Rockslide Ridge

Today for class we hiked through campus to the top of Rockslide Ridge. Along the way I discovered so many new parts of campus that I never even knew existed. The hike began by walking through gardens of different regions of the world, and then we hiked up through what seemed to be a water runoff trail. We passed a pond that was built by Cal Poly students, and then ventured on further up into the canyon. As we approached Rockslide Ridge, the first thing I noticed was how steep it was. Based on past experiences I knew it was going to be a tough hike. As we began up the hill I wanted to blaze my own trail. I didn’t want to follow anyone else. I wanted to look to nature to guide me up the hill. I began to run up and got fatigued very quickly. I began to slow down and choose my path in order not to get poked by the native brush. The rocks were not stable so I had to choose wisely as I hopped up the ridges. It seemed to me that there was not much of a trail to climb until I noticed a pattern. I began to see the “drains” of the hill. I began to notice that there were paths that were covers by unstable rocks. They were placed there by water runoff or earth movements that have allowed the rocks to tumble to a settled position. The journey was great and each time I rested I would be able to see more and more of the surrounding views up until I came to the pinnacle. I was given a breathtaking 360 degree view. My eyes darted from looking at Cuesta Ridge to Morrow Bay to Pismo Beach. The view made me feel as if I was lifted up into the sky. I stood atop one big rock and basked in the setting sun. I then began to really look at the rocks. They seemed to be slashed and sculpted from the elements. The colors blended in so well that it was hard to differentiate between them up close. Only once I stepped back I was able to see the yellows, browns, and oranges that gave the rocks their colors. We were then lead to the cliff of the ridge where we were shown the event that named this Rockslide Ridge. It was scary getting close to the edge because it seems unthinkable that half of a mountain could have just fallen the way that it did. I learned today that even the calmest and most peaceful areas in nature an still contain great power that can alter the land.