-
Join 938 other subscribers
-
“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
-
“. . .here, where there are still the silences and the loneliness of the earth before man, . . .”
Search Jack’s Blog
Recently Read
- Eating Poison Oak
- The Sisquoc Falls: A Little Known Region in California Explored (1884)
- The Intelligence of Coyote Tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata)
- Mugwort: A Natural Poison Oak Preventive
- The Storied Life of Davy Brown (Davy Brown Campground, Santa Barbara County)
- The Origin of the Name "California" and the Island Myth
- 1960s Era Pull-Tab Coca-Cola Can
- John Haines On Pool Rock
- 'Akaka Falls, Hawaii & Cliff Climbing Goby
- California Stream Orchid (Epipactis gigantea)
Photos from the blog
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
-
Latest Dispatches
- Old Mission Sycamore Whacked Again
- 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
Lunar Phase
Tag Archives: Los Padres National Forest
Wilder Than I Thought
I stood daydreaming with my back to the river when a loud slap broke from behind me, the sound of something smacking the surface of the water. It was pushing toward 100 degrees and I had just climbed out of … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
|
Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Beaver, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez River, Wilderness, Wildlife, Writing
|
13 Comments
Barger Canyon Arch
Looking through Barger Arch toward Santa Barbara. A coast live oak tree obscured for most of my life this frontside feature of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Arroyo Burro Trail, which cuts the mountainside nearby, was one of the first trails … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
|
Tagged Arches, Barger Canyon, Hiking, Inspiration, Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Musings, Nature, Photos, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains
|
4 Comments
Chumash Rock Art, a Pool of Water and a Chipmunk
A Chumash pictograph with inset showing a recreation of the design. A seasonal creek flows by this Indian rock art site in Santa Barbara County and there is a spring not far from the paintings. When flowing the creek cascades … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
|
Tagged Archaeology, Chipmunks, Chumash, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Pictographs, Rock Art, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wildlife, Writing
|
5 Comments
Hiking Every Season In All Conditions
Bryan route finding off-trail in Sespe Wilderness. “I came to know that country, not in the way a traveler knows the landmarks he sees in the distance, but more truly and intimately, in every season, from a thousand points of … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
|
Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, iPhoneography, Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Sespe Wilderness, Travel, Writing
|
10 Comments
Lower Lion Canyon, Sierra Madre Mountains
Squaring off with the sun in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains in 96 degree heat. I like to see it for myself. When looking at a map of the forest I want to know what each particular attraction … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
|
Tagged Cuyama, Hiking, Hiking (2), iPhoneography, Lion Canyon, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Photos, Rocks, Sierra Madre Mountains, Travel
|
5 Comments
Jack Elliott's Santa Barbara Adventure 