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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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Latest Dispatches
- Old Mission Sycamore Whacked Again
- 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
Lunar Phase
Category Archives: Santa Barbara
Ice Company Ads (1920s)
This post is an addition to a previous entry about the history of the ice can stoves found in California’s Los Padres National Forest (The Ice Can Stove: A Brief History). These are makeshift wood burning stoves made from old sheet … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County, Ventura County
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Tagged Backpacking, Hiking, History, Ice Can Stove, Los Padres National Forest
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3 Comments
Oyster Mushrooms
Harvesting oyster mushrooms in the mountains of Santa Barbara County. I’m just some lunatic macaroni mushroom, is that it? —Joe Pesci With recent rains having finally fallen after the usual long dry period in these parts, and the winter transformation … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Foraging, Hiking, Mushrooms, Nature, Oyster Mushrooms, Photos, Pics, Wild Edibles
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9 Comments
Chumash Grinding Stone
I found this Indian grinding stone or metate yesterday afternoon while on a hike in the Santa Barbara backcountry.
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Artifacts, backcountry, Chumash, Grinding Stone, Hiking, Hiking (2), History, Indians, Metate, Mortar
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5 Comments
The Ice Can Stove: A Brief History
An uncommon version of an ice can stove fitted with a large chimney cap and a damper on the flue. In backcountry campsites scattered throughout the Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties lie the rusty remains … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County, Ventura County
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Tagged backcountry, Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, History, Ice Can Stove, Los Padres National Forest, Non-fiction, Photos, Pics
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6 Comments
Lazy Day in the Hills: A Canyon Hike Called Off
View of the sunrise on my way up Figueroa Mountain and into Santa Barbara’s San Rafael Wilderness. I left the trailhead at 7 am, but was already back by 3 pm. Lack of sleep and fatigued combined with shriveled enthusiasm … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Deer, Hiking, Outdoors, Photos, Pics, Sunrise, Wildlife
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7 Comments
Jack Elliott's Santa Barbara Adventure 