Category Archives: Santa Barbara

Fog Drip Morels

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Jack Elliott

Sans soil. Every day, for weeks now, a marine layer swamps the coast so far this spring, cool and sometimes spritzing. I wake to the rhythmic tap of fog drip falling through the rain gutters. May 5 morels. Measurable precipitation … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara | Tagged Camping, Fieldcraft, Foraging, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Mushrooms, Nature, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wild Foods, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Naming Santa Barbara’s Modoc Road

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Jack Elliott

Walking tracks, west of town. Keep on keeping on. This offering relates to the preceding, Mark of Conquest; Benchmark and Mortar. The previous post mentioned the Modoc War of 1872-73 in California. Emphasis has been added below to highlight portions … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara | Tagged American Indian Wars, History, Hope Ranch, Indians, Modoc Indians, Native Americans, Place Names, Santa Barbara, Street Names, Walker A Tompkins, Yankee Barbarenos | Leave a comment

Mark of Conquest: Benchmark and Mortar

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Jack Elliott

United States Coast & Geodetic Survey benchmark (1872) on a Chumash mortar stone, Santa Barbara County. “The reverence attached to the artifacts of history is a thing men feel. One could even say that what endows any thing with significance … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara | Tagged Artifacts, Backpacking, Chumash, History, Indian Wars, Indians, Legacy of Conquest, Los Padres National Forest, Native Americans, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains | 1 Comment

Hat Tip to the Selfless Samaritans In Service to Others

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Jack Elliott

Pope Francis died this morning, Easter Monday. An incredible date for such a man to pass on. The extraordinary event called to mind the deaths of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the second and third presidents of the United States, … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara | Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Backpacking, Hiking, Hiking (2), Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Outdoors, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness | Leave a comment

The Intelligence of Coyote Tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata)

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Jack Elliott

Wild tobacco growing in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Santa Barbara County. (Fall 2024) If we define intelligence as an ability to perceive, understand and respond effectively to environmental stimuli, then we might attribute to plants what is normally considered … Continue reading →