i don’t remember when I first met Blanco, but I remember one time when he came to the Jade Festival. He looked just like in the Herald photo below. He was 90 something, and in a wheelchair. He grabbed me by my arm and pulled me down to him. I thought he was going to pull me into his lap. He was surprisingly strong. He did love the ladies.

Many moons ago, there was a stand off between the USFS and the local community on Blanco’s front porch. The USFS wanted to tear down his cabin. They didn’t. Blanco was still there into his 90’s. I’ve seen the photos and heard the stories of that time. The South Coast was a wild coast. We are a bit tamer today, but we are also older today.

There is a great photo of him in today’s Herald from their archives.

bigsurkate

Appointed appellate counsel for indigent defendants (retired.) I have lived in Big Sur since 1984, first on the north coast, and on the South Coast since 1989.

View Comments

    • Yes, Michael. He certainly does! KC can tell the story well. He was there for the show down.

      bigsurkate

  • That's right around when I met him. I helped Wally and Charlotte graft his fruit trees. Forrest Service had a territorial axe to grind with private properties on Williow Creek around that time, if I remember right.

  • Their axe was private mining claims on USFS property...valid claims, so a private property interest. They got rid of many mining cabins back then. Often burned them to the ground, then tried to charge the owner, as they did us, for the cost of a clean-up that never happened! Oh, the stories!

  • I could barely hear him way up Los Burros on the CB but he talked to Mike Pena a lot and we heard Mike saying "10-4 Blanco" every few minutes.

  • Now that is Willow Creek defined ! Rugged, defiant and right ...and still no electric lines or cell phone reception.

Share
Published by
bigsurkate

Recent Posts

Listening Session on General Plan Housing Element Monday, May 6th.

The links in the screen shot are not active. Zoom Option: https://montereycty.zoom.us/j/96244171607

20 hours ago

Structure Fire at Big Sur Bakery

Here are some stills from a video that Ivy took about 1/2 hour ago or…

2 days ago

Update from Caltrans on Rocky Creek Slip-out

This update contains no new information, but a nice photo. Here it is in any…

3 days ago

Trail Fire — Botcher’s Gap

Currently there are both ground units and air tankers on this fire. “Approx 2 acres…

5 days ago

Caltrans lack of response to invasive species brought in by contractors

Dave Nelson, and others have been trying to get Caltrans to address their contributions to…

5 days ago