Pico Blanco Day Two.

Morning in the Ventana Wilderness.



The route. The destination.



The views back down to Highway 1 and the Pacific coast were neato.



Hiking in the morning, in the fog and mist, on a sunny day in April. It felt like this:



Not until right below the summit do you encounter much of the famous white marble and limestone that gives Pico Blanco its name.



On the summit. You get the idea.



Looking north into the void.



Summit cheese.



Pondering life's mysteries.



We really had to get going.



Luckily this peak comes with facilities.



Back down at the Little Sur we took a little nap.



Plenty of soft places to lay down.



Good views.



Back at the truck looking up. Pico Blanco from Old Coast Road.

Pico Blanco.

Old Coast Road up the Little Sur Trail to Pico Blanco Camp. Pico Blanco Camp up to the summit of Pico Blanco and back to the Old Coast Road. 15 miles. 9000' combined vertical up and down.



I've been wanting to do this one for years now. I'd been into Pico Blanco Camp before (via Bottcher's Gap), but getting to the summit of Pico Blanco was the goal this time. The trail starts out among the redwood sorrel.



And with redwood sorrel comes redwoods.



We brought our own lobster.



Really lush up there in April. But this beauty has a darkside...



...ticks.



Looking back down the Little Sur towards the ocean. That road in there is the 'private' road belonging to the Granite Rock Mining Company. They own Pico Blanco and word is that they don't like people traipsing around on their mountain. We tried to stay out of sight out of mind.



The trail follows the south slopes of Pico Blanco until it drops down into the camp. From this angle Pico Blanco looks pretty benign.



After five miles or so you reach Pico Blanco Camp. The camp sits in a nice clearing above the dark Little Sur River.



A little trail leads out from the back of camp...



...and down to the river.



Um, it is kind of nice down here.



After the hike, we spent a good hour just lounging in the filtered light, nestled in the rocks, listening to the creek and the falls. We had the place to ourselves, like usual.

A long and full Saturday on the Central Coast.

Terrace Creek Loop - 12 miles, 6630' of elevation gain/loss.



The trail starts at the Ventana Inn, switchbacks up to the Coast Ridge on a gated dirt road with incredible views towards the ocean. From the ridge the trail drops into shady and cool Terrace Creek eventually reaching the crowded Pine Ridge Trail--otherwise known as "the trail to Sykes Hot Springs". (We saw a total of one hiker prior to reaching the Pine Ridge Trail. Once there however, we counted more than thirty, every one of them headed to the hot springs. Just another reminder that you can have Big Sur pretty much all to yourself, you just have to stay away from Sykes.)

We tried but failed to identify these wildflowers.






Banana slugs everywhere. Like me they have a fondness for mushrooms, unlike me they are hermaphrodites.



Somebody's driveway.


On top of Coast Ridge Road looking over Mule and Graves canyons to the Pacific.



People live up here. Bastards.



Action shot.



Into the dark forest.



Big Sur Goodness.



Outlaw Camp on Terrace Creek.



Trail.



Ground cover.



Big trees on Terrace Creek.



Moss wall.



A view across the Big Sur River to last week's trail up Mt. Manuel - "The leopard face".



Our prize - Nepenthe.



Then back to the woods. Morning at camp on the Little Sur River.