PINNACLES
We
left the Ponderosa Campground early on Monday morning. We had a big day ahead of us. First up was a drive to Pinnacles National
Park. After some hiking there, we had a
long drive to Jackson, CA, where we would visit Christy’s Uncle Ed and Aunt
Carolyn. We wanted to arrive at a
reasonable time, so we got up at first light and broke camp.
The
entrance fee to Pinnacles National Park is a whopping $30, but our National
Parks Pass covered it. We bypassed the
visitor center and headed for the Chapparal
Trailhead. Along the way we passed a
Ranger or some sort of Law Enforcement Officer parked in the middle of the
road. That was odd, but he didn’t try to
stop us.
There
were only a few cars in the parking lot.
Apparently the main parking areas typically
fill up on the weekends, but this was still early on a Monday morning. It was already warm and sunny. The forecast called for a high in the
mid-90’s, so I was eager to get going before it got any hotter.
First,
Christy and I did the short loop hiking combining Balconies Cliffs and
Balconies Cave. This was a fairly easy
hike of 2 1/2 miles. We started out on
the approach trail, admiring the soaring cliff walls on either side of us. We did the loop clockwise, starting with the
cliffs. We climbed on switchbacks to the
top of the cliffs, where we were rewarded with spectacular views of the cliffs
and crazy rock formations. We descended
the far end and started up a mostly dry gully.
This stretch required a bit of rock hopping and scrambling. We arrived at the gate at the entrance to the
cave, which was open. From there, we
scrambled through the boulder cave, which was more extensive than I
expected. It was quite dark in there –
it’s a good thing we remembered our headlamps!
After
exiting the cave we closed the loop and backtracked to
the parking lot. That was the trailhead
for the second hike of the day. Christy
decided to skip this one, as it requires a big climb and descent. She was still recovering from a minor knee
surgery in June, and didn’t want to tackle a big, rocky descent this early in
the trip. It was too hot to hang out in the parking lot, so she decided to head
to the visitor’s center. When she got there she discovered it was closed, so she drove back down
the mountain to a YMCA in Soledad. Her
plan was to do a training swim there, but that particular YMCA doesn’t have a
pool. At least she got a shower out of
it.
My
plan was to do a loop hiking in the High Peaks region combining the Juniper
Canyon, High Peaks, and Tunnel Trails.
It was already late morning and getting hot, so I set a brisk pace. The climb up the Juniper Canyon Trail into
the High Peaks was steady, but not steep.
The views expanded to the north as I climbed. I was nearing the top of the ridge when I was
treated to a real thrill. A condor
swooped towards me. I managed to get the
camera out and ready, but at the moment of truth it wouldn’t focus. The condor buzzed by me and was soaring away
before I managed to take a photo.
I
reached a junction in a saddle on the crest of the ridge. From there, I followed an unofficial side
trail up to a minor, unnamed summit.
From there I had a 360 degree view that
encompassed most of the park. The
tallest mountains, the Chalone Peaks, were a few miles to the west. Back to the south I could see the rugged
cliffs surrounding Bear Gulch Cave. I
had lunch there before returning to the trail.
I
followed it along the crest of the ridge, past incredible cliffs and bizarre
rock formations. More views unfolded in
every direction. This stretch was really
slow going, due to the rugged terrain.
There were several steep stretches where steps had been carved out of
the rock. Those sections of trail
feature handrails, which were necessary for safety. Unfortunately, the handrails were made out of
black metal pipe. Black metal pipe that
had been baking in the sun all morning.
Hiking those stretches required holding onto the pipe, which was blazing
hot. I had to do those stretches in
short bursts so I could let my hand cool off from time to time.
I
eventually reached another junction and began descending on the Tunnel
Trail. The Tunnel Trail does in fact
pass through a man-made tunnel in a cliff.
A short distance beyond the Tunnel I rejoined the Juniper Canyon Trail,
which I followed back to the parking lot.
Christy was waiting for me there, and we headed back down to Soledad.
The
drive to Jackson was long, but it went pretty smooth. I had to force Google Maps to route us away
from San Jose, which was nothing but a series of traffic jams. That worked, and we arrived at Carolyn’s
ranch in time for dinner that evening.
It was great catching up with Ed and Carolyn, and we enjoyed a rare
opportunity to sleep in a bed that night.
Back to California
Back to Hiking and Backpacking Trip Reports
Please remember to Leave No Trace!