Author Archives: Jack Elliott

Steelhead Fishing, Santa Ynez River (1948)

A tributary of the Santa Ynez River which once was the spawning grounds of thirty-inch steelhead. Seventy years ago the Santa Ynez River in Santa Barbara County was known in California as “the most productive of all the little steelhead … Continue reading

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Fossil Falls, A Glacial Relic of the Pleistocene

David Stillman scrambling up familiar territory, through the gullet of Fossil Falls and over the slick, water polished basalt. Standing in the arid Owens Valley of California, beside an ancient dry riverbed that can barely be discerned amid cragged lava … Continue reading

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Sespe Hot Springs From Piedra Blanca

Fossilized oak leaf found along the Sespe Trail. Note the veins and serrated edges. A Late, Hot Start I didn’t start walking from Piedra Blanca Trailhead until a few ticks before ten in the morning, at least four hours later … Continue reading

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Western Fence Lizard (blue-belly)

A blue-belly lizard on a fallen log atop Pine Mountain in the Sespe Wilderness. Blue-belly lizards always interested me as a boy. Sort of like a cat attracted to movement, they naturally captured my attention when they scurried around on … Continue reading

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SPAM, Backcountry Delicacy Par Excellence

“. . . the mouthwatering taste of SPAM® Classic seasoned with black pepper. It’s a delicious dream come true.” In a previous entry I dubbed the Santa Barbara County original, Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, “a nutritionist’s nightmare, a glutton’s godsend.” Well, … Continue reading

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