Tag Archives: Santa Ynez Mountains

When Rains Fall, Will USFS Close Our Forest? The Coming El Nino

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Jack Elliott

“Transmit the message To the receiver Hope for an answer someday” —Talking Heads, Life During Wartime San Marcos Foothills Preserve Political Theatre “Monkeywrenching can also be seen as a sophisticated political tactic that dramatizes ecological issues and places them before … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara | Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Outdoors, Public Lands, San Rafael Wilderness, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness | Leave a comment

Language of Forest Closure; Assault on an Ancient Right

Posted on April 22, 2026 by Jack Elliott

Santa Ynez River once hosted the largest steelhead run in California south of San Francisco. “National Mall site approved for memorial to fallen journalists The site, which has a direct view of the Capitol, was chosen to evoke journalists’ role … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara | Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Backpacking, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Native Americans, Nature, Outdoors, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness | 6 Comments

Eccentric Artifact, San Marcos Foothills Preserve

Posted on May 18, 2025 by Jack Elliott

This oak and these boulders were slated to be the backyard of a few people, but activist efforts by Save the San Marcos Foothills coalition rescued the area for the many people of the public at large; surely of much … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara | Tagged Anthropology, Archaeology, Artifacts, Chumash, Hiking, Indians, Native Americans, Outdoors, San Marcos Foothills Preserve, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains | 5 Comments

Fog Drip Morels

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Jack Elliott

Sans soil. Every day, for weeks now, a marine layer swamps the coast so far this spring, cool and sometimes spritzing. I wake to the rhythmic tap of fog drip falling through the rain gutters. May 5 morels. Measurable precipitation … Continue reading →

Posted in Santa Barbara | Tagged Camping, Fieldcraft, Foraging, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Mushrooms, Nature, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wild Foods, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Mark of Conquest: Benchmark and Mortar

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Jack Elliott

United States Coast & Geodetic Survey benchmark (1872) on a Chumash mortar stone, Santa Barbara County. “The reverence attached to the artifacts of history is a thing men feel. One could even say that what endows any thing with significance … Continue reading →