A Hike Through the Utah Backcountry

Before heading back to California, we decided to go on a little hike through the backcountry. I had planned to climb to the top of a ridge to take a photo of the surrounding landscape... however, the snow was much too deep and I did not have proper equipment (needed snowshoes and pants!). Therefore, I was limited to taking photos from the trail. Next time I will plan better. Utah has a very beautiful landscape!

Getting Inspired at Inspiration Point

Santa Barbara has some of the best hiking trails in California... and one of my favorites is less than 10 minutes from my apartment: Inspiration Point.

Inspiration Point is probably one of the easiest trails to climb (part of it is paved). However, you still work up a bit of a sweat as you make your ascent. At the end of the trail, you tower above the city of Santa Barbara and have an amazing view of the surrounding area... city, ocean, mountains, sky, sun.

I was trying to take a picture that best represents Santa Barbara... and in looking through my photos, I thought this was one of the best I had. Hope you enjoy! 

Sunrise Hike at Malolo Lailai

I took these photos on my last day in Fiji. I had woken up before the sun in order to go on one final surf mission. However, the wind was blowing the wrong direction, it was raining, and the swell had dropped... so I decided to not go. As I was walking back to my villa (to go back to sleep), I noticed a break in the clouds... and it looked like the sun might peak out. Therefore, I decided to grab my camera and go for a hike. The cool thing about the island of Malolo Lailai is that it is one big hiking trail and you can basically go wherever you want (granted you have the energy). I started at the base of a beach and climbed over a little mountain to a clearing I spotted the day prior. From what I saw, it looked like a good spot to watch the sunrise over the big island of Viti Levu (which you see in the background). I'm not sure if these pictures do it justice... but the sunrise was spectacular. I would have liked to go surfing one more time prior to my departure, but this was a pretty decent consolation prize. Hope you enjoy!

Santa Barbara Hiking Trails - Inspiration Point

Inspiration Point is one of the closest and easiest hikes in the Santa Barbara area (only 5 minutes away from the downtown area). It also has one of the most beautiful views of the city. Therefore, it makes for a popular late afternoon or morning hike. In looking at the images, you can see why it's called Inspiration Point.

The trail starts on a paved road with a light incline. After the pavement stops, you will eventually get to a fork in the trail (go left!!)... and it will lead you down to a creek (which is dry during the summer months). If you follow the creek, you will get to 7 Falls (have to do a bit of rock jumping). However, if you pass the creek and continue going up, you will eventually find yourself on top of Inspiration Point! The summit itself is rather non distinct, but you can tell you're at the top when looking down on the city of Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara Hiking Trails - Cold Spring(s) Trail

Cold Spring(s) Trail starts off with a very gentle climb to an area with small waterfalls (the creek bed was a bit low when I was there... so waterfalls were extra small). After you get to a sign for "West Fork Cold Springs Trail", it starts getting a bit more steep and will eventually lead you up to Edison Rd. From Edison Rd, there is a beautiful vista looking down on Montecito and Santa Barbara (in the distance). If you want to challenge yourself a bit further, there is an even steeper trail that leads higher into the mountains. The views from up there are even more incredible and there are some really cool yucca plants that dot the trail. Definitely recommend this hike!

Can still see traces of fire damage on certain trees.

We were actually searching for a waterfall (that didn't exist) and ended up on this boulder trail. After we got to a certain height, we realized that getting down would be much more difficult than going up. Therefore, it was at this point that we decided to turn around and admit defeat (my running shoes were not providing much traction on the boulders)

Santa Barbara Hiking Trails - Rattlesnake Canyon

Santa Barbara has some of the best hiking trails in the US... not only are the views and scenery amazing, but the weather is perfect for most of the year. The images shown here were taken at Rattlesnake Canyon. The trail name doesn't necessarily mean that you'll encounter a rattlesnake (although, I guess you could)... but rather refers to the curvy nature of the canyon/trail (which resembles a rattlesnake). The hike is moderate for most of the way. However, it gets a bit challenging and steep if you steer off the main trail and go away from the creek. Before you get to the steep part, there was a beautiful little meadow with thousands of yellow flowers blooming. Hope you enjoy the photos!