BEAR BASIN CONNECTOR
- USFS trail #3E16
- Parking: China Camp
- Watersheds: Carmel River
- Junctions: Bear Basin Trail,
Pine Ridge Trail
- Connects: Bear Basin Trail with Pine Ridge Trail
- Camps: None
Conditions reported by:
Stevenson Wilderness Expedition
Survey date: 13-FEBRUARY-2007
General: CLEAR
Specific:
Stevenson Expedition leaders cleared the trail from Pine Valley to the Pine Ridge Trail junction. Between the Bear Basin junction and the top, several small trunks remain across the trail. Although we sawed and removed one or two, the remaining 8 to 10 inch logs are easy to step over. Tread is in generally good condition.
Conditions reported by:
Stevenson Wilderness Expedition
Survey date: 13-FEBRUARY-2006
General: CLEAR
Specific:
Section: Pine Valley to Pine Ridge Trail - Clear
The Stevenson crew brushed out and cut limbs the length of the trail. The way is clear, although stock might find some low overhangs. Generally the tread is good and the brush clear.
Conditions reported by: Greg Minter
Survey date: 24-SEPTEMBER-2005
General: PASSABLE
Specific:
Encroaching brush, but tread is still evident. No major tree falls to cross. Lots of pollen and dust stirred up as you pass; 2nd or 3rd in line will get a snootfull.
Conditions reported by:
Lindsay Jeffers - Stevenson Wilderness Program
Survey date: 7-MARCH-2005
General: CLEAR
Specific:
The trail is clear after work by Stevenson trail crews between Pine Valley, through Bear Basin and up to the Pine Ridge Trail at the BCT junction. Some brush remains at the top and this regrows quickly. A few spots of sloping tread on the climb out of Bear Basin.
Conditions reported by:
Lindsay Jeffers - Stevenson Wilderness Expedition
Survey date: 14-FEB-2005
General: DIFFICULT
Specific:
Stevenson Expediton Staff cleared as much as possible of this trail. We also renewed some of the lost and faded flagging. There still remain tricky sections. From the Bear Basin Trail, the first part drops along some slumping foot beds but obstacles are generally minimal after our clearing. The drop down the short ridge that follows is a cleared trail that wanders around fallen trees and depends more on natural growth over the years than it does on rational trail building. Bear Basin Camp is rocky but clear; mind the threatening oak snag that hangs over the center of the flat. Climbing up the western slope, there are many fresh fallen trunks across the trail. Several are scrambles, although we cleared out the brushy ones. The steepest section is freshly brushed out; this may not stay clear long in this damp growing season. Some of the footbed is sloping, sliding and dangerous. The worst section is the flat on top of the ridge approaching the Pine Ridge Trail junction, where, despite clearing efforts, there is still a lot of brush and much fallen wood and trunks obscuring the trail. This route could worry a hiker who has not been along it before.
Conditions reported by:
Lindsay Jeffers - Stevenson Wilderness Expedition
Survey date: 18-FEB-2004
General: CLEAR
Specific:
Section: Bear Basin Connector (Bear Basin Trail to Pine Ridge Trail)
The trail from Pine Valley to the Bear Basin Connector Trail junction is in good shape
and only required a few stops for clearing fallen ceanothus and madrone
branches. We took care of those. From the junction up to the Pine Ridge
Trail took much more effort, but the trail is now very open and passable.
This is now a very good route for those hiking between Pine Ridge and Pine
Valley.
Conditions reported by:
Lindsay Jeffers
Survey date: 15/16-FEB-2003
General: DIFFICULT
Specific:
From the Bear Basin Trail junction up to the Pine Ridge Trail (Bear Basin Connector), the
route is heavily overgrown, mostly with ceanothus augmented by scrub oak. In
many places, the foot bed is invisible to the hiker who is pushing through
head-high fresh growth. While this remains green and soft, the route will remain
unpleasant but passable. When this new growth matures, it will make the
trail essentially impassible. Hopefully hikers will cut this as they pass
or we will lose the use of a nice shortcut from Pine Valley.
Conditions reported by:
Ted Merrill
Survey date: 9-OCT-2002
General: DIFFICULT
Specific:
Starting from the unmarked junction with the Bear Basin trail,
on a saddle, and continuing uphill along the connector trail,
the trail quickly petered out. Backtracking, i found that a tree
had completely overgrown the proper trail, leading to the
formation of the lost hiker trail.
I cut back the offending tree branches and placed them so as to
obscure the lost hiker trail, and put up some tagging.
From there, about half of the mile up to the Pine Ridge trail
is a push through six foot high chapparal.
I limited my pruning to tree species.
This will take some effort to keep open.
At the top of the Bear Basin Connector at the junction with
the Pine Ridge trail, there is a sign saying "Pine Valley"
indicating the Bear Basin Connector.
Conditions reported by:
Everett and Kody Reed
Survey date: 14-SEPT-2002
General: IMPASSABLE
Specific:
Pine Valley Camp to the Pine Ridge Trail
Trail heads SW uphill past a piped spring about 100 yds south of river
crossing in Pine Valley. A sign indicates Pine ridge is ahead. The trail is
clear for about 2/3 mile uphill whereupon it forks as expected. The left
fork continues south up the ridge then disappears in less than 100 yds. I
suspect this was the trail to Pine Ridge but we could not follow it
further. We never did turn east as indicated by the map. Backtracking, we
took the right fork which heads SW down into Bear Basin. The trail starts
clear and becomes increasing difficult to follow. Some flagging remains, and
the bowl of the basin is fairly open. A large (3-4ft) cairn marked the last
recognizable development. We could not find the trail out the south end and
so backtracked again. The arduous cross-country reconnoitering on the steep
sides of Bear Basin left us exhausted and discouraged. We abandon our
initial goal, Big Sur, and decided to head to Los Padres Dam instead.
Conditions reported by:
Neil Lahaie
Survey date: NOVEMBER-00
General: CLEAR
Specific:
The trail from Pine Valley campground up to the Pine Ridge Trail is clear all the
way up. There are a few trees down across the trail but none of them
were difficult to step over or around. The foot bed has eroded down to
4-6 inches wide in many places along the trail but it is clearly visible
all the way up.
There is some overgrowth along the trail, but there was never enough to
slow me down significantly.
Conditions reported by: Stevenson School Wilderness Expedition 2000
Survey date: APRIL-2000
General: WILDERNESS FREEWAY
Specific:
This trail now possesses wonderful views and is a WILDERNESS FREEWAY
with new water diversion bars. The Bear Basin connector Trail is
more passable than ever before. We did the hike in the dark and there
were only half a dozen times when we got whacked in the face with brush.
In years past this would have been a bothersome trip down to Pine
Valley. I was surprised to find the trail so clear.
Conditions reported by:
Steve Wilson
Survey date: 2-APRIL-00
General: VERY PASSABLE
Specific:
The only thing that's changed since my 99 report is of course the 99 fire.
It did singe some of the vegetation on either side of this ridge top route,
but not badly to my untrained eye. Some slashed brush covers a few sections
of trail, but this is easily negotiated. Perhaps the start of a fire break?
A feeble attempt to conceal the trail? I dunno.
Conditions reported by:
Steve Wilson
Survey date: Januray 1999
General: VERY PASSABLE
Specific:
Just a couple of deadfalls, a very few spots with slightly
encroaching foliage, but overall a delightfull trail. The Pine Ridge Trail end is
well signed, the junction with the Bear Basin trail is obvious at a small
saddle, but is not signed.
