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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
- Eating Poison Oak
- Crotch Rocket Mountain Bikes (1985)
- Old Mission Santa Barbara
- The Mood Altering Stream Orchid
- Wilder Than I Thought
- The Castor Bean Plant: Common, Valuable and Deadly
- Wildcrafted Salad
- Chumash Indian Mortars and the Puzzle of the Midden
- Largest West Coast Tsunamis Generated in Santa Barbara Channel
- The Sisquoc Falls: A Little Known Region in California Explored (1884)
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Latest Dispatches
- The Exceptional Sundowner Winds of Santa Barbara
- Lobster Poachers?
- Dick Smith on Forest Access
- Old Mission Sycamore Whacked Again
- Bald Eagle, Manzana Creek, San Rafael Wilderness
- When Rains Fall, Will USFS Close Our Forest? The Coming El Niño
- 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
Lunar Phase

Author Archives: Jack Elliott
The Sign
Santa Barbara backcountry The men emerged at dawn from the confine of darkness with strained faces wet and ruddy as writhing newborns and the forested land materialized before their bloodshot eyes by the minute in the lightening day, ever larger, … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Backpacking, Fiction, Hiking, Nature, Non-fiction, Outdoors, Santa Barbara, Wilderness, Writing
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12 Comments
Farewell To The Rock, Gibraltar Party Place
El Roca Grande circa 1909 overlooking the Santa Barbara littoral, Pacific Ocean and Santa Cruz Island in the distance. Note the metal poles and cable handrail. “In the 1970s this was The Place. Well, if you were a teenager on … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, History, Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Non-fiction, Outdoors, Rocks, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Travel, Writing
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2 Comments
The Privateer; Subcontractor, Dept. of Unauthorized Forestry
In September of 2016, under cover of broad daylight, assisted by her two trusty partners in crime, whom also served as convenient sweet little innocent distractions to any suspecting walkers in the area, Jackie Willowtree smuggled in and planted the … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Botany, Forests, Hiking, Nature, Outdoors, Rewilding, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Trees, Wilderness, Wildlife
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16 Comments
March is For Morels
March 2020. “Some of the false morels are dangerously poisonous,” Aurora warns. Morels may be the most elusive mushrooms in Santa Barbara County. “Morels can be extremely difficult to see,” David Aurora writes in All That The Rain Promises And … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Backpacking, Foraging, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Morels, Mushrooms, Nature, Santa Barbara, Wilderness
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2 Comments
Figueroa Mtn Freedom: Violating the COVID-19 Lockdown Order
A vernal pool on Figueroa Mountain. A male and female mallard were seen in the pool. March 27, 2020 I find it difficult to live in a society governed without reason. My mind operates logically. I am irascible by nature. … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged backcountry, Camping, Coronavirus, Hiking, Hiking (2), Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, News, Outdoors, Wilderness
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27 Comments













