Saturday, March 02, 2013

High Peaks Loop, Pinnacles National Park, CA

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 Me Amongst Rock Spires @ Pinnacles National Park
Mileage: 9 miles, plus or minus.
Elevation Gain/Loss: 1465 ft.
Trail Condition: Very Well Maintained, some section going to the High Peaks are on footsteps carved on rocks.
An Almost Vertical Ascent, Thanks to the Small Footholds Carved on Rock and the Pipe for handrails to allow non-technical rock climbers to continue hiking
Cave Trail Conditions: well marked and maintained, lights are needed since some sections are very dark. 
Highlights: -Rock Spires, Ancient Volcanic Landscape, Cave exploration,  California Condor habitat.
Rock Spires @ Pinnacles
The Pinnacles National Park is California's newest National Park, in addition to Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Death Valley National Park, Channel Islands National Park, Redwood National Park, Joshua Tree National Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park. Established as National Park from a National Monument previously, The Pinnacles National Park is US 59th National Park.
Bear Gulch Reservoir @ Pinnacles National Monument
We visited Pinnacles National Park during our Central California Vacation last year's thanksgiving vacation ( thanksgiving 2012). At that time, it was still a National Monument. From Big Sur, we drove North past Monterey to the East entrance of Pinnacles National Monument, in Paicines, CA, east of Salinas Valley, in Central California.
Our hike in Pinnacles compared to the hikes we did in Big Sur the previous days was totally so out of this worldly because it seemed we were all of a sudden transported to such a different world full of rocks. The diversity of California's landscape sometimes is still beyond imagination for me. One moment you are in the ocean next to the redwood forests in Big Sur,
Scenery in Big Sur ( where we came from before our trip to Pinnacles )
and the next moment, you are in this ancient volcanic landscape full of rock spires everywhere.
Both however share several things in common, one of them is that they both are released sites for the endangered mighty California condor.
To learn more about Pinnacles National Park and its other trails, please visit the park's site here. Below are some more pictures we took from our hike @ Pinnacles, which actually was a combination of many trails, but called as one loop, High Peaks Loop Trail. This hike however can be shortened or lengthened depending on the trails one will add. We chose this one because we wanted to see most of the features of Pinnacles in one day, for we have to go back to the coast on the same day.
Hikers @ Pinnacles
Colored Rocks
Hiking the High Peaks Trail
More Rock Spires
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17 comments:

  1. Life is no more simple when we can hike so many places.

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  2. The California national parks are ones i have not been to, thank you for sharing them. They ae very beautiful andi see they require a lot of energy to get through (refering to your need for excersise earlier)

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  3. Lovely pictures. Wonder why that pipe line is there.

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  4. I so love that photo of you amongst Rock Spires at Pinnacles National Monument! and all the blue skies and rocks here! How I'd love to join the hikers! The mighty California Condor is beautiful...adding this place to my already very long list of places I'd love to explore with you there....one sweet day :)

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  5. echoing Zen... adding the place to my already very long list of places i'd love to hike with you there someday.

    that scenery in Big Sur never fails to make me fall in love with the place over and over again. my soul thirsts for nature wonders constantly, thanks for quenching it always. :)

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  6. dry and high...
    that Vertical Ascent pict is a special one

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  7. Smiling here because I was about to say too that the Scenery in Big Sur is something I so love...and having read twinzy's comment above proves we really are twinzies haha,...for a fact we both loveyah muchy! .....back here via FBF and smiling at how busy bloggers we have become these weeks haha, thanks for the visit at workingandmommying....hmmm I wonder when you will have time to publish using your wordpress too hehehe....viewing the awesome "blues" here again! :)

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  8. I've never tried hiking or mountain climbing. Yes, I'm not into physical activities but I would love to give it a try someday. I've always wanted to climb the mountains with my friends. Hopefully, someday..

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  9. those rocks are incredible...love the nice scene you've share...it makes me want to hike in that place and enjoy the fresh breeze of the place..

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  10. You are lucky to see such splendid view. I want to experience hiking too and connect to our Mother Nature. It`s a nice way to unwind.

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  11. I wish I could go hiking with you! I miss our hikes in Korea! Those are some beautiful scenery!

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  12. Wow! I love mountain climbing and nature trekking in general! Wish to do some hiking again this summer! Wala kasi kaming hiking last year kasi I was dealing with pregnancy! :D I had fun looking at your photos!

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  13. Beautiful scenery,Bethchai. Last vacation, we almost take the hiking tour but I am with my Parents-in-law so we decided the bus tour though.

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  14. Awesome rock formation. I can't help but wonder, those falling objects that hit the Earth billion of years ago did a great masterpiece,

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  15. Wow! What a place!! What a view! I'd love to be there.

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  16. Your photos are so beautiful. What a wonderful site.

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  17. way to go. i wished you'll have more energy in order to hike more beautiful parks and trails out there in your place.
    by the way, the photos (the land formations) reminds me of the movie i watched on hbo starring james franco, a canyoneer who was trapped by a boulder. the movie got me weeping :)

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THANK YOU SO MUCH!!