Wilderness Mind - by John Bullaro
2010 Columns
July, 2010 Crossing the Mighty Sierra
My introduction to long distance backpacking began early one August morning. I and nine other people set out to cross the Sierra Nevada Range from the Pine Flats Reservoir, northeast of Fresno, to Olancha, along highway 395.
June, 2010 Global Climate Change
Global climate change—in our current situation can be read as "a gradual increase
in planet-
May, 2010 Wolves As Spirit Guides
The Central Coast no longer has wolves, yet to know them is to enhance our love of
nature. In the Northeastern part of the United States, wolves and coyote have crossed,
producing an animal that is not as stable in its dealings with human as is a pure
wolf. Coyotes do live in coastal communities in SLO County and we should be cautious
around them. However, wolves are quintessential American icons. They are anxious
to avoid us, yet we should understand and appreciate them even if they don't live
in our back yard -
April, 2010 Finding the Child Within
When was the last time you removed your shoes and socks and walked barefooted in a stream? Recalled your inner child that sat by a roaring campfire, roasted a hot dog, and laid on your back and looked skyward to see cloud pictures? Would you enjoy paddling a canoe across a placid lake and eating lunch on a far shore? If the thought of these past and present adventures seem appealing, read on.
March, 2010 Anatomy of a Search & Rescue Operation
Recently, friends and neighbors of mine asked why SLO Search & Rescue didn’t launch a search for George Carpenter, who was first reported missing on December 23, 2009. The answer was simple; we had no idea where to begin looking. It’s true, George’s family and friends assembled on their own to look for George shortly after he was reported missing. That often happens when a person goes missing with no “Last known location.” This effort is a way family and close friends feel empowered when something happens to someone they love. But in the parlance of SAR operations, George could have been anywhere in the “Rest of the World (ROW). Being an all volunteer unit, we have to use our resources to the best advantage.
February, 2010 Keep the Beauty From Being a Beast
The Central Coast is a tourist's paradise: a meandering coastline, rolling green hills, beautiful mountain backdrops, lovely homes, and quaint shops hosted by some of the most creative and generous people. In this arena of splendor one can hike, bike, swim, fish, boat, snorkel, or kick back and let the mind soar to new heights of enlightenment.
Still, among these geographic/environmental splendors and opportunities for re-
January, 2010 Help -
The Country Sheriff's Search & Rescue Unit (SAR) gets frequent calls to search for
lost and missing citizens from the Central Coast area, including Los Osos, Morro
Bay, Cayucos, and Cambria. Search subjects come from all age groups: men, women,
boys, girls, some with physical disabilities, and more than a few mentally challenged.
By far the most common search victim in these coastal areas is the cognitively challenged
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