by dmw on Wed Jan 27, 2021 4:03 pm
Date Hiked: January 23, 2021
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
I walked this trail from the Ventana junction down to Los Padres reservoir, traveling west to east and generally downward. I'll describe it in that direction.
In the vicinity of the Big Pines/Ventana trail junction, the tread is faint and there are many deer trails. Indeed, I only happened to see a trail junction sign by chance, as I was navigating by compass at the time on what I thought was a deer trail (the Ventana tread is also random and faint in this area and I had lost it). The sign I saw is not located where my map indicated the junction, rather, farther to the east somewhere near 36.3690, -121.7504 (ish). Luckily this area is pretty open and travel is easy; just stay on the south side of the ridgetop and the trail will come in and out. I didn't look for the Big Pines camp.
Farther east, where the ridgetop gets narrow, I found what I believe was the trail contouring east-west along a relatively steep slope south and below the ridge. That said, the satellite photo indicates some lines along the ridgetop in the old dozer line that would probably also work. There were a few cairns where I was, and it was possible to see the tread because of the steepness.
At some point, whether you find the remnant of the official trail or not, you'll be on the ridgetop/old dozer line winding your way through chamise brush, which is reclaiming the ridge. Travel in the old dozer line is relatively easy; though you'll never be sure you're on the real trail, it works to just stay on the ridgetop. I believe the old trail occasionally contoured around steeper areas, but the dozer line does not. I didn't catch the trail in these places, though it was dusk when I was there. Be careful, when the ridge splits, to follow the correct line - use your map and compass.
In the lower sections, they have recently bulldozed the ridgetop, so you will be walking in a shiny new dozer line with no brush at all. It's open and nice.
If you're descending like I was, be careful when you need to turn off the dozer line southeast down the smaller ridge to the reservoir, because the turn is hard to identify. There is no sign. The junction is northeast of the little ridge 100 yards or so, and you can see an old grade cut. The new dozer line does not take you to the reservoir, but continues NE along Blue Rock ridge into private land. If you're coming up, you won't have this problem.
The lower section is also quite faint. I climbed up it in the morning to Danish Creek trail, and was able to follow the tread; however, descending at night in the dark with a headlamp, I was unable to find it consistently and eventually ended up dropping straight down a spur in the lower section (where it is nice open forest).
The junction with Carmel River trail is marked with a signpost, which is good, because the tread is faint. The Danish Creek junction also has a signpost.
Summary: you're mostly following a dozer line and it's mostly easy walking, but the tread is faint enough that you're rarely certain you're on the correct line. Bring a map and compass and stay "on the map" (aware of where you are).
Finally, the lower sections have poison oak growing across the trail in many places. You will almost certainly be exposed, more so between February and late summer when it's in leaf.
[b]Date Hiked:[/b] January 23, 2021
[b]General Condition:[/b] Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
I walked this trail from the Ventana junction down to Los Padres reservoir, traveling west to east and generally downward. I'll describe it in that direction.
In the vicinity of the Big Pines/Ventana trail junction, the tread is faint and there are many deer trails. Indeed, I only happened to see a trail junction sign by chance, as I was navigating by compass at the time on what I thought was a deer trail (the Ventana tread is also random and faint in this area and I had lost it). The sign I saw is not located where my map indicated the junction, rather, farther to the east somewhere near 36.3690, -121.7504 (ish). Luckily this area is pretty open and travel is easy; just stay on the south side of the ridgetop and the trail will come in and out. I didn't look for the Big Pines camp.
Farther east, where the ridgetop gets narrow, I found what I believe was the trail contouring east-west along a relatively steep slope south and below the ridge. That said, the satellite photo indicates some lines along the ridgetop in the old dozer line that would probably also work. There were a few cairns where I was, and it was possible to see the tread because of the steepness.
At some point, whether you find the remnant of the official trail or not, you'll be on the ridgetop/old dozer line winding your way through chamise brush, which is reclaiming the ridge. Travel in the old dozer line is relatively easy; though you'll never be sure you're on the real trail, it works to just stay on the ridgetop. I believe the old trail occasionally contoured around steeper areas, but the dozer line does not. I didn't catch the trail in these places, though it was dusk when I was there. Be careful, when the ridge splits, to follow the correct line - use your map and compass.
In the lower sections, they have recently bulldozed the ridgetop, so you will be walking in a shiny new dozer line with no brush at all. It's open and nice.
If you're descending like I was, be careful when you need to turn off the dozer line southeast down the smaller ridge to the reservoir, because the turn is hard to identify. There is no sign. The junction is northeast of the little ridge 100 yards or so, and you can see an old grade cut. The new dozer line does not take you to the reservoir, but continues NE along Blue Rock ridge into private land. If you're coming up, you won't have this problem.
The lower section is also quite faint. I climbed up it in the morning to Danish Creek trail, and was able to follow the tread; however, descending at night in the dark with a headlamp, I was unable to find it consistently and eventually ended up dropping straight down a spur in the lower section (where it is nice open forest).
The junction with Carmel River trail is marked with a signpost, which is good, because the tread is faint. The Danish Creek junction also has a signpost.
Summary: you're mostly following a dozer line and it's mostly easy walking, but the tread is faint enough that you're rarely certain you're on the correct line. Bring a map and compass and stay "on the map" (aware of where you are).
Finally, the lower sections have poison oak growing across the trail in many places. You will almost certainly be exposed, more so between February and late summer when it's in leaf.
