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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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- Petroglyph, Santa Ynez Mountains
- Summer of Serpents of Rattlers Beware
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- Indian Head Test Pattern (1939)
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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: Los Padres National Forest
Black Cottonwood Wildcraft
A dribble of resin oozing from the leaf bud of a black cottonwood tree (Populus trichocarpa) growing along the Santa Ynez River. Black cottonwood buds may hold the finest natural fragrance found in the Los Padres National Forest. The gooey … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Backpacking, Balm of Gilead, Camping, Foraging, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Santa Ynez Mountains, Trees, Wildcraft
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3 Comments
Ranger Peak Trail
“There was no telling of the sun, save for the one cold, dim, and even light that lay on every corner of the land and made no shadow, and the silence was close by and all around . . .” … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Figueroa Mountain, Hiking, Hiking (2), iPhoneography, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Outdoors, Ranger Peak Trail, Santa Barbara
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9 Comments
Coldwater Camp, San Rafael Wilderness
Coldwater Camp lies in a meadow under a large oak tree along Lower Manzana Creek Trail, and is rimmed by hills. A detailed profile of the camp can be seen at Hike Los Padres – Coldwater Camp. The camp was presumably … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Hiking (2), iPhoneography, Los Padres National Forest, Manzana Creek, Nature, San Rafael Wilderness, Santa Barbara, Travel
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2 Comments
Potentially Deadly Assassin Bug In Los Padres Forest
Various triatomine bugs in all life stages. (Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Recent news reports echoing across the Internet tell of the so-called assassin bug having now been found in at least 28 states. Known also as the … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Articles, Assassin Bugs, Backpacking, Bugs, Camping, Hiking, Kissing Bugs, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Non-fiction, Parasites
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6 Comments
Ice Cans To Rockets, A New Stove For A New Century
The rocket stove was developed by Dr. Larry Winiarski in the early 1980s. (A detailed explanation and design principles of the rocket stove: PDF) Nearly one hundred years ago an enterprising butcher in southern California fabricated a stove from a … Continue reading →
Posted in Articles
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Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Hiking (2), Los Padres National Forest, Outdoors, Santa Barbara, Wilderness
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6 Comments
Jack Elliott's Santa Barbara Adventure 