbus Day off, so I decided to go exploring. I hiked up to one of the nicest spots for a swim in SB--Seven Falls. Tons of frogs everywhere. I mean, I could barely walk without fear of trampeling several underfoot. They were the little kind, grey and about the size of a dime. The water is still flowing up there, but the very upper pools were dry.

Sad Sea Lion

+Irie Pete — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 22:51:19 GMT

Came across this sick sea lion on Butterfly Beach today, and saw a dead dolphin on the beach Tuesday. Very sad to see. We get toxic algae blooms out in the SB Channel that can cause death in marine mammals. Increased municipal wastewater discharges and runoff from agricultural processes seems to be a possible culprit responsable for a phenomena that, though naturally occuring, has been on the rise in recent years.

Up the Canyon to the Ladybugs' Picnic

+Irie Pete — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 22:22:09 GMT

I ventured up Romero Canyon today for a bit of creek stompin' and rock hoppin'. As I bush-whacked through the dense riparian habitat, I came across swarms of ladybugs clinging together on the rocks and bushes by the water in the sunshine. Very syncronistic moment for me in that we released a ton of ladybugs at the Organic Festival in Alameda Park in Santa Barbara yesterday. You don't see that every day!. I also got startled by a foot long Southern Alligator Lizard that I thought was a rattlesnake at first when he skittered of into the underbrush.

Beachin' Day

+Irie Pete — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 22:12:40 GMT

Today for lunch I went for a walk-run-swim-bodysurf sesh at Loon Point, just south of SB. There is a nice 4-6 ft swell happening right now. The skies were overcast with the temps of the air & sea about the same--65 degrees. I set out on a brisk 2 mile run down to Santa Claus Lane with a half gig of Hornings Cheese OTR mp3's on my cellphone. Particularly enjoyed listening to Give Me the Love, Born on the Wrong Planet, and Birdland. On the way I saw Pelicans & Cormorants diving and feasting on patches of Anchovies; a pod of Common Dolphins cruisin' offshore; Harbor Seals bobbing outside the surf line watching me as I ran past; flocks of little Sanderlings, Sandpipers, Willets, and Marbled Godwits probing the wet sands for Amphipods; a dead Shovelnosed Guitarfish and an amazing Purple Stripped Jellyfish freshly washed ashore by the wind and waves. On the way back I stopped to enjoy frollicking in the waves, caught some nicely peeling point surf from a waist-deep sandbar launch pad. A beachin' afternoon to say the least.

Sweet Spots in SB

+Irie Pete — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 00:22:38 GMT

So, I've been trying to get out on the local trails more often this summer. I took a long lunch break today and hiked up to a sweet swimmin' hole on San Ysidro Creek. Cool pools abound still, even though it is mid September. Saw many blue belly fence lizards, swallowtail butterflies, baby trout (possibly steelhead), mudpuppy newts, neon blue dragonflies, water skeeters, polywogs, frogs, blue jays, hawks, bush tits, and giant underwater leaf cutter bugs. The pool I settled at was about ten feet deep and had great rock jumping spots--felt so good to dry out on a rock in the sun. So, get out and enjoy your local sweet spots. You will be glad you did!