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Apr 26, 2023 — Montecito Peak is a popular hike for the locals of Santa Barbara and surrounding area, so we found it odd that the trailhead was comprised of little more than pull-outs off the winding East Mountain Drive. Chris and I set out along the East Fork Cold Spring Trail, which took us north as it paralleled Montecito Creek. We passed a junction with the West Fork Cold Spring Trail, keeping to the East Fork. The flowing water sounds were really nice, and the hike was shaded for the first mile. The well-maintained trail crosses the creek a couple of times and passes a waterfall before ascending east and away from the creek.
A couple of long switchbacks brought us up the slope and to another trail junction, which some hikers use to form a partial loop. We enjoyed the shade and Cold Spring Creek, and rather than do this other loop portion on our way back decided to just make this an out-and-back. The trail continues ascending and soon we reached a junction with a dirt service road complete with powerlines overhead. Sticking to this road only a short time, the Cold Spring Trail became single track again as it led north. Wrapping around minor humps and creeping along the western slope of Montecito Peak, the trail progressed toward the summit. All the trees and lush foliage were gone at this point, replaced with typical chaparral. Fortunately the view toward the coast was quite nice as we ascended, otherwise it would be a bit of a bland section of hiking.
The Cold Spring Trail actually passes right under Montecito Peak since the trail itself doesn't lead to the summit, instead leading to the range crest farther north. A social trail has been created at a point where the Cold Spring Trail approaches the northern ridge of Montecito Peak. It's quite eroded from rain runoff. Ascending steeply, we took this social trail to gain the north ridge, then continued south to reach the summit. We could see the Channel Islands off the coast, Santa Ynez Peak to the west, and the suburban sprawl below. We also noted the other route hikers seem to enjoy using to reach Montecito Peak, a much shorter endeavor starting from the range crest. We were happy to have done the longer route to enjoy the sights and the pretty Cold Creek.
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Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!
