The Black Cone Trail bisects one of the most remote regions of the Ventana Wilderness from Pine Ridge to Strawberry Valley with outstanding views of the seldom-seen North Fork Big Sur River drainage and Ventana Double Cone.  The trail has a reputation for being rugged and difficult with sloping tread, brush and lack of reliable water sources.  Despite the Soberanes Fire naturally clearing a majority of the brush, there remains extended unburned sections with difficult interlocking brush and uneven, sloping tread for many miles.  Trail work before the fire on the southern end has held up well with good tread and brush skeletons not impacting the trail corridor, but it appears most of the middle section has not seen trail maintenance in years.  Overall, the Black Cone Trail is in better condition than it has been in a long time so now is a great opportunity to enjoy this trail, but it is still a difficult outing where one will find a true Ventana adventure with a mix of challenges related to both post-fire conditions and unburned brush growth.  One of the most important things to consider on this trail is the lack of water as the two springs (White Cone Spring and Woodwardia Spring) are not reliable and can be dry in the summer or during a dry winter (they are currently both dry and will likely stay dry throughout summer and fall 2018 unless we get major rains in March).  It is therefore imperative that one carry adequate water from the Pine Ridge spring or Carmel River headwaters on the north end, or from the Zigzag Creek headwaters on the south end, because the trail is likely going to be dry. When combined with the relentless exposure to sun on this trail, water needs are going to be high. Getting to the Black Cone Trail entails many miles on either the Pine Ridge Trail (from the north) or the Marble Peak Trail (from the south) so it’s a long outing just to reach the Black Cone Trail where the challenges begin. However, despite the arduous nature of the trail, the exceptional scenery more than make for any difficulties and it’s a classic route of the Ventana Wilderness. GPX route here.  Photo album here.

On this outing, we may made a loop by starting at Pine Ridge Trailhead and running down the road to the Tassajara Zen Center. Pass through the Zen Center quietly on the user easement to access the Tony Trail which provides an efficient route up and over to the Marble Peak Trail.  The Tony Trail is in great shape on the north side up the steep climb to the ridge and the south side has some brush but passable. At the bottom of the Tony Trail take the Marble Peak Trail to Strawberry Valley.  The Marble Peak Trail travels alongside Willow Creek which did not burn in the Soberanes Fire but near the Willow-Zigzag divide one enters a burned portion and the scenery drastically changes. The upper Zigzag watershed had already taken a hit in the 2008 Basin Complex fire and now it is almost entirely decimated. Few live trees remain and the regrowth after a wet winter was immense.  Hopefully this land will be given a chance to heal.

The Black Cone Trail starts in Strawberry Valley where it follows Zigzag Creek in a riparian zone (can be very brushy) before switchbacking out of the drainage and onto an old fire road bed.  The fire road climbs the hillside at an even grade to crest at a divide between Zigzag Creek and the North Fork Big Sur River.  As one crests this divide one is treated to a magnificent view of the North Fork Big Sur River drainage that reveals itself for the first time.  At the end of the canyon the most rugged corner of the Vetana rises prominently including Ventana Double Cone, the Window and Kandlbinder.  At this divide, one can make a side trip to climb Black Cone at 4,472 ft, which is just under 1,000 feet above the trail at this location. This climb is undoubtedly easier after the fire cleared the brush and while steep in portions, it’s a relatively efficient route.  The views only improve as one ascends the slope to the summit. While Black Cone is not a relatively high peak of the Ventana, especially with respect to higher terrain along the ridge to it’s north, Black Cone’s central position and prominence at the south end of the ridge result in stellar 360 degree views. To the north one can look down the North Fork Big Sur River drainage to Ventana Double Cone. To the west Coast Ridge looks tantalizing close, but in reality it’s a long ways away on rugged trails. To the south is Cone Peak rising above the south coast and to the southeast is Santa Lucia Peak, the highest peak in the Ventana.

Back on the Black Cone Trail, the trail traverses the hillside beneath Black Cone. The tread and corridor through the brush skeletons remains excellent for about another mile before transitioning to the sloped tread characteristic of the middle section. This landscape was severely burned leaving only brush skeletons and regrowth of grasses and yerba santa. The brush skeletons are generally short and do not impede progress except where the trail traverses into northern aspects where taller brush burned and the skeletons fell into the trail. At about the half point of the trail, one can make another side trip to the 4,725 ft summit of White Cone which is even more remote than Black Cone.  Also known as the Elephant Hump, White Cone has large summit plateau that looks like a hump when viewed from other high points in the Ventana.  It is aptly named with distinctive white limestone rocks on its west face. After the Soberanes Fire burned the low lying brush on this face, it is even more strikingly white.  On the summit plateau of White Cone is a remote rain gauge sensor for advanced flood control.  Interestingly, this gauge is named “Black Cone” but it is actually positioned on White Cone. The flat summit of White Cone enables the gauge to be serviced by helicopter.  The view from White Cone is distinctly different from Black Cone and worthy of the additional side trip. In particular, the angle from White Cone down the main stem of the Big Sur River all the way to the Big Sur Valley and Pacific Ocean is outstanding.  In addition, White Cone has an excellent vantage into the trail-less upper Tassajara Creek drainage.  Of course, Ventana Double Cone and the cirque including the Window and Kandlbinder remain prominent, as they do for virtually the entire duration of the Black Cone Trail.

The northern section of the Black Cone Trail is arguably the most difficult in current conditions.  At Venturi Usecamp, the trail reaches the crest of the ridge for the first time. Just north of the usecamp is a short section of unburned brush before the trail emerges for the first of several sections that are right on the ridge crest with stellar views on both sides.  About a mile north of Venturi Usecamp the trail enters an extended unburned section that includes the most difficult interlocking brush of the entire trail. While the tread is well-defined, there is a lot of pushing through the brush.  The trail emerges from the brush for one last burned section near point 4703 before returning into the brush for good all the way to the junction of Pine Ridge Trail. The brush in this final section is easier than the brush in the prior section though I was amazed to see how much it had filled in just a couple years since my last visit to this section, particularly manzanita growing in the trail.  On the final section of the trail on the ridge crest, make sure to look into the Upper Tassajara Creek on the east side to see an expansive grove Santa Lucia Firs.

I have been to Pine Valley several times since 2009, including twice this spring. It’s a magical spot with the towering Ponderosa pines, pretty meadows, spectacular sandstone rock formations and a pretty waterfall downstream along the Carmel River. Like Jack English, it’s become one of my favorite spots in the Ventana. In addition, the area has great opportunities for exploration including the Pine Ridge Trail toward Pine Ridge, Bear Basin and Church Creek. Complete photo albums:

• Pine Valley & Falls
• Pine Ridge, Pine Valley, Pine Falls 
• Church Creek
• 2015 Trip to Pine Valley and Church Creek

The Church Creek Valley is particularly enjoyable with more spectacular sandstone formations, meadows, oak woodland and scenic vistas. Church Creek sees a fraction of the visitation of Pine Valley so the trail contains much more brush and faint tread, particularly the southern portion which has non-existent tread in some of the meadow areas.  

Pine Ridge is another fascinating spot with a remnant forest of Ponderosa pine, Coulter pine, incense cedar and Santa Lucia Fir. Before the Marble Cone and Basin Fires the forest was more expansive, but a good swath of the forest remains intact on the northern side of the ridge. The southern side of the ridge was largely obliterated by the fire, however a clump of ancient ponderosa pines stands near the top of Pine Ridge and is visible from many parts of the Ventana Wilderness. Many of the trees along this ridge are contorted and grizzled manifesting the harsh weather conditions on the ridge including strong winds, frigid winter temperatures, and scorching summer heat. 

Bear Basin is a location I have yet to explore, but look forward to visiting. It appears the greatest grove of incense cedar remaining in the Ventana is in the basin with the distinctive shape and light green color of the incense cedar visible from the Pine Ridge Trail. Similar to Pine Ridge, a good deal of the forest in Bear Basin was burned in the fires, but many of the old growth trees did make it out alive. A trail used to traverse Bear Basin but has long been lost with virtually no tread remaining.  

Ventana Mesa Creek meets the Carmel River at its gorge, with its towering cliffs, deep pool and a beautiful waterfall. This is one of the most rugged stretches of canyon in the Ventana Wilderness and Ventana Mesa Creek is right in the middle of it. Just upstream of the confluence with the Carmel River is a very nice ~25 foot falls spitting over a smooth rock ledge. I was impressed with this falls in the winter and was not expecting additional falls of this magnitude upstream, but I was surprised to find two major waterfalls upstream of the “Entrance Falls,” both taller and more impressive. Above the Entrance Falls is a pretty turquoise pool and around the next corner is a spectacular emerald pool with another smaller falls over slick rock. There are countless smaller cascades and pools and a few are particularly picturesque. These pools and cascades culminate in an stunning waterfall I called “Ventana Mesa Falls.” This falls contains a large pool with a circular amphitheater of tall cliffs. The water tumbles at least 50 ft, all in free-fall. After Ventana Mesa Falls, the creek becomes more subdued and even retreats underground for a stretch before reemerging near the tallest falls along Ventana Mesa Creek at ~2,750 ft. This upper falls contains two segments, with the upper segment being much taller, in an aggregate height of 70-80 ft. Similar to Sugar Falls near the headwaters of South Fork Devils Canyon, this falls is located near the headwaters of Ventana Mesa Creek and is not a high flow falls, but instead achieves its beauty through its delicate nature. The falls does not really contain a plunge pool, but its lush setting is unmatched by any of the Ventana waterfalls I have seen. Thick moss cloaks the entire rock facade, both underneath the watercourse and on the surrounding cliffs. Other vibrant green vegetation, including a large colony of five finger ferns, hangs from the cliffs besides the falls. “Hanging Garden Falls” seems like a very fitting name for this magical cataract with its hanging garden of ferns and moss. Above Hanging Garden Falls I scrambled up to the Ventana Spires Ridge via a talus gully and some fairly solid rock scrambling amid Santa Lucia Fir groves. This narrow ridge separates the Ventana Mesa Creek drainage from the unnamed tributary draining Ventana Cone. This is one of the more remote regions in the Ventana Wilderness and the heart of the Santa Lucia Fir growing region, the rarest fir in the world. The ridge features excellent views in all directions including Ventana Cone, South Ventana Cone, Cone Peak, Ventana Double Cone, the Big Sur River watershed, and virtually all of the Carmel River watershed. This ridge is the most alpine I have seen in Big Sur with Santa Lucia Firs, pines, steep cliffs and wildflower meadows. Unlike the Ventana Triple Crown route, this ridge contains little brush, a rarity in the Ventana, One can walk along the ridge and enjoy unfettered views and enjoyable scrambling up the three rugged pinnacles that form the Ventana Spires. From the Venana Spires I retraced familiar ground and headed up to Ventana Double Cone and returned to Los Padres Dam via Pat Springs and the Big Pines Trail. As of late May the ceanothus on the Ventana Double Cone trail has had a strong spring growth and there are extended sections of brush push throughs where the trail is essentially invisible but for the tread underfoot. Volunteers have worked on some sections of the trail, but others sections are deteriorating with another year of brush growth. I have also noticed a lot of low brush growth on the traverse beside Uncle Sam Mountain. This is more of an invonenience, but more evidence that the trail to Ventana Double Cone is not going to become a wilderness freeway or “easy” anytime soon. The trail is in great shape from Little Pines to Pat Springs, a heavenly spot under the pines with refreshingly cool spring waters. The upper part of the Big Pines trail is in good shape as many big blowdowns have been removed, but the middle section is becoming very brushy and the infamous Big Pines poison oak jungle is as healthy as ever. The Big Pines Trail gets very little use and the brush growth, tall grass, and flourishing poison oak is making the trail tough to follow in spots. This pretty trail is an aesthetic connector from Los Padres Dam to Pat Springs so I hope it will not lost.

[Content Intentionally Removed]

Photos here. Deep within the Ventana Wilderness along a high ridge that separates the Carmel River drainage from the Big Sur River drainage lies some of the most remote, wild and unforgiving coastal terrain in the United States. Along this ridge are the three “Ventana Cones” including Ventana Double Cone, Ventana (single) Cone and South Ventana Cone. While there is a history of exploration and climbs along this ridge, Bob Burd was the first person to envision a traverse of this entire ridge in a single day including summits of all three Ventana Cones, a route he coined the “Ventana Triple Crown.” After a couple failed attempts, Bob succeeded his dayhike aspirations in 2006, a feat that has not been repeated until now. I have done several routes to get acquainted with the terrain of this amazing region including visits to Kandlbinder, the Window (aka La Ventana), Ventana Double Cone, Ventana (single) Cone and the Ventana Spires. Over time I became intrigued by the ridge and the collection of rocky summits between Ventana Double Cone and Ventana (single) Cone.  Completing the Triple Crown offered a great way to explore this extremely remote and rugged stretch. The volume of experiences I’ve had in the area enabled me to carefully study the terrain and utilize the path of least resistance. Admittedly, the path of least resistance still entailed much resistance, but I knew what to expect and doing my homework certainly helped as I was able to complete the Triple Crown in 14 hours, 15 minutes roundtrip from the China Camp TH of the Pine Ridge Trail. It was both a mentally and physically challenging journey, but it was also incredibly rewarding and a route that I enjoyed a lot, as manifested by the nearly 500 (!) photographs that I took. I look forward to further explorations in this amazing region and also repeating the Triple Crown.  GPS route here.  Full photo album here. Overview of the Triple Crown from Mount Manuel below: Chaparral & Santa Lucia Firs: Much of the difficulty of the Triple Crown is due to the unavoidable bushwhacking through California chaparral, a hardy, drought-adapted mix of shrubs that covers much of the land and includes ceanothus, chamise, oak scrub and manzanita. The chaparral provides copious fuel to fires that periodically sweep over the ridges and down into the canyons. The same fires also encourage explosive reproduction of the shrubs and in as little as four years the chaparral can return as thick as ever, sometimes so thick that it is virtually impenetrable. On rocky, mostly north facing slopes, a rare forest of Santa Lucia Fir can be found. Endemic to the Santa Lucia Mountains and the rarest fir in the world, the Santa Lucia Fir is not fire resistant, but has survived in these mountains by habituating fireproof terrain on rocky slopes and the bottom of moist canyons. This amazing tree is symbolic of the Ventana Wilderness with its slender, spire-like form. The largest concentration of Santa Lucia Firs in the world can be found in the canyons and peaks of the upper Carmel River watershed. Often times, the steep, rocky terrain characteristic of the Santa Lucia Fir habitat is the ticket to efficient travel. The 2008 Basin Complex fire roared through this area of the Ventana with ferocious speed and heat leaving a maze of deadfall in spots. However, it appears the Santa Lucia Fir forest largely survived, a testament to the fir’s unique adaptability in a region where fires occur periodically.    The Intermediary Summits: There are several intermediary summits along the ridge connecting the three Ventana Cones with no official names. Several of these summits are worthy of distinction for their prominence, location and outstanding character. Moreover, passing over these intermediary summits entail some of the most arduous terrain on the route. For reference, I have dubbed Peak 4,455 between Pine Ridge and Ventana Cone as “Blue Peak” since it has a commanding view of the Blue Creek drainage. Peak 4,387, located north of Ventana Cone is arguably the most impressive unnamed summit in the Ventana with steep, cliffy terrain on all sides. In particular, the southwest face of Peak 4,387 is an impressive cliff facade overlooking the Lion Creek drainage. Thus, “Lion Rock” seems like a fitting name for this awesome summit. Peak 4,260+ does not even get a marker on the USGS map, but it’s a prominent summit along the ridge and also overlooking the wild headwaters of the East Fork Ventana Creek. The point is also a milestone on the Triple Crown traverse. When viewed from Ventana Double Cone, Peak 4,260+ has a rounded top characteristic of knobs with a Santa Lucia Fir forest in a scree gully on its north slope. Thus, “Ventana Knob” seems like an appropriate name. Finally, Peak 4,452 is labelled on the map, but there are actually three high points along the narrow ridge separating Ventana Mesa Creek and the unnamed creek draining the north side of Ventana (single) cone. The label on the USGS map is placed on what is the middle high point, but the highest point is actually the southern point (verified by GPS) by a few feet. The northern point along the ridge is considerably lower than its southern neighbors, but is still a prominent point along the ridge.  All three high points contain impressive cliff faces, particularly on their southeast sides, with sharp drops on all sides and pointy summits so the “Ventana Spires” is a very apt name to describe these three rugged pinnacles with south, middle and north spires used to identify each of the three high points. Preparation:  There are several aspects of this route which require planning. First, and perhaps the most critical aspect of this route, is water, or lack thereof. There is no water source from Pine Ridge all the way to past Ventana Double Cone. Essentially the entire off-trail portion of the route does not have water. There is water in the canyons beneath the ridge but the water is several hundred to over a thousand vertical feet below ridge and difficult to access at best. Thus, one must plan to carry sufficient water for several hours of bushwhacking on an exposed ridge or risk dehydration. The first reliable source of water on the trail without a side trip is beneath Puerto Suello Gap. Reliable water can be found near Lone Pine Camp with a short detour. The lack of water on the ridge is closely related to the second important aspect: weather. As the ridge is exposed to direct sunlight most of the way, it is not a good idea to be up there when it is hot or when there is any kind of inclement weather or limitation on visibility. I did the traverse on a relatively cool spring day and I still found it hot in the middle of the day. Attempting the route on a warmer day increases the difficulty proportionately and being on the ridge on a hot day (typical of late spring and summer) would be tortuous and would require substantially more water, amounts that could be prohibitively heavy and cumbersome to carry efficiently through the brush. Third, come prepared for full-on bushwhacking. There is some unavoidable brush and sharp deadfall, particularly between Ventana (single) Cone and Ventana Double Cone, that will shred any exposed skin. It is critical to cover the legs with durable material. You cannot have hesitation charging through the brush and dead vegetation to get through some sections with any kind of decent forward progress. For clarification, decent forward progress can be as little as 1 mph in this brushy, complex terrain. Fourth, understand the topography. The first leg between Pine Ridge and Ventana (single) Cone has fairly gentle topography with light to moderate brush. Most of the time-consuming complexities and arduous terrain is located after Ventana (single) Cone and it persists all the way to  Ventana Double Cone. There are several sharp drops between the intermediary summits of Lion Rock, Ventana Knob and the Ventana Spires with incredibly thick brush to avoid and copious sharp deadfall and trees to engage in bushwhacking gymnastics. The terrain is much steeper and contains cliffs with some unavoidable rock scrambling. It definitely pays to study this section carefully and anticipate that the segment between Ventana (single) Cone and Ventana Double Cone will take significantly longer than the segment between South Ventana Cone and Ventana (single) Cone. The Route: The route begins at the China Camp TH with the first several miles along the Pine Ridge Trail to Church Creek Divide. This stretch of trail is immensely scenic with excellent views into the Church Creek drainage and also views to Ventana (single) Cone and Ventana Double Cone. From Church Creek Divide, the Pine Ridge Trail traverses a number of drainages as it traverses to Pine Ridge. The most prominent drainage contains the headwaters of the Carmel River and is the last reliable source of water all the way to Lone Pine Spring or the stream below Puerto Suello Gap. It may be tempting to climb South Ventana Cone directly from the Pine Ridge Trail but the upper section is choked with thick brush. Better to save the energy for later. Instead, continue along the Pine Ridge Trail to the junction with the Black Cone Trail and take the Black Cone Trail south to the southwest side of Ventana Double Cone where there is a corridor of light brush to the summit. The SW side requires pushing through a short section of very thick brush beside the trail, but just above the southwest slope is user friendly and becomes less brushy as one ascends.  The SW slope is likely the most efficient way to reach South Ventana Cone in present conditions (i.e. no fire in a number of years). After South Ventana Cone retrace steps to the Black Cone/Pine Ridge junction and head toward Pine Ridge on faint use paths. A few majestic ponderosa pines survived the Basin fire and the view from the reddish summit rocks is spectacular. The descent from Pine Ridge is fairly efficient as there are wide swaths of open ground between the bushes. Eventually the open ground becomes lesser and the brush closes in requiring some light to moderate bushwhacking. This bushwhacking continues through the low point between Pine Ridge and Blue Peak but once on the upper part of the ridge to Blue Peak the terrain opens up and the final part is an easy walk on rocks to the summit of Blue Peak. From Blue Peak there is more brush to contend with leading to another intermediary summit. I found it best to stay a few feet below the ridge crest on the south side on this section. At the intermediary summit Ventana Cone appears close and the brush becomes lighter for the final stretch to the summit of Ventana Cone. The view from Ventana Cone is stellar and includes all of the remaining highpoints on the way to Ventana Double Cone. From Ventana Cone, descend several hundred feet on the north side of the ridge through Santa Lucia Fir forest and traverse talus slopes and Santa Lucia Firs toward the pass between Ventana Cone and Lion Rock, but stay below the pass. Ascend Lion Rock remaining on the north side of the ridge utilizing more talus in Santa Lucia Firs. Near the top of Lion Rock regain the ridge and ascend the final rocks to the summit. The summit area is surprisingly spacious with some relatively flat rocks. Descending the north side of Lion Rock entail some downclimbing through rocks. The next section was severely burned by the Basin fires leaving a maze of dead trees and branches to navigate. New brush is beginning to sprout through the dead vegetation in spots making forward progress especially taxing. The going is especially tough just after a small pass between Lion Rock Ventana Knob. Eventually, the brush gives way to a pleasant open stretch of grass and yuccas that leads almost all the way to the top of Ventana Knob. Ventana Knob has one of the best views in the Ventana looking across to the rugged South Arete of Ventana Double Cone and the towering Ventana Spires and down the wild East Fork Ventana Creek.From Ventana Knob, downclimb some rock and then take a scree gully down through Santa Lucia Firs. Once below cliffs on the skiers right, veer toward Heartbreak Pass, so named because of incredibly thick brush that grows in this low point. Before reaching Heartbreak Pass, traverse west through some brush to a talus gully, which is the ticket to avoiding the thick brush above Heartbreak Pass. Most of the way up the talus gully is a convenient chute that leads to the ridge below the South Ventana Spire. This chute has some fun third class scrambling on solid rock in the lower part which transitions to second class loose talus on the upper part. From the ridge, the summit of South Ventana Spire, the highest spire, is a short third class scramble away. At Ventana Spires most of the complexities of the Triple Crown have already been overcome. It may appear that brush has taken over the entire saddle between the Ventana Spires and Ventana Double Cone, but the thick brush can largely be avoided by staying on the left side near the cliffs that drop into the East Fork Ventana Creek. In fact, this terrain includes some enjoyable scrambling on blocky third class rock. From Ventana Double Cone, it’s all trail back to the China Camp Trailhead, but still many miles fairly of overgrown trails. As of this writing, the Ventana Double Cone trail is overgrown but has seen some substantial work to clear out the brush and blowdowns. The upper mile of the Puerto Suello Trail was cleared of dozens of blowdowns which is incredibly helpful. The middle part is still a challenge with some overgrown parts and blowdowns while the final stretch into Hiding Canyon Camp is in good condition. From Hiding Canyon Camp, cross the Carmel River and head up Hiding Canyon on the Carmel River Trail, which has become quite overgrown through this section. The trail becomes better on the final climb into Pine Valley. It’s a pleasure to come through Pine Valley with its lovely pastures and forest of ponderosa pine. From Pine Valley, it’s up to Church Divide and retracing steps on the Pine Ridge Trail back to China Camp Trailhead. 

A special post on Big Sur Waterfalls here.

The Big Sur region is an adventure running playground. The Ventana Wilderness, Silver Peak Wilderness and a handful of state parks form a network of protected public land over the northern half of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range that is one of the greatest coastal wilderness regions anywhere. The steep degree of relief from the ocean to the mountaintops is unmatched in the contiguous United States providing dramatic vistas throughout the coast. Perhaps one of the most magical Big Sur experiences is a clear day when the ridgetop views include a backdrop of the deep blue Pacific Ocean transitioning to turquoise near the coastline. However, a foggy day along the coast can be equally fascinating as the marine layer interacts with the terrain. In the interior of the wilderness, deep, shady canyons slice through the Santa Lucia Mountains and are filled with ancient redwoods, waterfalls, gorges and mystique. The higher reaches of the wilderness are characterized by rugged, rocky summits with rare groves of the stately Santa Lucia Fir, endemic to these mountains and one of my favorite tree species. Iconic spots like Bixby Bridge and McWay Falls draw millions of visitors to the Big Sur Coast, but with the exception of Sykes Hot Springs, a minuscule fraction travel far from the highway leaving a vast wilderness where solitude, intrigue, and a substantial amount of brush can be found.

Adventuring in Big Sur and the Ventana Wilderness is certainly possible in the summer months if travel is restricted to the immediate coast and the cool canyons, but the higher terrain can be extremely hot resulting in copious sweat, biting black flies, and active rattlesnakes. Therefore, the ideal time for exploration is from late fall through late spring when the air temperature is cooler, bugs are minimal, and the snakes are dormant. Furthermore, the winter months can provide a special treat when the occasional storm drops several inches of snow on the summits providing a unique experience of coastal views combined with snow. These same storms bring downpours to the lower elevations, enlivening the vegetation and numerous waterfalls. I have done several adventures in Big Sur over the years, but it took until last winter for me to become captivated by the phenomenal beauty of this region and gain a desire to explore the land in-depth. The result has been a bevy of awesome explorations and much inspiration for future adventures. This post compiles all of my Big Sur outings separated by sub-region categories that I came up with that made sense to me, generally organized from north to south. Most of the trips link to a dedicated blog post with many photos and a description of the adventure, but some only link to photo albums. This post also includes an array of some of my favorite photos from the region. The best resource to use when planning your adventure is Big Sur Trail Map, which includes wilderness trail conditions, donwloadable topographic trail maps and a route metrics generator. The Ventana Wliderness Aliance Forum also includes trip reports where the most recent conditions can be found. Feel free to ask me for any additional tips or information.  As there is still a lot for me to explore in Big Sur I will continue to update this post. 

North Big Sur Coast:

• Doud Peak & Rocky Ridge (April 13, 2013) – Garrapata State Park
• Doud Peak & Rocky Ridge (May 11, 2013) – Garrapata State Park
• Sierra Hill at Brazil Ranch (December 22, 2013)
• Soberanes Loop (January 2, 2015)

North Interior Ventana; the Carmel River:

• Carmel River Point-to-Point (October 2009)
• Carmel River-Ventana Double Cone Loop (January 10, 2015)
• Ventana (single) Cone Adventure (January 17, 2014)
• Carmel River Falls & Gorge (February 1, 2015)
• Other: Pine Falls, Church Creek, Miller Canyon

Cabezo-Molera, Coast to Ridge:

• Post Summit & East Molera Ridge (April 14, 2013)
• Andrew Molera (October 13, 2013)
• Cabezo-Molera Loop (January 4, 2014)
• Cabezo-Molera Loop (February 23, 2014)
• East Molera Ridge & Post Summit (April 20, 2014)

Little Sur featuring Pico Blanco, Prince of the Ventana:  

• Pico Blanco via Little Sur (May 12, 2013)
• Circular Pools (January 26, 2014)
• Pico Blanco-Little Sur Loop (February 16, 2014)
• Pico Blanco’s North Ridge (November 28, 2014)

Ventana Double Cone, Queen of the Ventana:  

• Ventana Double Cone (December 24, 2013)
• La Ventana Loop (January 15, 2014)
• Kandlbinder & Ventana Double Cone via the Drain (April 13, 2014)
• Big Sur Station to Bottcher’s Gap via Ventana Double Cone (May 4, 2014)

Big Sur River, Wild & Scenic:

• Sykes Hot Springs (November 2009)
• Into the Wild on the Big Sur Trail (January 11, 2014)
• Redwood Creek & Sykes Hot Springs (July 27, 2014)
• Mocho Loop featuring Mocho Falls (January 24, 2015)

Coast Ridge including Marble Peak and Mining Ridge:

• Limekiln to Big Sur via the Coast Ridge (December 28, 2013)
• Coast Ridge: Stone to Boronda (December 28, 2014)

Arroyo Seco, the Gorge: 

• Marble Peak 50k+ (December 6, 2014): A trans-Ventana route from the Arroyo Seco Gorge to Mable Peak on Coast Ridge
• Last Chance Falls, Jeff Falls and Santa Lucia Creek Gorge (February 10, 2015)

Memorial Park featuring Junipero Serra Peak – Grandfather of the Ventana: 

• Junipero Serra Peak (December 8, 2013): The highest point in the Santa Lucia Mountains at 5,857 ft
• Santa Lucia Three Peaks (January 25, 2014):  A classic route that includes the summits of three major peaks in the Ventana Wilderness – Cone Peak, Twin Peak and Junipero Serra Peak
• Cone Peak’s North Ridge & Lost Valley (March 8, 2014)

Central Big Sur Coast, Big Views:

• Boronda/De Angulo Loop (December 21, 2013)
• Partington Cove to McWay Falls (December 22, 2013) – Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park
• Partington to McWay, Julia Pfieffer Burns (March 15, 2014) – Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park
• Big Creek Reserve (May 10, 2014) – Open to the public one day each year!
• Prewitt & Boronda Wildflowers (May 11, 2014) – One of the greatest wildflower displays
• Boronda Turkey Trot (November 27, 2914)
• Big Sur condor Loop (December 13, 2015)
• Ewoldsen & Alta Vista (December 27, 2015)

Cone Peak, King of Big Sur:

• Cone Peak via Vicente Flat (January 10, 2010)
• Cone Peak via Vicente Flat (January 15, 2011)
• Cone Peak via Stone Ridge Direct (April 20, 2013)
• Cone Peak Marathon (November 3, 2013)
• Cone Peak via Stone Ridge and North Coast Trail (December 15, 2013)
• Stone Ridge Direct (February 1, 2014)
• Stone Ridge Direct Loop & Cone Peak (April 19, 2014)
• Cone Peak via Vicente Flat FKT & Stone Ridge Descent (April 26, 2014)
• New Year’s Day Stone Ridge Loop (January 1, 2015)
• Stone & Cone (January 19, 2015)
• Cone Peak Climbs (January 31, 2015)

South Coast – Pacific Valley:

• Prewitt Ridge (December 29, 2013)
• Shouey-Plaskett Loop (February 1, 2014)
• Shouey-Plaskett Loop (February 15, 2014)
• Kirk Creek Ridge (February 15, 2014)
• Prewitt Ridge & South Coast Ridge (April 6, 2014)

South Coast – Silver Peak Wilderness featuring Silver Peak, Princess of Big Sur, and Mount Mars, the Duke of the South Coast:

• Buckeye Loop (January 5, 2014)
• Mount Mars (January 5, 2014)
• South Coast Adventure (February 24, 2014)
• Silver Peak Wilderness Loop, Lion Peak and Mt. Mars (March 16, 2014)
• Dutra Loop and Soda Peak (November 23, 2014)
• Dutra Loop (January 3, 2015)

Après-Adventure: 

• Point Lobos: Located at the northern end of the Big Sur Coast, Point Lobos State Reserve is very popular, especially on sunny weekends. The park features numerous rocky promontories, picturesque coves and a pretty Monterey pine forest. There are many trails in the reserve that are good for a shorter run or a post-adventure stroll.
• Bixby Bridge: An essential photograph spot for tourists, this famous historic bridge is indeed very photogenic
• Soberanes Point: Rugged scenery at Garrapata State Park
• Point Sur: Historic site
• Pfieffer Beach – purple sand from manganese garnet deposits
• McWay Falls: Iconic Big Sur location and another must-photo location for tourists, located just off Hwy 1 at Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park
• Pacific Valley Bluff: Spectacular sea stacks with Cone Peak & Stone Ridge as a backdrop.
• Sand Dollar Beach: Largest beach in Big Sur with beautiful sand and scenery

Beyond Fox camp, the use path becomes more faint as it seems less people venture further upsteam. However, the general idea is the same: follow the river upstream and the use path virtually always coincides with the path of least resistance. The scenery is spectacular the entire way with smooth white river rocks littering the stream bed and alders, bay trees, and redwoods alongside the river. Soon after Fox camp, the canyon narrows considerably with precipitous cliffs closing in on the waterway. Usually the cliffs are only on one side of the river allowing fairly easy access on the opposite side, but in one section the Little Sur enters a small gorge with steep rock walls on both sides. After this narrow portion, the canyon opens a bit before narrowing once again just before reaching the primary Circular Pool. At first only the sound of a waterfall can be heard, but as you round a bend around some rocks a paradisaical scene presents itself with a large, nearly-circular pool virtually completely surrounded by cliffs. This rock amphitheater contains an assortment of lush hanging vegetation including five finger ferns and moss. The first circular pool and waterfall is the most impressive, but more adventure lies upstream. A few feet downstream of the main pool a weakness in the cliffs on the north side of the Circular Pool allows for passage upsateam. The next section of the Little Sur River features a series of small pools and cascades culminating in the second circular pool, which is significantly smaller, both in size of the pool and the waterfall plunging into it. This pool does not have an easy walk-around and a small rock step must be surmounted to proceed. A nylon rope aids in this climbing which is particularly helpful as the rock is slick, especially when downclimbing. After the second pool there is a sweet area of rock formations known as the bathtubs. Beyond the bathtubs there is apparently a third circular pool and one of the most remote camps in the Ventana Wilderness (the North Fork Camp) located at the confluence of Puerto Suello Creek and the Little Sur River. On this day, I did not have time for additional exploration beyond the bathtubs so I look forward to returning soon to reach the remote upper reaches of the Little Sur River near North Fork Camp.  I’m also excited to see the Little Sur River in the spring when the lushness of the environs will be at its maximum and a swim in the Circular Pools will refreshing as opposed to frigid! Stava route here. 

As of this writing, the Vicente Flat Trail is in excellent condition all the way up to the Cone Peak Road. The route beings with about 1,200 feet of climbing over the first couple miles and then levels off as it rounds a corner into the Hare Canyon. Just before 4 miles from the trailhead, the trail makes a short descent to the bottom of Hare Canyon where the junction with the Stone Ridge Trail is reached after a creek crossing. Shortly after this junction, the Vicente Flat trail gets down to business with the steepest chunk of climbing between miles 5 and 7. Over these two miles, the trail ascends around 1,600 feet. The Vicente Flat trail ends at a gravel road that can be driven from the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road. Turning uphill on the dirt road, the ascent is more gradual than the preceding steep climb out of hare Canyon, but it’s still a bit of a slog. After about a mile on the dirt road, you turn onto the Cone Peak Trail for the final chunk of climbing. The trail first makes a lengthy traverse beneath the summit and then switchbacks up Cone Peak’s South Ridge to a junction with the Summit Trail. The final set of switchbacks on the Summit Trail to the abandoned fire lookout are steeper once again but the spectacular views are a great distraction. The view from the summit is outstanding with a 360 degree panorama including the interior Ventana Wilderness and views for miles up and down the Big Sur coastline.

Back at the junction with the Summit Trail, turn left down the backside of Cone Peak. This section of trail is still called the Cone Peak Trail and passes through a section where trail crews recently cut through enormous Sugar Pine downfall. Descending off the backside of Cone Peak into the South Fork Devils Canyon is a treat with passage through a rare forest of Santa Lucia Fir, the rarest species of fir in the world. These beautiful conical trees are only found in small pockets at high elevations of the Santa Lucia Mountains.  Somewhat counter intuitively, the Santa Lucia Fir is not fire resistant and therefore fares best in areas of fireproof topography (i.e. rocky sheltered locations).  The backside of Cone Peak is a perfect example of this rocky and rugged, fireproof terrain and therefore contains one of the finest Santa Lucia Fir forests in existence. Ultimately, the Cone Peak Trail ends at Trail Spring Camp where it intersects the Gamboa Trail.  From Trail Spring commences a particularly pleasant stretch of single track traverses the hillside below Twin Peak all the way to a small pass along the West Ridge of Twin Peak. It is at this pass that the Gamboa Trail becomes the Strone Ridge Trail and descends into the West Fork of Limekiln Creek canyon. Extensive trail work was completed this year on the Gamboa and Stone Ridge trails removing a lot of brush and downfall. It should be noted that the tread on these trails is narrow and sometimes technical; generally not fast tread or terrain for running but they are runnable. In addition, the descent via the Stone Ridge Trail entails some deceiving climbs, including an ascent up to Stone Ridge and an ascent out of Limekiln Creek. Both of these climbs are not long, but any substantial climbing after the initial climb up Cone Peak can be taxing. All told, there is over 7,000 ft of climbing on this route. Stone Ridge is the most prominent feature in the region and includes an excellent direct route to the summit, the true “Sea to Sky.” A good chunk of the Stone Ridge Direct route is visible from the Stone Ridge Trail as it crosses Stone Ridge at around 2,200 ft and again from the slopes above Limekiln Creek. This winter I hope to visit Cone Peak during a relatively rare winter snow event.  With outstanding scenery, lots of vertical, and engaging trails, I will surely be back for more runs on Cone Peak soon. Strava route here.