Chopstork

Eight of us set out for a 21 mile, 3 day hike throughout the Ventana Wilderness Area and the Los Padres National Forest.

Day 1 started out ominously with a false start on the wrong trailhead. Fortunately, armed with GPS and Topo maps we found our way and began the hike again. Hiking south from China Camp we climbed and followed the Ridge Trail for about 2.5 miles, hung a right at Church Creek Divide, and then descended into the scenic Pine Valley. If I were a Homesteader pursuing Manifest Destiny, Pine Valley is where I would want to stop, build a log cabin, and make babies.

Thinking the worst of the climbing was behind us and believing that more of Pine Valley was before us, we blissfully entered Hiding Valley. The trail through Hiding Valley was great…for a small dachshund. Most of the bush had covered the trail from our waist upwards. Moreover, countless times the trail crossed a creek that got progressively more difficult to jump-rock across. If I were a Homesteader pursuing Manifest Destiny, Hiding Valley is where I’d get infested with tics, dowsed with Poison Oak, and ambushed by angry Indians for disrespecting their grave sites.

Day 1 ended minutes before dusk with our camp for the night, Hiding, on the other side of the Carmel River, a rushing watercourse about waist deep and 20 yards across. Despite the misadventures of Hiding Valley, the eight of us still had high spirits and we crossed the Carmel and made camp. I have to admit I’ve never had so much fun hiking through so much crap.

Dreading more of the same or worst as Day 1, for Day 2 we decided to turn back and forgo the return loop back to China Camp via the Carmel River Valley and Miller Canyon. After clearing Hiding, we soothed and pampered ourselves in Pine Valley for the night. In the morning of Day 3, we trekked over to Pine Falls and took a fresh dip in the pool below. Around noon, we set off up the Ridge Trail back to China Camp. Unfortunately, our misadventures were not done yet. My car had a flat.

Pictures

• Zach’s Pictures (on flickr)
  
• Armen’s Pictures (on flickr)
  
• Eli’s Pictures

backpacking , Los Padres National Forest , Ventana Wilderness Area

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 4th, 2006 at 7:44 pm and is filed under fun with friends. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.