Dan and Hannah Abort Hiking in the Romero Canyon in Montecito, Find Solace on the Franklin Trail in Carpinteria, California (2024)

This first Friday in February the threat of Sunday’s Atmospheric River looms over the Central Coast of California. The anticipatory sense is similar to what I feel when a hard charging Nor’easter blows into New England. 

Carpinteria and Santa Barbara are on the south-facing coast between Santa Maria and Los Angeles. Bulls-eye!

This past Wednesday overnight we had an intro atmospheric river that dumped 2+ inches of the much needed liquid gold for 40 million Californians.  While the sun is out on this hiking Friday, we know that we’ll hike before the heavy rains likely close many of our favorite trails here in the Front Country of Santa Barbara County.

We are soon to be reminded that happiness in life depends largely on how one deals with Plan B.  Thank you, Anne Lamott! (Author of Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith) Let me explain.

Fifteen minutes away in Montecito, the Romero Canyon, an old favorite, but closed all of 2023 due to storm-damaged trails, has just reopened within the past week.  Arriving at the roadside parking, we see a new bridge where for years there has been a barrier across the creek. 

The new bridge below the trailhead parking for the Romero Canyon Trail

The trailhead waterfall that tumbles from the Romero Canyon Creek to the Pacific welcomes us on this two-mile hike with a 1000’ elevation gain into the mountains.

This two-mile mostly creek hugging trail is a staple of our winter months here on the Central Coast of California.

At the outset, the trail is steeper and far rockier than I remember.  Climbing steadily, we arrive at the first creek crossing with water arushing. Will the large stones and boulders be our ticket across the creek?

The trail requires some stone hopping, but there’s a problem.  The water from Wednesday’s storm is rushing amid the rocks and stones such that crossing is impossible without getting are hiking shoes soaked.  Soft but still lovable, we are not keen in hiking in wet boots, let alone the chance falling on the slippery smooth stones. So we look upstream. 

I suggest that we boulder climb along the side of the creek to see if there is a suitable place to cross upstream.  Frog walking on all fours on the slick boulders, we get ¼ of the way across the creek but are turned back by the rushing water. 

Downstream is no bargain either.

Looking at each other, we “know” our decision before we say the words.  Abort the mission! 

We need a Plan B? Fortunately we have an alternative as we drive the foothill route 192 from Montecito, through Summerland to Carpinteria High School.  There we have the Franklin Trail for our hiking pleasure.

20 minutes on a winding two-lane country highway

Let my pictures take you into the mountains.

For the first 3/4 of a mile, we follow the straight and narrow paths along Carpinteria High School.

Later we pass the greenhouses of orchids and the orchards of avocados.

The real trail into the mountains begins.

There are avocado orchards aplenty. Fortunately, we have an avocado connection as a friend has an avocado tree that produces, it seems, hundreds of avocados each year.

Once into the mountains, the trail is a delightful series of switchbacks.

The controversial cannabis greenhouses dominate the low lands. The smell from the growing weed disturbs many locals. With 76-year-old olfactory organs, I don’t smell a thing.

We hike the Franklin Trail every year and have never seen a bear. That said, we saw lion tracks just north of this location last year.

The doer of her own stunts, Hannah rests at Frank’s Bench, our turnaround point.

Near the trailhead in front of Carpinteria High School is the, some would say, questionable caricature of an Indian Chief, something out of 1950s American television. The local Chumash people cannot be happy!