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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
- Dick Smith on Forest Access
- When Rains Fall, Will USFS Close Our Forest? The Coming El Niño
- Smith's Pool
- Mountain Lion Standoff, Santa Ynez Mountains
- Hiking Is Not A Crime
- Dick Smith Calling a Condor, Piru 1970
- Hiking Is Not A Crime; Hiker's PreCheck Forest Entry Pass
- The Pine Mountain Punisher: 22 Mile Day Hike
- Language of Forest Closure; Assault on an Ancient Right
- Hiking Is Not A Crime; Bull Moose and Titmouse
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Latest Dispatches
- 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
- Naming Santa Barbara’s Modoc Road
- Mark of Conquest: Benchmark and Mortar
Lunar Phase
Tag Archives: Santa Ynez Mountains
Calochortus Fimbriatus, Rare Wildflower
Calochortus fimbriatus, the late-flowered Mariposa lily, is in bloom at the moment in the Santa Ynez Mountains. A patch of the flowers thrives in the droughty dryness and summertime heat on a south facing rocky hillside at this particular location. … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Calochortus, Flora, Hiking, Hiking (2), iPhoneography, Los Padres National Forest, Mariposa Lily, Nature, Photos, Rare Plants, Santa Ynez Mountains, wildflowers
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2 Comments
The Slot at Devil’s Playground
Devil’s Playground topside, Santa Ynez Mountains. There are two worlds in Devil’s Playground. The topside and the underside. The upper dimension is one of expansive sky, farsighted coastal views and the blinding sunlight and heat of a southward sloping mountainside … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Caves and Rocks, Devil's Playground, Hiking, iPhonography, Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Photos, Santa Ynez Mountains
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3 Comments
The Crackling Oak Forest of Aliso Canyon
A stand of charred oak trees on an elevated flat overlooking the Santa Ynez River. The White wildfire was touched off by careless recreationists barbequing at White Rock Day Use Area in May 2013. A thick and lumpy Pacific marine … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Aliso Canyon, Hiking, iPhonography, Landscapes, Nature, Oak Trees, Photos, Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Ynez River, Wildfires, Writing
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8 Comments
California Stream Orchid (Epipactis gigantea)
A California stream orchid growing beneath a large boulder beside a seep in an otherwise dry creek feeding into a seasonal tributary of the Santa Ynez River. I think that all but the keenest, most experienced observers would never suspect … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Epipactis gigantea, Hiking, iPhonography, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Orchids, Photos, Plants, Santa Ynez Mountains, wildflowers, Writing
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11 Comments
Teardrop, Santa Ynez Mountains
Bare bunned at Teardrop. Teardrop was named for its shape. It’s a small swimming hole, a large bathtub, bored out of sandstone bedrock visually and audibly accented by a waterfall dropping into its emerald water. Like many swimming holes, its … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Creeks, Hiking, Hiking (2), iPhonography, Nature, Photos, Santa Ynez Mountains, Swimming Holes, Teardrop, Writing
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13 Comments
