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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
- Dick Smith on Forest Access
- Smith's Pool
- When Rains Fall, Will USFS Close Our Forest? The Coming El Niño
- Mountain Lion Standoff, Santa Ynez Mountains
- Dick Smith Calling a Condor, Piru 1970
- Hiking Is Not A Crime
- Hiking Is Not A Crime; Hiker's PreCheck Forest Entry Pass
- The Pine Mountain Punisher: 22 Mile Day Hike
- Language of Forest Closure; Assault on an Ancient Right
- Tarantula Mating Season, Santa Barbara County
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Latest Dispatches
- 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
- Mark of Conquest: Benchmark and Mortar
Lunar Phase

Tag Archives: Backpacking
Brian Sarvis In Noozhawk Echoes Jack Elliott, No Hat Tip
Jimmy J merch. Prototype run, January, 2023. After six years of silence, Sarvis suddenly spoke. He once more found his voice, in somebody else’s writing. We made it easy by providing inspiration and all source material right here on this … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Backpacking, Brian Sarvis, Camping, Hiking, Hiking (2), History, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Noozhwak, Santa Barbara, Wilderness
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1 Comment
The Elusive and Fleeting Fire Poppy
I found the fire poppies once more, trailless along a tributary fork of a coastal creek high in the Santa Ynez Mountains. Five years had past since my last sighting. I think the fire poppy, Papaver californicum, may be among … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, poppies, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness, wildflowers
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2 Comments
Los Padres Forest Association Backs Forest Closure
Los Padres Forest Association issued an obsequious letter to the Forest Service declaring their full embrace of the two month closure of Los Padres National Forest. They called the shutout “wise.” That’s a word of exceptional assuredness. Not just smart, … Continue reading →
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; Hiker’s PreCheck Forest Entry Pass
Why is the Forest Service treating us like this? The Transportation Safety Administration treats people differently when conducting security screenings. Thousands of lives are on the line. Not just on planes. In buildings all across the country. Not throughout any … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged backcountry, Backpacking, Camping, Forest Closure, Forest Service, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness
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8 Comments













