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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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Recently Read
- Eating Poison Oak
- Condor Petroglyphs, Death Valley National Park
- Koso Shoshone Native American Rock Art, Ghost Dance and Hunting Magic
- Mono Narrows Camp
- Western Fence Lizard (blue-belly)
- Ticks, Lizards and Lyme Disease
- Mountain Lion Standoff, Santa Ynez Mountains
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- Edgar B. Davison’s Cabin (circa 1900)
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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
Giant Puffball Mushrooms
I went for a hike on Monday and, after several rain showers in the prior weeks, giant puffball mushrooms (Calvatia booniana) had sprouted up everywhere. I stopped counting after coming across fifty of them. They were all well past their … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Backpacking, Foraging, Forest, Hiking, Hiking (2), Los Padres National Forest, Mushrooms, Nature, Outdoors, Photos, Pics, Puffballs, Wild Foods
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8 Comments
Gaviota Peak
I hiked up to Gaviota Peak (Jack’s Map) and back via a circuit route, as noted above by the red dots. I began in Gaviota State Park and, following the Gaviota Peak fire road, entered into the Los Padres National … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Adventure, Animals, Caves, Gaviota Peak, Hikes, Hiking, Hiking (2), Landscape, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Ocean, Photos, Pics, State Parks, wildflowers
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14 Comments
Impressionist Reflections on Kelly Creek
Kelly Creek, in the Los Padres National Forest, seen here reflecting the forest canopy and sky overhead.
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Hiking, Hiking (2), Kelly Creek, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Outdoors, Photos, Pics, Wilderness
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3 Comments
Rose Canyon Video Clip
Here is a short iPhone-shot video clip of Rose Canyon I took back in December, but never published. The video goes with the previously posted recount of that trip, which will give some background information on why I was filming … Continue reading →
Posted in Nature, Santa Barbara County
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Tagged backcountry, Backpacking, Camp, Camping, Forest, Hike, Hiking, Landscape, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Outdoors, Rose Canyon, Rowe's Gulch, Video, Wilderness
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Devil’s Playground, Santa Ynez Mountains
The tunnel-like passage here wraps around to the left and is passable from one end to the other. The Devil’s Playground sandstone formation as seen from Goleta. It is the large rocky patch toward the top of the mountain.
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Caves, Devil's Playground, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Rocks, Santa Ynez Mountains
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9 Comments













