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Everybody has a place in our public lands. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re steeped in the 805 backcountry or have never stepped foot on a dirt path in your life — we’ll discuss destinations, gear, local lore, flora, fauna, skills, etiquette, ethics, and volunteerism … and get out there! 

Pick a post and head down the rabbit hole with me!

  • Old School Signage: Franklin Trail, 1934

    Old School Signage: Franklin Trail, 1934

    The image below is presented here courtesy Joan Rock Bailard, and was scanned from a b/w Kodak Brownie print by David Griggs of the Carpinteria Historical Museum; my thanks to both for the kind use. Shown above is the junction with the Franklin and Ocean View Trails in 1934. Visible are Joan Rock at age…

  • Station to Station: Pine Mountain Lodge (Part 1 of 2)

    Station to Station: Pine Mountain Lodge (Part 1 of 2)

    Part of the Footprints Project PML Prime Pano. Image courtesy and © The Los Padres Expat Ah, Pine Mountain Lodge. The very name invokes different feelings for different LPNF wanderers: most know it as the dusty and somewhat disappointing trail camp at the junction of the Piedra Blanca and Fishbowls/Cedar Creek trails; some know of…

  • Kennedy Ridge Exploratory

    Kennedy Ridge Exploratory

    Redbeards of the Fog and Drizzle, Unite! On a recent and ridiculously soggy Saturday, the RSO and I were convinced by Mother Nature to eschew an ambitious 48-hour sojourn to the Monterey RD of the Los Padres. We agreed an exploratory of the Kennedy Ridge with our classic line-up (we two bipeds and the uber-hund)…

  • Condor Call December 2012/January 2013

    Condor Call December 2012/January 2013

    “Venerable Veterans of the Wilderness” Recently I had the pleasure to collaborate with Bob Burtness on a short article about ice can stoves for the Sierra Club’s regular “Soaring the Los Padres” column. Every other month, this column details the great work being done by the Condor Trail Association and some of the features along…

  • Reyes Peak, Redux

    Reyes Peak, Redux

    “My girl, my girl where did you sleep last night?”

  • Bellyache Exploratory

    Bellyache Exploratory

    Or, “Spontaneity Afield” Lilly at Bellyache Falls, November 2012 Image courtesy Li’l G So last week with no real destination in mind, the kids and I grabbed Lilly and some gear and just headed for the hills. We ended up exploring a few corners of the forest (including the First Chance site), but one I…