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The Flowers of Mission Canyon LbNA #28952

Owner:Dooriya
Plant date:Feb 25, 2007
Location:
City:Santa Barbara
County:Santa Barbara
State:California
Boxes:6
Found by: zanni
Last found:Feb 17, 2010
Status:FFFFF
Last edited:Feb 25, 2007
Start at the trailhead for Tunnel Trail/Seven Falls Trail at the top of Tunnel Road in Santa Barbara. You'll be going up to Jesusita trail/Inspiration Point eventually, so poke around at trail websites for help if you need to. A good one is: http://www.santabarbarahikes.com
and http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_national_forest/ca/hik_losp.htm


#1 A Light in a Vast Night
Only a bit in: a fork! Go right, down. Next to a caged e-beast stands a rock-laden tree. Look under the immovable tree boulder.

#2 Dawn at Cement Castle
Back on the main trail: A bridge. The little green house overlooks the barb-protected aqueduct. Its other view is a concrete block cliff. Scale this little bluff and look for the box in the middle of a cracked-concrete U.

#3 Curls in Your Hair
Suddenly, no more asphalt. Continue on the main trail on the left. Just a little bit after the dirt replaces the pavement, (before the Tunnel Trail turnoff sign) spot the big lone tree on the left. Peer into the forest. A secret boulder meeting is taking place in there. Before crashing their party, spy a wee path between two huge stones. Now get on over there! Once you've cleared the big cluster of boulders:
To the South you will see,
A tree is a V;
the flower lies under rocks 3.

#4 You're My Medicine
Ignore the Tunnel Trail, stay on ol' Jesusita. After a refreshing toe-dip, keep directly West. The trail stays softly curving, somewhat narrow, and then it becomes Switchback City. While winding, winding, keep on the lookout for a manufactured and manplaced wooden log in the middle of the trail. Soon there will be lots of them, making lovely steps, but you want the first one. Go directly to the left to the sandstone wall.
Between the third and fourth giant grows this blossom.

#5 Butterfly Vista
Upon encountering an access road, take it to the East. What you seek is down, down, on the second leg of the power of 32. You'll get quite the view of the trails you just scaled.

#6 Sunny Day Picnic
Back at the crossroads, pick up the trail again on the left, and then follow it as it curves to the right (west). Walk past all the gawking tourists; there's a better view waiting for you at Inspiration Point. Go down the trail and keep an eye out for a large boulder on your left. Take the little mini-trail on the left and climb up to the top of that flat lookout. This is what you really came for. Santa Barbara and all its glory and neighbors glitters beneath you. La Cumbre Peak towers behind.

As for the box: look down, North by Northwest. See 3 rocks? Go to them. There's a mini-tunnel/cave between the two pieces of Inspiration Point that you can walk/stoop between to get over there. Once you're there, look yet more North by Northwest and poke around a scrubby tree surrounded by rocks.




I think it goes without saying, but I'm'a say it anyway. Please, please, be discreet. Tunnel/Jesusita/Seven Falls trails are EXTREMELY popular. I tried to place the boxes off the main path, in spots where you can hide from curious hikers and children. Take a snack and pretend to be eating lunch with all the ziploc bags involved. And please, please, cover them back up with the rocks I hid them with. Add more, if you feel a little bit of ziploc is showing!

Enjoy the hike. Inspiration Point and its surrounding trails is a great workout and a rewarding experience.