The Adult Ed hiking class went to a castle in the mountains last Tuesday. Up San Marcos Pass we trundled, til just before the suspension bridge over the canyon. Then a couple of miles on good road, and another half mile on a not-so good road. Parking was limited but at least available.
Looking back toward Santa Barbara, the ocean was covered with a uniform layer of fog (weathermanese, "marine layer." No kidding.). The so-called trail to Castle Ruinous (aka Knapp Castle) was wide, and had in fact been a Model T-era driveway. We enjoyed the many native plants along the way, and of course I took photos. My favorite is a view of the castle on its promentary seen through the rust-colored clusters of California Buckwheat.
Click to biggify!
The beautiful home burned in the 1940s. The native rock foundations survived. The fireplaces, window surrounds, and chimneys survived. They are what make the ruin so scenic. Since all are stone, it makes the ruin appear like a ruined castle. The archways which formed the fireplaces are perfect for framing shots of the valley beyond. You can see Lake Cachuma (pale blue) and the Santa Ynez river way below.
Two massive fireplaces provide arched frames for interesting photos. Three huge picture window frames provide the rest. The area must have been the living room. Below is same fireplace, looking back toward the hill and trail.
The shade of these young oak trees provides a look at the eastern fireplace. It had what appears to be a bread baking oven in the stone next to it.
In the nineteenth century, this would have been considered a "romantic" ruin. People would tour it, as we did; artists would draw and paint it; and young girls would invent romantic stories of the tragedies that caused it to fall into ruin.
I hope to get back there at sunset some time. The ruin faces west, and the views ought to be spectacular. A short hike, but well worth it.
And finally. My new BFF is this hiking stick, perfect for uneven terrain. One of my hiking buddies found it and knew I wanted one. I took it home, cut off about nine inches, and covered the handle area in leather. A pair of colorful shoelaces provided a braided handle, and a ty-wrap its attachment. It is local hardwood: Greenbark Ceonothus, a tall brushy shrub which bears lovely flowers in the spring. It is sometimes called "Mountain Lilac." I'm delighted!
