Pictures of China Camp to Big Sur in the Ventana Wilderness

(Copyright © 2007 Piero Scaruffi | Legal restrictions - Termini d'uso )
If you would like the original, high-resolution pictures, contact me


Notes of this trip | Back to California hikes | Pictures of the world


(Click on the pictures to enlarge them)



China Camp entrance road

Sign for Pine Valley trail

Parking lot for hikers (100 meters past the China Camp sign)

Pine Ridge trailhead


Trailhead (multiply by 1.6 to obtain the distances)

Up the Pine Ridge trail

Burned tree

Giant pinecone


Not mushrooms

Still some snow in march

Ventana Wilderness

Ventana Wilderness


Ventana Wilderness

The top of the first hill

The ubiquitous yucca

Pine Ridge trail


Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers


Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Pine Ridge trail

The top of the first hill


Dead oak

Ventana Wilderness

Dead oaks

Wildflowers


More monsters

Valley on the left of the trail

Church Creek Divide

Church Creek Divide


Church Creek Divide

Church Creek Divide (multiply by 1.6 to obtain the distances)

Colossal manzanita at Church Creek Divide

Wildflowers


Wildflowers

The trail gets messier

First views of the ocean

Pine Ridge trail


Junction...

... a typical junction in the Ventana Wilderness with rather amateurish signs

It is actually the four-way junction with the Black Cone trail to Strawberry Valley (don't go left but don't go right either)

Follow this sign (you can tell the quality of signs in the Ventana Wilderness)


Lots of dead trees blocking the trail

Now a very overgrown trail

View west

View south


View west

Dead tree

Can you see the sign? (Pine Ridge camp)

This is the sign


Barely sticking out of the vegetation

View west

View west

Another monster (this time right on the trail)


Best yucca yet

Overgrown trail

Yucca flower

Yucca flower


The first hill we climbed

Assorted vegetation

Overgrown trail

Overgrown trail


The trail further ahead

The valley down below where Redwood Camp is

Wildflowers

Wildflowers


Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Wildflowers


The vegetation is now junglish

The trail further ahead

Redwood Camp

Redwood Camp (multiply by 1.6 to obtain the distances)


Redwood Camp (multiply by 1.6 to obtain the distances)

Redwood Camp (multiply by 1.6 to obtain the distances)

Wildflowers

Wildflowers


Redwood Camp

Redwood Camp

Redwood Camp (multiply by 1.6 to obtain the distances)

The hill we came from


Wildflowers

Wildflowers

The monster

The Pine Ridge trail is now a shady trail in the redwood forest


Ventana Wilderness


Big Sur River

Big Sur River

Big Sur River

Big Sur River


Sykes hot springs

Sykes hot springs

Sykes hot springs

View west (still a long way to go)


Now the trail is in a redwood forest

Creek crossing

Creek crossing

Mushroom


Terrace Creek
(Courtesy Mihai Martalogu)

Terrace Creek
(Courtesy Mihai Martalogu)

The trailhead at Big Sur Station
(Courtesy Mihai Martalogu)


Wildflower

Wildflower

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(Copyright © 2007 Piero Scaruffi | Legal restrictions - Termini d'uso )
If you would like the original, high-resolution pictures, contact me