2 March 2016
The Los Padres National Park covers a large area. Dave and I have hiked to many of it peaks such as: Alexander Peak, Little Pine mountain, McPherson Peak, Mount Pinos, Montecito Peak, McKinley Peak Santa Ynez Peak, and others. We have not, however, made it to Big Pine Mountain.
With the other Peaks, you can drive to within 5 to 10 miles of the peak. The worst case is hiking 10 miles in and 10 miles out, which makes for a long day, but it is doable. The problem with Big Pine is, it is not close to anything. The closest you can drive will leave you 20 miles from the peak. So that means 20 miles in AND 20 miles out. Big Pine also happens to be the highest peak (6,800 feet) in the Los Padres Forest. It is a tough nut to crack. A hike will require 3-4 nights. A 1-day bike ride is possible, but it depends on the condition of the road.
On 2 March, Dave and I did a test ride on the road to determine how good or bad the road to Big Pine was. We knew the forest service used the road with 4 wheel drive vehicles but we wanted to see how it was on a mountain bike. Our intent was to see how far we could get in 4 hours. The results of that test are documented in pictures below. Dave made almost 15 miles and I made just over 8 miles. (On mountain bike on mountain roads I am a real whimp) Future attempts to Big Pine are TBD.
I also learned a lesson about reading a Topo map. Usually if the trail has a series of switch-backs and then a straight line, it means you have climed a steep area and now it is level. Not on Big Pine. The straight line was almost as steep as the switch-backs. LOL
To view the Photo Album, click HERE.