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effectively shortcut the longer loop trails. For those who have the time and fitness levels to take in the more distant sights, the North Wilderness Trail snakes 7 miles through the park’s backcountry, while the Chalone Peak Trail heads 5 miles (each way) into the southern portions of the park, including to the two highest peaks (each around 3,300 feet elevation). Our goal was to experience both the talus caves and the high pinnacles, while keeping our hiking time within reason.
While the most impressive talus caves are on the Balconies Cliffs Trail, it was on the opposite (west) side of the park. So, we began our trek on the Moses Spring Trail and took the Bear Gulch Cave side-trail in order to get at least a little exposure to talus caves. Climbing out of the talus caves, on that route, put us at the Bear Gulch Reservoir, a perfect spot for a picnic lunch and some relaxing wildlife viewing. With bellies refueled, we proceeded up the Rim Trail and High Peaks Trail. We elected to tackle the steep and narrow sections (rated as “strenuous,” in places), but there is a more moderate (though slightly longer) detour, if you prefer. This was the highlight of the day, making the effort well worth it for the up close and personal views of the pinnacles and the soaring birds. The sections of trail that included single human foot sized steps carved into the steep rock faces were great fun for the teenagers and created a great appreciation for the work that goes into creating these trails and maintaining them for public
use. Descending from the High Peaks, we circled back to Bear Gulch via the Blue Oak and Condor Gulch trails. Our 6.1-mile hike was certainly a bit tiring but equally rewarding. Since we did it in a leisurely fashion, taking plenty of food, drink and photo breaks, it was entirely manageable with two teenagers in tow and needing only to carry very light backpacks.
California Dreamin’
Pinnacles National Park is open all year, with the most popular seasons being spring and fall. Temperatures are generally agreeable from October to May but can become quite hot in the summer months (especially if combined with strenuous hiking). Our late-March timing provided comfortable temperatures and pleasant conditions. We removed layers of clothing as the cool cave routes opened into sun drenched clearings, only to add them back again as the whipping winds in the higher elevations cooled us back down from the sweaty climbs. On average, about 200,000 visitors enter PNP per year. In spite of that number rising during the recent COVID years, dense crowds are not (yet) a concern and we never found ourselves feeling crowded. Quite the opposite, in fact.
In 1850, California became the 31st state and over the next century it became the most populace state. Today, in spite of its nearly 32 million residents, vast stretches of
8 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 2023