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“He may be just a tramp, a guy that likes to roam about this great country without any special aim, just to thank the Lord for these beautiful mountains.”
-B. Traven, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

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“. . .here, where there are still the silences and the loneliness of the earth before man, . . .”

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Recently Read
- Rocky Peak Park, Santa Susana Mountains
- A Treasure Hunt For Chumash Pictographs and the Vicious Protector
- Eating Poison Oak
- The Sisquoc Falls: A Little Known Region in California Explored (1884)
- Burro Schmidt Tunnel and Shanty (1906-1930s)
- The Chumash Arrowhead
- Camping Out in California: Pine Mountain Narrative (1887)
- The Mood Altering Stream Orchid
- Pine Mountain and Zaca Lake Forest Reserve (1898)
- The Day Hell Hit Santa Barbara; Third Hottest Temperature Ever Recorded on Earth
Photos from the blog
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Latest Dispatches
- Bald Eagle, Manzana Creek, San Rafael Wilderness
- When Rains Fall, Will USFS Close Our Forest? The Coming El Nino
- Language of Forest Closure; Assault on an Ancient Right
- March of the Mustard; The Spread of Noxious Weeds
- Mark of Conquest II: Benchmark and Mortar
- Save Old Mission Sycamore … __ __ __ …
- Raking the Forest: Anderson, Trump, Kuyper
- Initials of J.D. Reyes (1907)
- Last California Grizzlies Seen In Santa Barbara National Forest? (1926)
- Eccentric Artifact, San Marcos Foothills Preserve
- Fog Drip Morels
- Naming Santa Barbara’s Modoc Road
- Mark of Conquest: Benchmark and Mortar
- Hat Tip to the Selfless Samaritans In Service to Others
- The Intelligence of Coyote Tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata)
Lunar Phase

Author Archives: Jack Elliott
Claw Marks In the Tiny Tank
I went for a walk to a tiny tank high on the mountain. The rain had fallen for days, for hours non-stop, in amounts not common around this neck of the woods. Records were set. And so we have to … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Hiking, Hiking (2), Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness, Wildlife
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4 Comments
Hiking Is Not A Crime; Done Dirty By Diktat
“What does accessibility mean? Is there any spot on earth that men have not proved accessible by the simplest means—feet and legs and heart? … A venturesome minority will always be eager to set off on their own, and no … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Backpacking, Camping, Forest Closure, Forest Service, Hiking, Hiking (2), Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains
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8 Comments
Hiking Is Not A Crime; Hiker’s PreCheck Forest Entry Pass
Why is the Forest Service treating us like this? The Transportation Safety Administration treats people differently when conducting security screenings. Thousands of lives are on the line. Not just on planes. In buildings all across the country. Not throughout any … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged backcountry, Backpacking, Camping, Forest Closure, Forest Service, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness
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8 Comments
County Dumps Debris In Sensitive Habitat Off-Limits To Recreational Spearfishermen
An angelshark swimming up Goleta Beach Slough, a State Marine Conservation Area. David Bacon pinned a righteous note to the bulletin board over at Noozhawk decrying the dumping of tons of sediment from local creeks into Goleta Bay. Santa Barbara County … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Beach, Endangered Species, Estuary, Fish, Fishing, Goleta Beach, Halibut, Ocean, Slough, Spearfishing, Wildlife
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1 Comment
Hiking Is Not A Crime; Bull Moose and Titmouse
“As a result of his 1903 visit to California, Roosevelt was to create the Santa Barbara National Forest out of the Pine Mountain and Zaca Lake Forest Reserves. This was the land that McKinley had set aside on March 2, … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, Forest Service, Hiking, Hiking (2), Los Padres National Forest, National Forest, Nature, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness
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5 Comments













