The water bubbles up hot from the earth and sunlight filters down through the branches of mighty oaks. But before you can soak in Santa Barbara County's highly popular Montecito Hot Springs, you'll need to hike a little over a mile uphill, threading your way among boulders, oaks and a meandering creek. And before the hike, there are two other crucial steps: getting to the trailhead and knowing what to expect.
Kennedy told Boston.com that a man on a mountain bike spooked Pops as they approached railroad tracks that the trail crossed. When Kennedy first caught a glimpse of something speeding through the trees out of the corner of her eye, she said, she wasn't sure what it was. Whatever it was, it frightened Pops, who spun around and reared, retreating towards the field.