Tag Archives: Hiking (2)

Vernal and Nevada Falls, Yosemite National Park

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Jack Elliott

Mortars in Yosemite Valley. The Urban Wilderness Yosemite National Park represents a contradiction to me. A place entirely about nature, but it’s crawling with hordes of chattering tourists and hiking trails are paved. There is something oddly and strikingly askew … Continue reading →

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The Allure of Grass

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Jack Elliott

A small, but remarkable potrero in the Los Padres National Forest that is a short distance away from Mollisol Meadow. “But it is upon the grass, mediator of soil and sun, that the human gaze has always tended to settle, … Continue reading →

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Mollisol Meadow

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Jack Elliott

“Maybe 7% of the landscape across the world is mollisol.” -Dr. John Reganold, Professor of Soil Science and Agroecology, Washington State University “Mollisols (from Latin mollis, ‘soft’) are the soils of grassland ecosystems. They are characterized by a thick, dark … Continue reading →

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Grouch of the Woods

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Jack Elliott

The tentacular limbs of coast live oak trees in the Los Padres National Forest. “The presence of a jostling crowd. . .a familiar irritation to be borne with resignation.” —Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire It’s not that he hated people. He … Continue reading →

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Yosemite Falls

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Jack Elliott

Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls, March 2015. “One of Yosemite’s oldest historic trails (built 1873 to 1877), the Yosemite Falls Trail leads to the top of North America’s tallest waterfall, which rises 2,425 feet (739 m) above the Valley floor.” … Continue reading →

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