Tag Archives: Los Padres National Forest

The Slot at Devil’s Playground

Devil’s Playground topside, Santa Ynez Mountains. There are two worlds in Devil’s Playground. The topside and the underside. The upper dimension is one of expansive sky, farsighted coastal views and the blinding sunlight and heat of a southward sloping mountainside … Continue reading

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California Stream Orchid (Epipactis gigantea)

A California stream orchid growing beneath a large boulder beside a seep in an otherwise dry creek feeding into a seasonal tributary of the Santa Ynez River. I think that all but the keenest, most experienced observers would never suspect … Continue reading

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Montecito Peak, Santa Ynez Mountains

Montecito Peak, Santa Ynez Mountains Numerous parked cars line the road at the trailhead when I arrive one September morning. Several people in different small groups linger about getting ready for a walk or returning therefrom. A few voices resonate … Continue reading

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Rock Art Ramblin’, Searching For Chumash Pictographs

David Stillman standing at the base of the second fall in a series of waterfalls which flow when it rains. So we go and so it is, around this bend and that, up over and down under and around we … Continue reading

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Ballard Camp, Figueroa Mountain

La Jolla Trail  Trail through the oak trees. Dropping into Birabent Canyon on La Jolla Trail. A U.S. Forest Service stove at Ballard Camp, which was presumably named after the nearby town of Ballard or its namesake, W. N. Ballard, … Continue reading

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