Pinnacles National Park

[ski3pin]

Our Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend adventure was to our newest National Park. Our trip story is up on our blog here -

Pinnacles National Park

Please enjoy.

 

[billharr]

Enjoyed the report. Pinnacles NP is on the list for this year. I do not think there will be many wild flowers this year.

Bill

 

[raymondmom]

We tent camped at Pinnacles NP ( status 1/10/2013) over Thanksgiving weekend. It was wet and deer were strolling through the tent campsites. The RV section was hectic.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Ski,again thanks for the report.
This one has a special place in our hearts.
Many "moons" ago I lived in Soledad,and would go to the west side sometimes once a week.In those days there was a dirt road about the last 4/5 miles,and some ranchers still lived back there.Also from the Soledad side there was another road you could take called Stonewall Canyon a county road,but back in mid 90s during that series of pineapple express storms it washed some of the road away.The county got tired of maintaining it so now it's sorta private.The only thing on that road is the Pinnacles Inn and the Chalone Vineyard.
But I digress.We have camped the east side just after it was taken over by the NP service,it was a private CG for years.
We had good experiences,but it wasn't a holiday time either.Our site was 63 I think and across the way was another pop up from the bay area.
Our first day we took the reverse of your hike,up to High Peaks than down Condor Gulch.
This was the year,I want to say 2010,actually it was our second trip in the ATC..That's when the first condor egg laying and hatching in 100 years took place. It was just after Easter.We had gone to the west side at Easter and saw the adults with egg than on the camping trip saw the adults and new hatchling.
I posted some photos at the time,but if you remember that bench at the top just after the stone restroom (that's right a biffie way up there) the nest was about 1/4 mile across the canyon ,west of the bench.You could see the adults and even the egg,you had to use eye enhancers for the egg.Quite a experience.
The second day we walked the trail you did to the Balconies not all the way though.We want to do the loop but we would go in a clockwise way,for the hardest part of the trip would be in the cool of the morning.
Not trying to steal your report just sharing so others might take a trip there.
I have seen the park in most weather times,from sunny days to rain to snow and fog.
When it rains is one of the best times to see the west side for all the water falls that only last till the rain water has been used up.
At one time there was a walk in tent CG on the west side.I would like to see them put back a CG there,but won't hold my breath.
We made a trip down just after Christmas this ,oh last year.
The place was a zoo with visitors.I don't think I have seen that many people at one time in all the years I have enjoyed the park.
I keep telling Ms.Casa,we have gotten spoiled over the years.Oh well.
Again thanks for the report.Hope you go again,I know what you mean about the drive there,I-5 yuck!!!!
Great condor pictures.They can be hard to find at times.I always like visitors say Oh I saw a condor when in fact it was the "pretend" ones, vultures.
Enough,
Frank

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Sounds like the trip turned OK after all. Nice!

 

[ski3pin]

Ski,again thanks for the report.
This one has a special place in our hearts.
Many "moons" ago I lived in Soledad,and would go to the west side sometimes once a week.In those days there was a dirt road about the last 4/5 miles,and some ranchers still lived back there.Also from the Soledad side there was another road you could take called Stonewall Canyon a county road,but back in mid 90s during that series of pineapple express storms it washed some of the road away.The county got tired of maintaining it so now it's sorta private.The only thing on that road is the Pinnacles Inn and the Chalone Vineyard.
But I digress.We have camped the east side just after it was taken over by the NP service,it was a private CG for years.
We had good experiences,but it wasn't a holiday time either.Our site was 63 I think and across the way was another pop up from the bay area.
Our first day we took the reverse of your hike,up to High Peaks than down Condor Gulch.
This was the year,I want to say 2010,actually it was our second trip in the ATC..That's when the first condor egg laying and hatching in 100 years took place. It was just after Easter.We had gone to the west side at Easter and saw the adults with egg than on the camping trip saw the adults and new hatchling.
I posted some photos at the time,but if you remember that bench at the top just after the stone restroom (that's right a biffie way up there) the nest was about 1/4 mile across the canyon ,west of the bench.You could see the adults and even the egg,you had to use eye enhancers for the egg.Quite a experience.
The second day we walked the trail you did to the Balconies not all the way though.We want to do the loop but we would go in a clockwise way,for the hardest part of the trip would be in the cool of the morning.
Not trying to steal your report just sharing so others might take a trip there.
I have seen the park in most weather times,from sunny days to rain to snow and fog.
When it rains is one of the best times to see the west side for all the water falls that only last till the rain water has been used up.
At one time there was a walk in tent CG on the west side.I would like to see them put back a CG there,but won't hold my breath.
We made a trip down just after Christmas this ,oh last year.
The place was a zoo with visitors.I don't think I have seen that many people at one time in all the years I have enjoyed the park.
I keep telling Ms.Casa,we have gotten spoiled over the years.Oh well.
Again thanks for the report.Hope you go again,I know what you mean about the drive there,I-5 yuck!!!!
Great condor pictures.They can be hard to find at times.I always like visitors say Oh I saw a condor when in fact it was the "pretend" ones, vultures.
Enough,
Frank

Frank, no worries. I appreciate your perspective and information and I bet others do also. There were two Federal Fish & Wildlife people up at the bench you mention by the outhouse. They had a spotting scope set up and a radio receiver to locate Condors. It was a very nice touch for the public to be able to interact with and ask questions of these professionals. There was a good crowd with the kids, appropriately, getting the most attention.

If we lived close by to Pinnacles, we would be frequent visitors. It would be so cool to observe an active condor nest. If you see one again, let us know!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

If we lived close by to Pinnacles, we would be frequent visitors. It would be so cool to observe an active condor nest. If you see one again, let us know!

I'll search my photos for the picture I took in April,2010 of the nest and birds.
Yes it's nice to have some pros there to answer questions.When the nest was active they were there also with several scopes,and answers. What was interesting was that the egg the adults laid wasn't the one that hatched.They take the new laid egg to SD zoo and replace it with a plastic egg,the L'eegs hosiery one,than when they have an egg ready to hatch they take that one to the nest.The adult birds seem to not know the difference.
Glad you had a good time there.
Hope you get to see it after a nice rain when all the colors come out in the rocks and the little water falls are dripping from the high rocks.
Frank

 

[takesiteasy]

Thanks for the report. I enjoyed it. Would like to see a condor one day.

 

[N'kwala]

Thanks for the report. I camped there last January, tent camping. I was kinda shocked at the temperature change -- it was somewhere in the 70s to 26. My water bottle froze solid in the night. It wasn't crowded at all, but it wasn't a long weekend.

Magnificent place, great walks. The condors are just incredible. There were a bunch of them hanging about on the ridge above the campground. The trailbuilding was WPA work, as I recall, and I found it pretty impressive. I look forward to a return.

 

[ski3pin]

<snip>
Magnificent place, great walks. The condors are just incredible. There were a bunch of them hanging about on the ridge above the campground. The trailbuilding was WPA work, as I recall, and I found it pretty impressive. I look forward to a return.

I believe it was you talking with the Lady that prompted this trip. It was a great suggestion, thanks!

 

[N'kwala]

Glad you enjoyed it, despite your neighbours. I agree though, about the miserable I-5. The park really needs to be a good destination to justify traveling to it.

 

[Smokecreek1]

Interesting looking place and it looks like you and the lady had fun. Reminded me of when I worked near there in the interior coast range in San Benito County, years ago, it was an interesting and fairly unknown place then, but what I most remember the summer heat and wild pig BBQ's on weekends ! Glad they are saving a piece of it and thanks for taking us along!

Smoke

 

[billharr]

Glad you enjoyed it, despite your neighbours. I agree though, about the miserable I-5. The park really needs to be a good destination to justify traveling to it.

I live a mile off I-5 in Stockton. It is way worse than miserable.

 

[raymondmom]

My GPS is set to avoid traffic, I took the 101, 46, 198 and 99. Most of the drive was scenic - I pulled over a few times to take pictures of the hills. Driving around outside the park, I saw herds of deer, a couple of coyotes and three or four species of hawks.

 

[montana-moods]

Thanks for the trip report. It sounds like a great place to spend some time in. Desert wildflowers may be in short supply this spring so alternatives are being collected.