The stark, deadly beauty of Pinnacles National Park: Finding My Limits |
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I had a couple of major “wins” on our visit to Pinnacles National Park this past week. It is definitely as described in guidebooks: “...a photogenic landscape of gigantic rock formations rising dramatically in sheer cliffs from pristine creeks of twisted oaks and grassy, wildflower-covered hills”. Yet, its not as majestic as Yosemite, nor as big as Kings Canyon nor as colorful as Utah’s parks. In fact if the features were anywhere but out west the place would be an international phenomenon but out here it gets passed over. To that point that nearby super-shaker called the San Andreas Fault is far more well-known. Anyway, here’s my experience... |
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Win #1: I had planned to hike an entire loop of the park solo in one afternoon, starting from the west entrance. It was a recommended route on the map and looked like with some effort it would be doable.
Because of traffic delays we arrived late- about 1:30 pm- on sweltering spring day (about 97 degrees I found out later!- a record high for the date). I decided to go anyway.
The Juniper Canyon trail started out mellow enough in oaks and chaparral with gorgeous boulders occasionally providing shade. But soon that shade was no more and the direct dry heat felt more and more taxing until the word “biblical heat” came to mind. About 2/3 of the way up some incredibly steep (yet scenic!) switchbacks I felt my fingertips tingling and my toes getting numb and chills on my back! But these were not comforting, natural chills- they were my body telling me to stop! So I stopped and stretched out in the pathetic shade of some low sage brush, rationed some water and pondered my plight. The moments felt like hours. Then I just decided “NO, that’s enough.”
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So oddly enough, this was my first win: I went with my instinct and QUIT, and it wasn’t easy for me to do this. I wondered how much of this resistance was “me” and how much was indoctrination- “Don’t be a quitter” and all that. But by now I was thinking other phrases too, like “Don’t be a statistic”. And starting down the steep grade, it sure felt great to be walking downhill and back into the shady, cool areas. I believe it was the correct choice.
I can’t recall surrendering a hike or climb before. I usually soldier on, if only to see what’s around that next bend or to discover those tip-top vistas. But alas I also used to be a life guard and remember that the first rule is ‘never put yourself in unnecessary danger’– also I don’t want to be that dork laughed-at in the local papers for getting helicoptered off the mountain to the tune of fifty grand!
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On the way down I met Casey, a friendly young dude from Berkeley. We talked and had some laughs. I said “You know why all those vultures and condors are circling, right?”
“They’re waiting for us hikers to die!”
Pinnacles is one of the few places in the world where you have a chance of spying an endangered California Condor in the wild. Since they were brought back from the very edge of extinction through great conservation efforts they number only around 500 in all. Here’s a link to more info about California Condors:
Pinnacles is also home to turkey vultures, ravens, bobcats, snakes, chipmunks, quail and lizards, other critters and of course many plant species, both endemic and common. Pinnacles is “the heart of the Gabilan Mountains” and its truly worthy of being a national park, finally becoming one in 2013, after being merely a national monument from 1908 till then. Its fascinating history can be found here:
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Later on that long first day I trekked to the Balcony Caves area. It was more level and shaded and it turned out to be absolutely EPIC! It looked like something from Middle Earth (or New Zealand?) and I shot some incredible “keeper” video footage. The caves themselves were not my favorite- the massive rocks above looked like they were barely wedged in place. Of course I was thinking of that nearby San Andreas Fault too! What is it now- 82 years overdue for The Big One?
Later on I actually hitched a ride back on the park road with Al and Jackie, a cool couple on vacation from Ventura. Hitching felt wild and carefree, reminded me of a younger, more simple era. We swapped trekking tips of the area and they recommended the local winery that we passed, the oldest in Monterey County.
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Win #2: The next day I decided to have a hack at the east entrance of this challenging landscape, which entailed about an hour drive around. Cutting to the chase- it was totally worth it. Primarily I managed to do my first intended loop which was win #2!- but the icing on the cake was the discovery that had I made it to the top of those hellish switchbacks on that incinerating first day it would have been an absolute nightmare (for old me anyway) to do that whole loop in that afternoon heat and then have to hoof it back down the same switchbacks at the end. It would have been all the way up, around, way down, way up, around and way back down- “way” being over 1500 feet elevation every time– and these trails were very rough. This was very fortunate that it turned out as it did.
The “Steep and Narrow” section of the High Peaks Trail is not to be missed if you’re into that sort of thing. Its a precipitous sky-scraping wonderland with only some thin rocky paths, hand-chiseled footsteps and occasionally only wooden ramps with simple railings keeping you from tumbling into the infinity below. Look at the pics!
I happened upon Al and Jackie again on one trail at the top, which was funny because there were so few people here. On the entire loop I counted less than 10 other folks! Condor Gulch Trail was nothing to write home about and I saved the famous Bear Gulch Caves and the reservoir for another time.
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My overall advice, if anyone is tempted to visit Pinnacles National Park after this description, is: be prepared. Be in top shape and either double your usual water bottle or go in the winter (when its not raining). The beauty of this national park is undeniable but its more ruggedly DIY-style than many. Here is more general info:
The highlight of the trip came on the second day right after I summited the highest peak– a HUGE Condor soaring right overhead! I could literally hear the wind resistance on its 9 foot wingspan as it glided over, blocking the sun for a second and leaving me utterly awed and slack-jawed.
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This video will be soon forthcoming from our machinery here at the Bike-O / Hike-O factory. Meanwhile, have you seen our latest Hiking extravaganza?
We have copies of Sonoma Spring ready to be sent out today!
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Sale starts today and runs until Easter.
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