what's so important about it, what is humbouldt county?
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what's so important about it, what is humbouldt county?
im wondering the same thing...
humboldt, like any other "hippy haven", and much of the northwest, is a mixed bag. The county is very much divided between the south and the north, between hicks, hippies, environmentalists (an allied but different breed from the hippy pot-growers) from the back-country speed freaks, and people up there to make money growin'' herb pure and simple.
A quick history of humboldt: 1. before the hippies = long established cattle rancher families, timber folk and paper mills, fisheries (out of eureka), etc.
2. The scene in the haight becomes unbearable for the freedom folk and they move ever north into Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Humboldt.
3. Someone figures out that Afghan varietals grow perfect in the north california sun and the scene begins. People, mostly hippies in the mid 70s start growing crops in rows, plantation (excuse the expression) style.
4. The region becomes flush with buds and cash, coke heads from the bay area start rippin'' off crops, and hunters start to turn people in. Soon growers begin to booby-trap their gardens, place gaurds nearby, and innocent people, mainly hikers in national forests are killed.
5. Enter Regan''s war on drugs. CAMP moves in, ganja moves underground and in, under, and on top of the trees, indoors, and in greenhouses. Humboldt gets international fame from High Times, etc. and people flock seeking gold.
6. Add in the environmental situation. Most of the so-called native residents can no longer make a living off timber, due to lack of adequate reserves, regulations, whatever. most mills have closed down. people are out of work. Salmon fishing, once a huge industry, has slowed significantly due to deforestation, and regulations to keep the salmon populations strong. Now people there before the hippies are up in arms against environmentalist trying to protect old growth forests, etc. It is truly a divided community.
Nevertheless, because of the decline of industry, almost everyone grows pot, which serves as a social glue of sorts. many also cook meth, and whale gulch, just south of shelter cove, is one of the largest smuggling ports for herion on the west coast.
Ok, geographic divisions, Southern Humboldt/Northern Mendocino is the main growing region. Good luck trying to get in there and make it rich now. The community is incredibly close knit and difficult to break into. CAMP (and COMET, now probably defunct, but the infared planes looking for indoor gardens) is so hot that it is truly a pain in the ass to grow anything beyond subsistance. You''d be better off in SF or Oakland.
Go up aways, an hour north from Garberville and away from the forested coast areas like notorious Honeydew, and you get back into the hick infested areas of Rio Dell, Scotia, Fortuna, etc. Eureka is a mixed bag, a depressing place. Lots of old school humbodlt residents, fishers, herion addicts, and college kids who couldn''t get into Humboldt State or can''t afford Arcata.
Arcata was cool in the early 90s but much has changed. Probably kind people still, but trendy as well. Look out for survellance at the Co-op and at the square in the center of town. Mc Kinleyville is swaggish, Trinidad is the shit, but incredibly expensive.
My suggestion for anyone looking to move to Northern California, try West Sonoma, Mendocino (similar but not as much hype as humboldt), or the area east of Chico (undiscovered hippy haven).
^got that from some hippy website
When we lived above the California border in Oregon, we knew people in Humboldt County. That was 20 yrs ago easily. I can remember my son leaving in the middle of the night to travel with his friend to visit his mom in Humboldt. They'd return the next day with bags of what was called then 'bud clippings' this was the water leaves and small leaves that surrounded the buds. They'd tell tales of large bags of what they'd throw away were tossed into the river to be carried away to sea. Sometimes now when I'm dry and out, I think I'd love to have even just one of those bags they'd throw away. It was then the mecca for growers. :)