Tag Archives: Non-fiction

Edgar B. Davison’s Cabin (circa 1900)

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Jack Elliott

Edgar B. Davison’s Fir Canyon cabin, Figueroa Mountain, Santa Barbara County. (Courtesy Bryan Conant, by way of a friend.) “Edgar was a forest ranger on Figueroa Mountain from 1898 through 1912, making $75 a month. Grace and Edgar built a … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara County | Tagged Ballard, Davy Brown Creek, Edgar B. Davison, Figueroa Mountain, Fir Canyon, History, Los Padres National Forest, Non-fiction, Photos, Pics, Santa Barbara National Forest, Zaca Lake | 5 Comments

Seven Falls

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Jack Elliott

“The music of falling water comes at intervals upon the ear. The uneven trail winding around huge rocks, upon the edge of precipitous banks or plying through the slippery stones at the bottom of the creek, gives just enough elements … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara County | Tagged Hiking, Hiking (2), Nature, Non-fiction, Outdoors, Photos, Pics, Seven Falls, Snapshots, Swimming Holes, waterfalls, Wildlife, Writing | 5 Comments

Pine Mountain and Zaca Lake Forest Reserve (1898)

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Jack Elliott

Zaca Peak left of center, as seen from Figueroa Mountain on June 14, 1937. (credit: J.E. Patterson) “As a result of his 1903 visit to California, Roosevelt was to create the Santa Barbara National Forest out of the Pine Mountain … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara County, Ventura County | Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Davy Brown, Forest Reserves, Hiking, Hiking (2), History, Non-fiction, Photos. Pics, Pine Mountain, Zaca Lake, Zaca Peak | 4 Comments

Eavesdropping in the Woods or “He Just Doesn’t Have the Drive”

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Jack Elliott

Wild mustard in bloom within the Ventura River Preserve. I lay on my back aside El Nido Meadow, sprawled across a trailside bench in the dappled light filtering through the oak tree canopy. Staring up at a patch of blue … Continue reading →

Posted in Ventura County | Tagged El Nido Meadow, Hiking, Hiking (2), Landscapes, Nature, Non-fiction, Outdoors, Photos, Pics, Tales, Ventura River Preserve, Writing | 8 Comments

Camping Out in California: Pine Mountain Narrative (1887)

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Jack Elliott

A man by the name of John R. G. Hassard wrote the following narrative of his “camping expedition of sixty-eight days” in the Ventura County backcountry of California. As an aside, Ventura County was created on January 1, 1873 and … Continue reading →