Posted on August 24 at 2:42 p.m.

Nitz - You seem to forget you are writing with the benefit of hindsight. Would your post have been the same had structures been destroyed or lives lost?

Be thankful the trail you enjoy remains usable.

.......................This season.......................

Sadly, for those of us with a few grey hairs, we will not likely return to many trails and camps in our backpacking lifetimes.

On Romero Canyon Single Track Receives a Facelift

Posted on August 16 at 11:34 a.m.

Ray,

Is there a wildlife expert (in addition to you) that could give us an estimate on the number of bears and mountain lions that were living in the burned area? We have been wondering how surviving animals reallocate remaining territory, and are concerned about the fate of those that may (or have already) wandered onto surrounding ranchlands. Are we wrong in thinking almost all of the best habitats in the county have burned?

We share your concern for the mother and her cubs. We have been thinking of “our” special Judell bear. We generally saw fresh sign any trip through Judell Canyon and one morning saw him/her returning down canyon from dinner in the Cuyama Valley, smelling but not seeing us lying in the grass on Santa Barbara Potrero in the pre-dawn hours.

This is so sad.

(Hi Tom!)

On The Fire and the Wild

Posted on August 11 at 9:59 p.m.

Ray -

During the Perkins fire, there was concern for spread into the Sisquoc. Were any significant lines built near Sweetwater that will assist the crews in this effort?

Also, is it possible to tell where the fire crossed the Sisquoc? After days of activity, maps appear to show Bear (in fact many) camps intact.

On Zaca Fire Team Meets with Mission Canyon Residents

Posted on August 11 at 1:14 p.m.

Back to the $195 million of plants……………

In an article by Tom Schultz on July 10, Santa Barbara Sheriff Department Sgt Raney was quoted as saying:

"Large-scale marijuana cultivation is a serious and increasingly widespread problem on public and private lands in California. The growers are usually armed, sometimes with automatic weapons and high-power rifles."

Last week, $266 million dollars of plants were found on National Forest land in Santa Barbara County.

http://www.topix.net/wire/county/santa-b...

The Twitchell post combined with last weeks find are relevant to the extent the Forest Service knows backpackers are not the only ones following the burn by canyon and watershed.

That’s a lot of money to protect. There is a potential safety issue for firefighters worth comment.

On Fire Command Considers Burning Out Backcountry