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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
- 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)
- The Journey of a Root (1907) and Plant Intelligence
- Santa Barbara County Morels
- Hollyleaf Cherries Golden Morph
- Barefoot Prints In Volcanic Ash, Hawaii (1790)
- Skinny-Dipper Detained, Cuffed and Cited at Montecito Hot Springs
- Red Horny Toad
Lunar Phase

Tag Archives: Hiking
Hat Tip to the Selfless Samaritans In Service to Others
Pope Francis died this morning, Easter Monday. An incredible date for such a man to pass on. The extraordinary event called to mind the deaths of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the second and third presidents of the United States, … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Backpacking, Hiking, Hiking (2), Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Outdoors, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness
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The Intelligence of Coyote Tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata)
Wild tobacco growing in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Santa Barbara County. (Fall 2024) If we define intelligence as an ability to perceive, understand and respond effectively to environmental stimuli, then we might attribute to plants what is normally considered … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Science, Wilderness, wildflowers, Wildlife
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Santa Barbara County Morels
Morel growing under a coast live oak tree with California poppies. (April 2025) Related Post: March is For Morels
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Foraging, Hiking, Hiking (2), Los Padres National Forest, Morels, Mushrooms, Nature, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness, Wildlife
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Hollyleaf Cherries Golden Morph
Tafoni on a slab of exposed bedrock beside the golden cherry bush. It recalls the mind warp rock n’ roll nightmare of local band, Rich Kids on LSD, and the bubbles on their Reactivate album cover. “Of all our native … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Chumash, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Native Americans, Nature, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness, Wildlife
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Barefoot Prints In Volcanic Ash, Hawaii (1790)
Western slope of Mauna Loa (13,100′). The old trail of footprints lies somewhere beneath the cloud cover. A few months after arriving in Hawai‘i, Perkins was in the Kona area of the Big Island collecting on the western slopes on … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Adventure, Anthropology, Artifacts, Deserts, Hawaii, Hiking, Mauna Loa, National Parks, Nature, Volcano, Volcanoes National Park
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