Within a few miles of pulling off the 101 and shortly after passing the last of several industrial-size agricultural fields, the surrounding landscape quickly felt rural and remote. The striking blue backdrop of a cloudless day nicely complemented the rolling golden hills. The temperature gauge on my dashboard slowly ticked upwards into the 90s.
At the turnoff for Pinnacles National Park, I was immediately greeted by an abrasive COVID-inspired orange & white barricade. Barely emoting, a bearded park ranger handed me an information sheet and indicated I should just read the scattered, brief highlighted sections. Within 40 seconds I was on my way forward to the campground. I already appreciated the simplicity and unpretentiousness of this park, which does not attract the attention and number of visitors that more famous National Parks in the West do.
Despite the afternoon heat, after doing a quick camp set up which mostly consisted of deploying my new rooftop tent and studying the park map, I decided to casually stroll down the nearby Bench trail toward the center of the park. My campsite had absolutely no shade, so getting on the move at least provided the possibility of finding some. I suppose I can’t help myself once my body senses it should initiate “hiking mode”, so the next thing I knew I had walked several miles to the Bear Gulch reservoir. On the way, I saw the Pinnacles looming off to the right, uphill over sun-exposed sections of trail. I would save the High Peaks trail for the next morning when it was cooler.
The Pinnacles are a result of volcanic activity roughly 20-25 million years ago. After the old Farallon plate subducted under the North American plate, the Pacific plate later collided with the North American plate, resulting in the San Andreas Fault zone and seeping molten rock. Subsequent northern migration of the Pacific plate actually split the volcanic rocks, with a third remaining 195 miles southeast, called the Neenach Formation. The migrating portion became submerged, but has eventually re-emerged as the Pinnacles we know today due to many years of erosion.
After the stifling heat of the afternoon, the slowly arriving cool air after sundown felt absolutely delicious. I drifted off to sleep while gazing at the the front edge of Leo the lion, demarcated by its brightest star Regulus.
I awoke early the next morning, which is what I wanted in order to get started before the inexorable heat. I was on the trail by 7am. Following the Bench and Sycamore trails as I had done the prior afternoon, I again walked along Bear Gulch, but today took a right onto the High Peaks Trail. I encountered my first fellow hiker of the day. Moving much slower than me, I was glad he had also gotten an early start. The approach up to Scout Peak and view from the top looking northwest are some of the highlights of the park. Due to social distancing precautions, the Steep and Narrow section was not open, which I have been told is the real highlight. As they say…next time.
After passing Scout and the other High Peaks, I descended down the Juniper Canyon trail, before hopping onto the Balconies trail. This place is a rock climber’s dream, with a plethora of inviting boulder faces scattered about. I continued along the Old Pinnacles trail, where the terrain becomes less dramatic, and eventually completed my loop by rejoining the Bench Trail. The next morning I hiked a shorter inner loop consisting of the Blue Oak and Condor Gulch Trails.
If you only have time for one hike, I would do a loop incorporating the High Peaks and Condor Gulch trails. These provide the best views of the dramatic pinnacle peaks and best chance at seeing a condor floating along a warm burst of air from the aptly named Condor Gulch.
Finishing up my long hike, I passed a man jogging. I did a double take. At this point it was nearly noon and the sun was quickly intensifying. Several hours later in the afternoon while I was chatting with a park worker, he passed again jogging in the other direction. They exchanged pleasantries and the park worker explained: “Yeah, that’s Bob from Santa Cruz…he’s uhh a little crazy. He camps here often and I see him leaping between rocks up on the trails during his long jaunts into the heat.” He’s also been known to entertain fellow campers with the didgeridoo and show off his championship yo-yo skills. He took a swig of Modelo and gave his Dachshund a soft stroke. “Yep, some folks are interesting.” After offering free firewood from his nearby abode, he took another sip of his Modelo and wheeled off in his cart, just another day in The Pinnacles.
