Tag Archives: Los Padres National Forest

Gaviota Coast Gallivants: Then Came the Fox

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Jack Elliott

June 2016 I take the kids to the zoo. It’s not a place I can appreciate any longer, but granny bought us a family membership. So we go. The kids scamper through the prison camp, er, zoological garden with great delight. … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara | Tagged Foxes, Gaviota Coast, Hiking, Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Mammals, Nature, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wildfire, Wildlife, Writing | 13 Comments

Gaviota Coast Gallivants: The Wildest Wilderness

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Jack Elliott

“The ocean is an unbelievably vast wilderness.” –Steven Callahan, “Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea” The 76-mile long Gaviota Coast is the wildest wilderness in Santa Barbara County. According to Gaviota Coast Conservancy, it is “the largest stretch of undeveloped coastline … Continue reading →

Posted in Gaviota | Tagged Beach, Gaviota, Los Padres National Forest, Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Santa Ynez Mountains, Sharks, Spearfishing, Travel, White Seabass, Wilderness | 3 Comments

Tarantula Mating Season, Santa Barbara County

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Jack Elliott

No photos on this blog have ever been staged, but in the interest of honesty I’d like to note that this tarantula, found walking a few yards away, was placed atop this branch in order to allow a better snapshot. … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara | Tagged Hiking, Hiking (2), iPhoneography, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Outdoors, Santa Ynez Valley, Spiders, Tarantulas, Wildlife | 5 Comments

Chumash Rock Art, Santa Barbara County

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Jack Elliott

These Chumash paintings show little wear from the elements over the last several decades. They are presented here without alteration, but for a slight intensification of the existing natural color. They measure roughly about twelve inches in length. The pictographs … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara County | Tagged Archaeology, Art, Chumash, History, Indians, Los Padres National Forest, Native Americans, Pictographs, Rock Art, Travel | 6 Comments

A Great Interval of Silence, Chumash Wilderness

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Jack Elliott

Boilin’ the billy. “Great intervals of silence are evidently conducive to our well-being. A meditative stillness, suggests Gary Snyder, was invented by waiting hunters. Perhaps this reflected the poised and ruminating hush of mothers of sleeping infants. High levels of … Continue reading →