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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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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: San Rafael Wilderness
Lost Valley, Hurricane Deck, Potrero Cyn 20 Mile Day Hike
Hurricane Deck, the prominent ridge defining the skyline. There is no trace of water on Hurricane Deck, no trees and no campgrounds. It’s a 20 mile long ridgeline with south facing cliffs and steep grassy slopes on one side and … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Hiking, Hurricane Deck, iPhoneography, Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Lost Valley, Nature, Photos, Pics, San Rafael Wilderness, Writing
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9 Comments
The Sisquoc Falls: A Little Known Region in California Explored (1884)
Sisquoc Falls, located in a restricted condor sanctuary in the San Rafael Wilderness, is officially off-limits to the general public. The following narrative was originally published in the Santa Maria Times in 1884. It chronicles the bushwhacking exploratory adventure of … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, History, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Photos, San Rafael Wilderness, Sisquoc River, Writing
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6 Comments
100° Hike
Santa Ynez Valley viticulture as seen on drive to trailhead. It’s an ordinary summer day. It’s not one of those media hyped heat wave events, but it’s supposed to be hot out. Such forecasts don’t really apply to the backcountry, … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Hiking, iPhoneography, Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Manzana Creek, Nature, Photos, San Rafael Wilderness, weather, Writing
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4 Comments
Earth Day
“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.” ―John Lubbock Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) is widely credited as … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Backpacking, Earth Day, Environmentalism, Hiking, Hiking (2), Nature, Photos, Pics, San Rafael Wilderness
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2 Comments
Davy Brown’s Cabin (1898)
I recently unearthed this drawing of Davy Brown’s cabin in an edition of The Herald newspaper that was published on September 25, 1898. Santa Barbara backcountry enthusiasts know Davy Brown as the name of a drive-up campground on the backside … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Adventure, Adventure (2), Backpacking, Camping, Davy Brown, Drawings, Hiking, Hiking (2), History, John Muir, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Outdoors, San Rafael Wilderness, War of 1812, Wilderness
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1 Comment
Jack Elliott's Santa Barbara Adventure 