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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
- Halibut Surf Fishing
- Stealing Condor Eggs (1899)
- Condor Petroglyphs, Death Valley National Park
- Goddard Campground: The Lost Jewel of West Camino Cielo
- Gladiator Games of Bulls and Bears: Recollections of Jacinto Damien Reyes (1880)
- Last California Grizzlies Seen In Santa Barbara National Forest? (1926)
- Gladiator Games of Bulls and Bears: A California Blood Sport (1800s)
- Mastodon & Mammoth Sign: Reading Trees in the Santa Ynez Mountains
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Photos from the blog
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Latest Dispatches
- The Exceptional Sundowner Winds of Santa Barbara
- Lobster Poachers?
- Dick Smith on Forest Access
- Old Mission Sycamore Whacked Again
- Bald Eagle, Manzana Creek, San Rafael Wilderness
- When Rains Fall, Will USFS Close Our Forest? The Coming El Niño
- 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
Lunar Phase

Tag Archives: Santa Ynez Mountains
Grouch of the Woods
The tentacular limbs of coast live oak trees in the Los Padres National Forest. “The presence of a jostling crowd. . .a familiar irritation to be borne with resignation.” —Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire It’s not that he hated people. He … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Hiking, Hiking (2), iPhoneography, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Nonfiction, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Writing
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8 Comments
Gooseberry Wildcraft
California gooseberry illustration from Pacific Rural Press (1873). “The California wild gooseberry, red variety (Ribes menziesii), is certainly a desirable variety, and is said to be superior to crabapples for jellies, etc. The plant is exceedingly ornamental when loaded with … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Foraging, Gooseberries, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Outdoors, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wildcrafting
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11 Comments
Flight of the Condor, Rare Santa Barbara Roost
A condor over Sespe Wilderness in December, 2013. (Return to Whiteacre Peak Or Day of the Condor) Earlier this month I stood on a ridge along Arroyo Burro Trail gazing from afar into the rocky mouth of San Roque Canyon … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Condors, Hiking, iPhoneography, Los Padres National Forest, Mariposa Lily, Nature, San Roque Canyon, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wildlife
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8 Comments
The Los Padres Box Of Chocolates
Humboldt lily growing in Los Padres National Forest. “Sometimes I feel so uninspired Sometimes I feel like giving up Sometimes I feel so very tired Sometimes I feel like I’ve had enough” —Steve Winwood, Traffic – “(Sometimes I Feel So) … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Butterflies, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Pics, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Swallowtail, wildflowers, Wildlife
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13 Comments
Fritillaria Ojaiensis, Rare Wildflower
A single Fritillaria ojaiensis growing along Fremont Trail in the Santa Ynez Mountains. This photo is from early spring 2014. This variety of lily is endemic to California. It’s listed by the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) as being rare … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Flora, Fritillaria ojaiensis, Hiking, Hiking (2), iPhoneography, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Photos, Rare Plants, Santa Ynez Mountains, wildflowers
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5 Comments













