We thought today would be a “rain” day when we could see waterfalls and other evidence of the recent downpour. Instead it was more a snow day as we relished all the distant white capped peaks on the San Rafael and Sierra Madre mountain ranges back beyond our familiar Santa Ynez “front” range. Like this view northeast past the popular East & Butterfly Beaches. How many strolling the strand know there’s snow up there?
7487 Snow Beyond Beaches
Those mountains aren’t very far, and some day maybe we’ll have good roads up to the peaks where Santa Barbarians can take a short drive to play in snow. For now though, peaks like this are beyond the reach of most terrestrial vehicles.
7237 Far & High
Far beyond the white VOR air navigation cone on East Camino Cielo, the first high ridge seems a great distance yet is only a few miles. A quick trip in Tripp, but of course nowhere to land. At least not where we could easily take off again. A few miles more distant though, the peaks around Pine Mountain are half a mile higher, and more often have solid snow caps.
7223 Solid White Cap
Looking past West Camino Cielo above Hwy.154 and Painted Cave beyond it, this wider view makes the nearer mountains look higher because we’re below them.
7218 Looking Up
Maybe before there are paved roads up to ski lifts, maybe people will get helicopter rides up to play in the powder. Meanwhile, we can take a few minutes in Tripp to at least take in the snow view.
John & Anne Wiley 
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