Tag: solo hiking blog

Road Trip: Part 3 – 16 miles in Pinnacles National Park – the High Peaks, Balconies Caves, and Bear Gulch

@serafinahikes

There is no better time to explore Pinnacles than early spring, after the caves cease flooding, and when all are open, which is usually only a few weeks of the year. Pinnacles National Park is located in central California, in a rural area between Paso Robles and Monterey. It tends to be warm here much of the year, so weather is a factor in deciding a good time to visit here. Other factors to consider when visiting are Condor Nesting season, which closes the High Peaks, and rain, which closes part of the Bear Gulch, along with Balconies trails. I hiked about 16 miles today, exploring all of Pinnacles in a day.

Buck Gully in December

@serafinahikes

It was a cool late afternoon in December as I headed over to the Buck Gully Trail in Corona Del Mar.As I trodded along listening to the sound of the peaceful creek which flows alongside the trail, I felt like I was walking within a zen retreat of some sort. There was a very gradual amount of gain along the way on this hike. My hike today was only about 4 miles to the signage by the powerpole, and back, although there is an extension that continues onto San Joaquin Hills Road, which I did not explore. I would also consider this a wonderful easy hike if you're just starting to get into hiking and don't want something that's too technical or long. 

Stonewall Peak and Cuyamaca Rancho in Fall

@serafinahikes

So this would be my second hike in this beautiful historic wilderness park, and former rancho, with habitation dating back over 9,000 years. It was the home of the Kumeyaay tribe, and seven villages were located here. It would be my second time hiking here. I was coming on a busy weekend in fall. I drove up Hwy-79 and parked at Trout Pond trailhead, not noticing any indication of a need to display a parking pass here. There were about 5 cars parked here, and across the road. I exited my car and was just in awe of the fall colors. It had been unknown to me in planning this hike that the fall colors would be at their peak. I began hiking along the Marty Minshall Trail, heading towards the forest, which was glowing in shades of bright yellow.

Waterman Mountain Loop

@serafinahikes

My goal for today’s hike was to explore the Waterman Mountain loop, that sits within a scenic wilderness area of the San Gabriel Mountains. The trailhead sits along SR-2, the Angeles Crest Highway, and is a bit out of the way. It is well past Chilao Campground, and Mount Williamson, along with most of civilization. The highway had been closed for repairs for sometime, which made visiting here again exciting.

Cattle Crest and Rabbit Run from Quail Hill

@serafinahikes

From the Quail Hill parking area in Irvine I set out to enjoy the Bommer Canyon Open Access Day. Registration was not required, and it was free to park at the trailhead here, unlike some of the other nearby trailheads. Hope this guide is helpful for planning your hikes on Bommer Canyon Open Access Day.