Pendola Guard Station -

Location
Upper Santa Ynez River

A guard station built during the 1930s that still has a Forest Service employee on site most of the year. Near the intersection of Camuesa Road and Aqua Caliente Canyon road.

Ray’s Notes
Elevation: Google Earth says the elevation is 1,607'.

Distance: Go

Facilities:

Notes:

Jim Blakley Notes
Originally near the site of the Chumash Indian Village of Aajalayegua, the Pendola family of Santa Barbara built an adobe as headquarters for their ranching operation. When Gibraltar Dam was completed their grazing lease was canceled because of the possibility of contamination from their cattle. The original Forest Service Station for the area was located in the Mono adobe but because of the poor water at that location, the station was moved in early 1934 to the new building just completed at Pendola. Chestly and Charlot Pinkham, just after they were married, was the first Family to live in the station building. In later years, a fire crew barracks was added and occupied during fire season.

Bob Burtness Notes
In 1906, Colonel Slosson, the Forest Supervisor, decided to build a station on the Mono. A frame cabin was built, but in August, 1908, construction was begun on an adobe because the cabin was "too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter." Upon its completion in October of that year, Gus Dinsmore, son of Tom Dinsmore, was the first ranger to occupy it. The station was abandoned in 1933 when Ranger Charley Pinkham and his bride moved into the just completed Pendola Station.