dispatches

The Tale of a Beard, Four Paws and a Forest

  • Station to Station: Pine Mountain Lodge Flashback

    Station to Station: Pine Mountain Lodge Flashback

    As time has allowed over the past few years (which is to say, almost never), and starting with a brief background I posted about Pine Mountain Lodge, I’ve been slowly pulling together some research that eventually I’ll release as the Footprints Project. Progress has been painfully slow, with real life and all sorts of other…

  • Old School Signage: Alder Creek/Mutau

    Old School Signage: Alder Creek/Mutau

    Another of the lost Santa Barbara NF enamel beauties, this one at the junction of the now-abandoned upper Alder Creek trail and Mutau Creek route, 1968. Mt Pinos district stalwart EmSub and his hearty team have worked the tree-littered Mutau trail several times in the wake of the Day Fire (see some photos here and…

  • Dungeons of Maptitude Review No. 6: Conant’s 2015 San Rafael Wilderness

    Dungeons of Maptitude Review No. 6: Conant’s 2015 San Rafael Wilderness

    Rejoice, fellow wanderers of the wood — we have new mappage! Now, those who follow the map reviews on this little site are likely familiar with Bryan Conant‘s San Raf maps, though I’ve only (until now) reviewed the 2008 and 2013 editions of his excellent Matilija and Dick Smith Wilderness map. But now I’m happy…

  • Of Pines, Water, and Wasting Away

    Of Pines, Water, and Wasting Away

    It was a rag-tag crew that convened at the Horn Canyon trailhead on a recent Friday afternoon; dads just off work and kids and allies all ready to end the week with some fine time in a fine corner of the southern Los Padres. There have been plenty of quick trips into the backwood of…

  • Sespe Sundays

    Sespe Sundays

    Last April, I spent a great 3 days out at Sespe Hot Springs with an intrepid crew of Los Padres luminaries. But this April has been a bit mellower — and the miles fewer — as schedules, water scarcity, and an aging pack all combined to make lazy afternoons creekside a pretty viable option. And so…

  • Chumash X

    Chumash X

    Stop me if you’ve heard this one. In early April, the monkeys and I headed into the backwood for our annual Chumash Wilderness sojourn. We had spent the morning at the LPFA‘s excellent open house event at Wheeler Gorge, and so didn’t quite get the early start we often enjoy, but it was a sublime…