Comments on: Black Cone Loop/2018/02/14/black-cone-loop/Exploring the Rugged & WildThu, 15 Feb 2018 02:18:21 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.com/By: pantilat/2018/02/14/black-cone-loop/#comment-16803Thu, 15 Feb 2018 02:18:21 +0000/?p=6221#comment-16803In reply to lewruli.

Since the Soberanes Fire skipped over Pine Ridge hopefully this gives that forest a chance to regenerate. Last time I was up there there were quite a few young trees coming in, especially on the north side of the ridge.

]]>By: Mike/2018/02/14/black-cone-loop/#comment-16801Wed, 14 Feb 2018 21:37:19 +0000/?p=6221#comment-16801Interesting that Black Cone now has such a fine view; last I was there (just after the 1999 Kirk Complex fires) the summit was hemmed in with 15-20′ oak snags. White Cone offers some of the best views in the Ventana Wilderness, at least it did back then (which was right about the time the rain gauge was placed on its summit). My understanding is that the Black Cone Trail fell into disrepair after the (1977) Marble Cone Wildland Fire; with a declining recreation budget, the USFS ceased to maintain it, merely including it on subsequent maps a “historic trail”. After the Kirk fires, the Ventana Wilderness Alliance put in a herculean multi-year effort to recover the trail & for several years thereafter it was in fine shape. After the (2008) Basin Complex fires, the VWA again deployed contract crews to restore the trail. Then came the (2016) Soberanes Wildland Fire, followed by very heavy winter storms. Trail maintenance, especially on long, remote trails like this one, is much like painting the Golden Gate Bridge- as soon as you’re done it’s time to start again. Great photos, thanks for the (as always) excellent blog post.

]]>By: lewruli/2018/02/14/black-cone-loop/#comment-16799Wed, 14 Feb 2018 19:37:25 +0000/?p=6221#comment-16799great post. * years * ago – back when there was still a substantial old growth forest atop pine ridge (c. ’92-98), I accidentally discovered the trail to black cone. I never made it as far as the name sake, or very far along the trail due to overgrowth, but always enjoyed exploring the area around the south cone. years later I saw it listed on a Ventana trail map as a ‘historic’ trail. Not entirely sure what makes it historical and no long time Ventanans I’ve asked seem to know. another Ventana mystery I guess

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