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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
- The Origin of the Name "California" and the Island Myth
- About
- Eating Poison Oak
- Old Mission Santa Barbara
- Lower Lion Canyon, Sierra Madre Mountains
- Fossil Falls, A Glacial Relic of the Pleistocene
- Lobster Poachers?
- Dick Smith Calling a Condor, Piru 1970
- Knapp's Castle Then and Now
- Santa Barbara Shore Whaling (1870-93)
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Latest Dispatches
- 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
- Naming Santa Barbara’s Modoc Road
Lunar Phase

Tag Archives: Adventure
Wild Iris Bloom, Santa Ynez Mountains
The wild iris are abloom now in the Santa Ynez Mountains. This particular flush shown may be the best bloom in many years, coming after the Thomas Fire of 2017 cleared the way, and a month after the torrential record-setting … 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, wildflowers
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4 Comments
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; 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
Hiking is Not A Crime, Let Forest Be Thy Medicine
Ranger: Howdy, sir. Sorry, the forest is closed.Hiker: Why?Ranger: Well, there’s been some slides and wash outs and rockfalls and trees fallen over and we heard tell of a big rut. Hiker: Oh. So you mean it’s a forest. You’ve closed … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Backpacking, Camping, Forest Service, Hiking, Hiking (2), Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness
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17 Comments













