

-
Join 946 other subscribers
-
“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

-
“. . .here, where there are still the silences and the loneliness of the earth before man, . . .”

Search Jack’s Blog


Recently Read
- Chanterelle Mushrooms
- Indian Head Test Pattern (1939)
- Condor Petroglyphs, Death Valley National Park
- Aliso Park Campground
- Surf Fishing For Halibut
- Widow's Tears Falls, Santa Ynez Mountains
- Raking the Forest: Anderson, Trump, Kuyper
- Painted Rock Camp, Montgomery Potrero, Sierra Madre Mountains
- Jack O'Lanterns and Chanterelles
- Don Victor Valley and Pine Canyon
Photos from the blog
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
-
Latest Dispatches
- 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
- The Intelligence of Coyote Tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata)
- The Journey of a Root (1907) and Plant Intelligence
- Santa Barbara County Morels
- Hollyleaf Cherries Golden Morph
- Barefoot Prints In Volcanic Ash, Hawaii (1790)
- Skinny-Dipper Detained, Cuffed and Cited at Montecito Hot Springs
- Red Horny Toad
Lunar Phase

Tag Archives: Wildcraft
Jack’s Custom Deluxe Super Premium Los Padres Liniment
Cottonwood trees showing fall color along the Santa Ynez River in Santa Barbara County. “Well the summertime has gone,” Van Morrison sings. “And the leaves are gently turning.” And come fall season in Santa Barbara County the black cottonwood trees … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
|
Tagged Beauty, Foraging, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Outdoors, Pics, Santa Ynez Mountains, Trees, Wildcraft, Wilderness
|
1 Comment
Wild Oyster Mushrooms and Reading the Nuances of Nature
Oysters on a standing dead cottonwood tree in the Santa Ynez Mountains. You can see where the deceased tree’s canopy had filled in the now empty sky above, the other trees wrapping around it. “The hunter-gatherer lives on what is … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
|
Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Mushrooms, Nature, Oyster Mushrooms, Wild Edibles, Wildcraft, Wilderness, Writing
|
11 Comments
Black Cottonwood Wildcraft
A dribble of resin oozing from the leaf bud of a black cottonwood tree (Populus trichocarpa) growing along the Santa Ynez River. Black cottonwood buds may hold the finest natural fragrance found in the Los Padres National Forest. The gooey … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
|
Tagged Backpacking, Balm of Gilead, Camping, Foraging, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Santa Ynez Mountains, Trees, Wildcraft
|
3 Comments
Wildcrafted Salad
Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliatum) growing in profusion along a shady bank of Alder Creek in the Santa Ynez Mountains of Santa Barbara County. Skills Are Weightless “You have to travel light. . . And you have to be self-reliant. . … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
|
Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Foraging, Herbs, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Santa Barbara, Wildcraft, wildflowers
|
4 Comments
Lion’s Mane Mushroom
Afternoon reflections on a deep pool, which would be a lot deeper, as the mineral stain on the rock shows, were it not for the current droughty conditions. Hericium mushrooms are one of the subtle signs of annual change in … Continue reading →
Posted in Flora, Santa Barbara
|
Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Foraging, Hericiums, Hiking, iPhoneography, Mushrooms, Nature, Photos, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wildcraft
|
4 Comments













