Art You Have to Work For

          Instead of visiting an established museum, today I went on a hike with my boyfriend, Shane, to a place where I knew there would be art.  That place is Cathedral Peak (actually Arlington Peak) in Santa Barbara's glorious front country.  The artwork that you are about to see may seem boring, mundane or even stupid.  But to a hiker on top of one of Santa Barbaras highest peaks, it means victory, accomplishment and triumph.
          Cathedral/Arlington Peak is 3333 feet in elevation.  It is roughly a 4 mile hike round trip, meaning that you pretty much gain 3000 feet in 2 miles.  That means very steep terrain, trust me.  Adding to very steep terrain was the component of strenuous boulder hopping, which is pretty much what it sounds like.  Getting to the top was a challenge, but it was nothing compared to getting down.  We lost the trail about half way down and ended up hiking the longer, steeper way out on the north face of the mountain.  I almost blew out my shoulder and we nearly took some serious spills on the way down.  Thankfully, we kept our heads and walked out with nothing but a few cuts and bruises.
          The most memorable part of today was this peace sign.  It's genius.  It embodies exactly how I felt when I stood at the summit.  Art doesn't always have to be pretty.  It can be a symbol that you are doing something right in life.

The Peace Sign is located up here.

This Peace Sign indicates that you are about a minute from the summit.  Success!