

-
Join 934 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
- Indian Head Test Pattern (1939)
- Fossil Falls, A Glacial Relic of the Pleistocene
- The Sisquoc Falls: A Little Known Region in California Explored (1884)
- The Day Hell Hit Santa Barbara; Third Hottest Temperature Ever Recorded on Earth
- Eating Poison Oak
- About
- Ticks, Lizards and Lyme Disease
- The Exceptional Sundowner Winds of Santa Barbara
- Carrizo Plain Wildflowers: Temblor Range, San Luis Obispo County
- Sulfur Mountain Oil Seeps, Ventura County
Photos from the blog
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
-
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: wildflowers
March of the Mustard; The Spread of Noxious Weeds
Mustard blooming trailside in Los Padres National Forest, growing where we’ve never seen it before. “Like other mustards, black mustard grows profusely and produces allelopathic chemicals that prevent germination of native plants. The spread of black mustard can increase the … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
|
Tagged Firebreaks, Hiking, Invasive Plants, Los Padres National Forest, Mustard, National Forest, Nature, Noxious Weeds, Santa Barbara, Wilderness, wildflowers
|
2 Comments
The Intelligence of Coyote Tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata)
Wild tobacco growing in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Santa Barbara County. (Fall 2024) If we define intelligence as an ability to perceive, understand and respond effectively to environmental stimuli, then we might attribute to plants what is normally considered … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
|
Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Science, Wilderness, wildflowers, Wildlife
|
Leave a comment
Chief Matilija’s Poppy
We grew up hearing about Chief Matilija and his group of warriors who tried to fight off the ever-present armies. In the myth, the story goes on to tell of Chief Matilija’s daughter, Amatil, who was very much in love … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
|
Tagged Chumash, Hiking, Hiking (2), Los Padres National Forest, Native Americans, Nature, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness, wildflowers, Wildlife
|
6 Comments
Fire Poppy, Baron Ranch Corridor
Posted in Santa Barbara
|
Tagged Fire Poppy, Hiking, Hiking (2), Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Outdoors, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness, wildflowers, Wildlife
|
2 Comments
The Extraordinary Rains of August 2023
The organic curves of chaparral-cloaked Condor National Forest. I’m growing like a seedRain’s been falling on me — KT Tunstall, Feel It All “I’m wondering if we won’t see August thunderstorms.” I wrote that in June, a freak premonition. The … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
|
Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Santa Barbara, Sespe Wilderness, Wilderness, wildflowers, Wildlife
|
3 Comments













