DMS Hike Club Classics!
(1999 - 2000)

December 16, 1999

We went to my house in the woods on San Marcos Pass for a special Christmas Hike Club. We never did get around to hiking, but there was lots to do. Mojo loved it!

December 9, 1999

It was cold and threatening rain today, so we decided that Las Cruces Hot Springs was the place to be. It rained on the drive there and back, but it let up while we were there. It's not quite hot-tub hot, but the warm mud is great!

December 2, 1999

We hiked up Paradise Canyon looking for a waterfall. I hiked down this wild canyon last summer with my dog Mojo and tried to get to the bottom, but we got to a waterfall that Mojo couldn't do. We barely made it back before dark. Today we tried to hike up the creek from Paradise to the same waterfall, but we ran out of time. Along the way we found fall colors, pools, mushrooms, and banana slugs! Did you ever kiss a banana slug?

November 11, 1999

We hiked to little known limestone cave hidden somewhere along Paradise Road. These are the only real stalactites I know about around here. Actually the rock is sandstone, but there's also a lot of lime. On the way back to the van, we found fresh mountain lion and bear scat within 100 feet of each other. Now we know that the bear does!

November 4, 1999

For hike club this week we stayed at school to do bike prep for our weekend Piece of Cake bike ride from Cambria to Morro Bay and on to Montaña de Oro. There is a separate photo album of our ride.

October 28, 1999

We hiked to Lizard Mouth, a fun playground of sculpted rocks and caves perched on the summits overlooking Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands.

October 20, 1999

I couldn't do regular Hike Club this week, but my Wednesday elective skimboard class finished their boards, and we went to Refugio Beach to try them out. That's almost hike club, and we ended up exploring the tide pools!

October 14, 1999

It's been hot all week, but it turned cold and cloudy today for hike club, *sigh*. We went to Refugio Beach anyway, and there were some waves! We had a fine time body-surfing, hiking around the point, and dodging the waves. That orange rock is a soft iron oxide called limonite that makes a fine face paint! We also played alligator. Does anyone else still remember this old 60s surfer game? It's the original (and free) version of Jenga. You make a pile of damp sand and push a stick or feather in the top. Then you take turns removing as much sand as you like. Whoever brings the stick down becomes the alligator and has to crawl into the water while everyone else chucks sand at them! It's a great way to get in the water when no one really wants too!

October 7, 1999

We hiked to Redrock past the end of Paradise Road where we met Julie and my dog Mojo who likes to fetch kids after they jump! Despite low water, it's still the most beautiful swimming hole on the river. It's fall, there's a chill in the water.

September 30, 1999

We went to Refugio Beach. I was having so much fun snorkling in clear water with Art and Rachel, I didn't get many pictures. Is that a sand- mermaid or crawdad?!

September 23, 1999

We went to the last crossing at Paradise for big jumps! This swimming hole is on the Santa Ynez earthquake fault just before the Red Rock parking lot, and it's much too deep to touch bottom. Dedicated jumpers have carved steps into the rock face. We figure that jump's about 4 Spencers high. Look close at the last picture to see someone sitting on the high jump where I wouldn't let our kids go!

September 16, 1999

For the first hike club of the year, of course we went to our favorite swimming hole in Paradise at the 2nd crossing of the Santa Ynez River to jump off the rocks and the rope swing! Yahoo!

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Marc took these photos with his Olympus 320L digital camera.
Contact Marc if you would like a full size (1024x768) copy of any photo.