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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
- Eating Poison Oak
- John Haines On Pool Rock
- Bald Eagle, Manzana Creek, San Rafael Wilderness
- Wellhouse Falls and the Waterfalls of Lewis Canyon
- Swordfish Cave, Earliest Chumash Rock Art On California's Central Coast
- The Sisquoc Falls: A Little Known Region in California Explored (1884)
- Manzana Creek Schoolhouse (1893)
- Arrowhead Springs, Drought Resistant Summer Seep
- Mugwort: A Natural Poison Oak Preventive
- Native Steelhead of Yore
Photos from the blog
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Latest Dispatches
- 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
- The Intelligence of Coyote Tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata)
Lunar Phase

Tag Archives: Backpacking
The Chumash Arrowhead
April 2019 Black So what am I supposed to do with you, Professor? White Why are you supposed to do anything? Black I done told you. This aint none of my doin. I left out of here … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Backpacking, Chumash, Hiking, Hiking (2), History, Indians, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Wilderness
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12 Comments
The Mood Altering Stream Orchid
A stream orchid (Epipactis gigantea) growing near the Santa Ynez River in late May of 2019. Stream orchids grow where constant water is found at seeps, springs and perennial streams. The plant is known for its mood altering and sedative … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Hiking (2), iPhoneography, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Santa Barbara, wildflowers, Wildlife
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4 Comments
Thoughts on Rare Lily Ojai Fritillaria and Indian Fire
Earlier this year in March, out scampering around in the Los Padres National Forest, I stumbled across a rather impressive stand of a rare wildflower, Fritillaria ojaiensis or the Ojai Fritillaria lily. I had previously noted this Seldom Seen Slim … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, Backpacking, Hiking, Hiking (2), iPhoneography, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness, wildflowers, Wildlife
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16 Comments
Parks Management Company’s Red Rock Racket Continues
Santa Ynez River “The writer’s duty to speak the truth—especially unpopular truth. Especially truth that offends the powerful, the rich, the well-established, the traditional, the mythic, the sentimental. To attack, when the time makes it necessary, the sacred cows of … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Outdoors, Parks Management Company, Red Rock, Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Ynez River
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61 Comments
Horny Toad
“It was a rough land that bred a tough man.” —Louis L’Amour, Utah Blaine (1984) The observer may glean some insight into the nature of the land by looking at its native inhabitants. When you’re wearing a helmet of horns and shrouded … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Lizards, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Pics, San Rafael Wilderness, Santa Barbara, Wildlife
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6 Comments













