Pick Creek Loop 2018

pantilat — Wed, 04 Jul 2018 20:29:50 +0000

Pick Creek is a spectacular rugged creek that is a classic of the Ventana Wilderness. The centerpiece is stunning Pick Creek Falls which shoots over a ledge with an 80 ft free-fall into a large, clear pool surrounded by lovely grove of old growth Santa Lucia Firs. Just downstream of Pick Creek Falls is a confluence with Bathtub Creek, which is aptly named since just upstream of this confluence are a series of gorgeous cascades and pools that look like bathtubs. Downstream of the confluence with Bathtub Creek, Pick Creek winds its way down a steep canyon to the South Fork Big Sur River. Along the way, the creek has numerous picturesque cascade and two impressive gorges with deep pools and small waterfalls. One of the gorges, the Pick Creek Narrows, contains pools that are deep enough to require a bypass to avoid swimming. The entire canyon is filled with moss, ferns, cliffs and Santa Lucia Firs in a pristine setting. Full photo album here.

Pick Creek Narrows

At present, the trails leading to the South Fork Big Sur River and Pick Creek are in the best condition I have ever seen thanks to the work of Ventana Wilderness Alliance volunteers after the Soberanes Fire. Specifically, the Big Sur Trail down the infamous “Devils Staircase” to Rainbow camp is completely brushed and clear of logs. Enjoy it while the going is good! From Rainbow Camp to South Fork Camp along the South Fork Trail is now clear of brush, logs and the tread is obvious, including the location of the five river crossings. Both Rainbow Camp and South Fork Camp are lovely shaded camps next to the South Fork Big Sur River. The South Fork Trail is one of the best forest trails in the Ventana with a remarkable diversity of trees including Ponderosa Pine, Coulter Pine, Santa Lucia Fir, Incense Cedar, a variety of oaks, madrone, sycamore and big leaf maple. Just downstream of Rainbow Camp and along the descent of the Devils Staircase are some large old-growth redwoods that have persevered through many wildfires. The Big Sur Trail can now be easily accessed from Highway 1 from either the Boronda Ridge Trail or the DeAngulo Trail, both of which contain exceptionally scenic and classic views of the Big Sur coast.

Above the fog on Coast Ridge

80 ft tall Pick Creek Falls

The Bathtubs

In addition to Pick Creek Falls, several other smaller falls can be enjoyed along the route including Rainbow Falls and a “Pocket Falls.” Rainbow Falls is a tall falls (55 ft) in a lush setting of ferns. Unfortunately the Soberanes Fire reached the top of this falls leaving deadfall over the falls so the scenic value has been somewhat diminished for the time being versus what I remember from before the fire. In addition, the burnout of the canopy has allowed more sun to reach the falls and dry out the ferns that used to be so numerous in the cliffy amphitheater. Nature has proven resilient in the Ventana Wilderness and there’s no doubt the vegetation will return and this falls will become a lush paradise again. Make no mistake it’s still a worthwhile visit now! Between Rainbow Falls and Rainbow Camp is a small tributary that enters from the east. This tributary contains a series of three small waterfall steps with the first known sighting by Flyin’ Brian Robinson who has named the falls “Pocket Falls” since they reside in a pocket sized canyon. My favorite step is the second step which actually contains two segments. As the canyon is steep there are no plunge pools of any significance but the falls are worth a look in season when they are flowing (winter and spring).

A luge slide through the narrows

Sky lupine fields

Descending the Big Sur Trail, now in great shape down to Rainbow Camp

Pick Creek Falls

Descending the Big Sur Trail

Hanging fern garden

Upper Pocket Falls; named by Brian Robinson who has the first known sighting

Middle Pocket Falls

Rainbow Falls lower step

Lower Pocket Falls

The Bathtubs

Beautiful Pick Creek

Sculpted rock at Pick Creek

Sky lupine fields

Pick Creek Falls plunge pool

Hanging ferns

The amazing fern garden

Santa Lucia Fir grove along the South Fork Trail

Beautiful forest along the south fork trail

Morning above the clouds

Pool at the narrows

Wallflowers along Coast Ridge

Santa Lucia lupine above Pick Creek

Above Pick Creek Falls

Yucca in bloom

Evening light down the coast

Mocho Loop Featuring Mocho Falls

pantilat — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 05:26:15 +0000

The Mocho Loop is another Big Sur Classic combining spectacular coastal views, a magical walk through a lush river canyon, and a rarely seen waterfall on the main stem of the South Fork Big Sur River. I started the loop with an always-inspiring hike up Boronda Ridge and then ran down the Coast Ridge Road with more marvelous coastal vistas all the way to the top of the Terrace Creek trail. Terrace Creek descends into an old growth redwood grove with a cascading stream along the way. At the bottom of Terrace Creek I took the Pine Ridge Trail to Sykes Hot Springs. The Pine Ridge trail is in awesome condition; the best I have seen it personally. The Pine Ridge Trail is also very runnable with excellent views of the Big Sur River canyon. When the Pine Ridge Trail crosses the Big Sur River, instead of going downstream to the springs I went upstream to the confluence of the North and South Forks of the Big Sur River. This mile-long stretch to the confluence is very pretty with cliffs walls on both sides of the river. At the confluence I went right onto the South Fork Big Sur River. For about 3 miles from the confluence I made my way up the South Fork fairly efficiently as a combination of flood channels, sand bars and rock hopping meant I only had to be in the stream part of the time. Higher flow on the river would make this a more arduous trek as I as continuously crossing the stream. GPS route here.After a major tributary, the canyon walls along the South Fork Big Sur River narrow into a gorge and I could sense a waterfall was coming. Indeed around a cliffy corner the lower section of Mocho Falls appeared. Since the falls is on the main stem of the river, the volume is impressive and the pool beneath the falls is big and deep. Perhaps most impressive is the amphitheater of smooth rock surrounding the falls and pool. The vertical walls around the falls meant I had to backtrack to find a route above the falls to continue upstream. A weakness in the cliffs allows one to ascend a very steep slope above the gorge and then traverse steep, sometimes loose slopes above the waterfall gorge. Mocho Falls has two distinct steps, but what was most fascinating about the falls was a twisty chasm of elegantly sculpted and polished rock separating the two steps. The depth of the chasm was such that it was impossible to see both steps of the falls at the same time cleanly (at least without a wetsuit and ropes). Nonetheless, what is visible is an amazing sight and it was a treat to experience this rarely seen falls. I can only imagine what Mocho Falls would look and sound like after a heavy rain when the water is squeezed through the chasm. In fact, after such rains the roaring sound of the falls is so great that it can be easily heard from the Devils Staircase climb up the Big Sur Trail.

Above Mocho Falls the lovely scenery continues with slick rock pools with fern and moss-covered cliffs a constant. At the junction with Mocho Creek I ate lunch under a lovely canopy of Santa Lucia Firs, incense cedars and redwoods – a rare occasion to have all three of these amazing tree species living side-by-side – yet another wonder of Big Sur! After lunch I went up Mocho Creek a short distance to see Mocho Creek Falls, which is a pretty falls in a lush setting – well worth the visit. Instead of continuing up Mocho Creek to intersect the Big Sur Trail I decided to backtrack to the South Fork Big Sur River to take the river all the way to Rainbow Camp. It was so beautiful I didn’t want it to end and I also wanted to do the Devils Staircase climb a little later in the day when it would be shaded. This turned out to be a good decision with more beautiful pools and cascades along the river lined with Santa Lucia Firs. At Rainbow Camp I turned onto the Big Sur Trail for the climb up to Cold Springs and Coast Ridge, known as the Devils Staircase due to the relentless switchbacks and substantial elevation gain. In all, it took me about 1.5 hours to go from Rainbow Camp to Cold Springs up the Devils Staircase, hardly “impassable” as some have commented (although a big pack would certainly slow things down). Bright green flagging marks the trickiest spots in the riparian zones. There are blowdowns along the climb and the brush is thick at times, but progress is reasonable. Back on the Coast Ridge Road I knew I was setting myself up for another awesome descent down Boronda Ridge in evening light. Going down this special ridge is always a fantastic way to end an adventure run, particularly a classic like the Mocho Loop! GPS route here.

devils staircase – Leor Pantilat's Adventures

Pick Creek Loop 2018

Mocho Loop Featuring Mocho Falls