Date Hiked: October 27, 2013
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
Myself and 3 other adventurous hikers set out to hike the Black Cone Trail this past Sunday (October 27th) from Pine Ridge down to Strawberry Camp. I have always wanted to experience the Black Cone Trail not only for it's awesome views of the Big Sur Wild & Scenic River corridor BUT also for the profound enjoyment of being in perhaps the most desolate place of anywhere in the Ventana. Without a doubt the Black Cone Trail is in itself a quintessential wilderness experience -- not for the faint of heart as there are numerous challenges to face along the route.
Section: From Pine Ride Trail Junction to Venturi CampRating: Passable - Mostly good tread, with some brush encroachmentThe upper portion of the Black Cone Trail starting at Pine Ridge is quite delightful in all respects. You start out high and gradually descend along a ridge that separates the Big Sur and Tassajara watersheds, all the while meandering back & forth from one side of the ridge to the other with stunning views in all directions. The trail condition along this stretch is fairly decent -- good tread and only minimal brush to deal with. There is mostly low-lying manzanita here which encroaches the trail in some spots, but nothing too annoying as it tends to pull apart your boot laces here & there.

- Morning view from the Black Cone Trail looking down into Cienega Creek.

- Looking over the Big Sur Wild & Scenic River corridor and across to the North Coast Ridge.

- From the Black Cone Trail looking east into the Tassajara Creek drainage with Black Butte on the far ridge in the distance
Section: From Venturi Camp to Strawberry CampRating: Extremely Difficult - Completely overgrown / Tread varies from well defined to severely eroded/deterioratedOnce past Venturi Camp the trail becomes extremely difficult -- The entire route through to Strawberry Camp (nearly 5 miles) is a gauntlet of severe brush, most of it being over the top of your head, and in some stretches this combines with sloping/deteriorated tread to make for a long & exhausting "brush-bust" experience, particularly more so if you're carrying a heavy pack.
The brush in this section is very dense -- mostly ceanothus, scrub oak, and manzanita. Highly recommend long pants, long-sleeved, gloves, and eye protection for this stretch. If carrying a heavy pack be extra cautious as the brush tends to push you off the trail in most spots. You can "crash" through the brush with steady determination BUT your body will take a beating.

- View looking back towards the Big Sur Wild & Scenic River corridor from near the base of Black Cone. Also in view is the Ventana Double Cone, The Window ("La Ventana"), and Kandlbinder Peak

- View from the saddle above Strawberry looking into the headwaters of the North Fork Big Sur River. Note in the distance the prominent view line of Ventana Double Cone, The Window ("La Ventana"), Kandlbinder Peak, and Pico Blanco
Water Availability:
I MUST EMPHASIZE that as of this writing (late October 2013) there is
NO WATER to be found anywhere along the Black Cone Trail between Pine Ridge and Strawberry. If you're coming down from Pine Ridge be sure you pack all your water before heading down the Black Cone Trail (as our group did). And we were thankful too as there is NO water currently flowing at Strawberry Camp itself. There is a spring source about 1/4 mile up from Strawberry however it only a trickle at this point. Perhaps the start of the rainy season will alleviate this condition but for now be sure you plan ahead and don't count on there being any water anywhere along the Black Cone Trail until after we get a few soaking rains and the ground saturates.
[Editor: the flow of water "up from Strawberry" is along the Black Cone Trail, as it follows Zig Zag Creek. This is adequate to fill water bottles. Other sources on the trail are dry.]