Wampum

Since we descended the Sierras to the California coast last September, we haven't voyaged more than perhaps an hour inland, particularly since November, when we removed to Santa Barbara county and the beach campgrounds at Jalama and Refugio. Last weekend, we moved off the coast, to a campground at 800 feet, on Lake Cachuma, just north of the first ridge of hills above the coastal plain. Yesterday, we took the plunge, and decided to see just what is past that next set of bumps. As you can see on the map to the left, the mountains outside of Santa Barbara aren't the highest in California, compared with the Sierras, but as a "coastal range" goes, they're pretty impressive, with peaks over 8,500 feet (for all you NorthEasterners (like me), Mount Washington tops out at 6288 ft.)

We only barely entered the Los Padres National Forest, and within a half hour, the road was at 4,000 feet. We didn't even make it to the second campground past Wheeler's Gorge, as our gas tank wasn't as prepared as we were, so we turned around and headed back down to the sea. But I've now pulled out my camping guides, searching for our next location among the California Condors. If you have suggestions, we'd love to hear them. We're only limited by our trailer length (30 ft.), and, okay, my irrational fear of rattlesnakes.