Long time lurker first time poster. I'm going backpacking in Big Sur next Fri-Mon. I've back packed a lot in my younger days (boy scouts)and have done it about once a year since. 34 now. I'm not super experienced. I'm taking my girlfriend with me who has not done much. Maybe a couple trips a decade ago. She is one of the best car campers I've ever seen though!
I would appreciate any advice on trails and camp spots. Sykes hot springs seems a good initiation for her, albeit possibly crowded. I purchased Hiking and Backpacking Big Sur by Analise Elliot which has a lot of good loops and out and backs. Girlfriend picked one that was about 30 miles which I thought would be a bit much. Her gear is Heavy. I'm thinking about 24 miles max. Sat and Sun would be the only time to get real miles in.
We are leaving Berkeley about 6pm on Fri and need to be back about 4pm Mon. Fri night will be a small night hike or car camp there. Monday we should leave about noonish.

If anybody has suggestions I'm all ears.

Thanks,
GL

Check with the local Ranger station before you go on any long trips in this area. I was planning to lead a group of Scouts into the Ventana wilderness on a 4 to 5 day trip, but upon checking with the rangers found that the trails described in the book I had, which was published a while ago, had not been maintained for many years for lack of funds, and now were overgrown with poison oak and could not be used.

So-be sure to get local advice from a current source before you go on any long trip in the area.

Pine Valley is an easy hike, but no hot springs It would be a good overnight, but is too short for 4 days. It is a good weekend hike for Scouts.

Good luck!!

Don
Fremont CA

There is a web site that gives updates on the condition of the trails. Sorry, but I do not know the web address. If you "google" trails Ventena wilderness I think you will get to it. Locals keep up the trials and trim the brush and post the condition of the trails on a pretty regular basis.

Also, be sure the area you are going to has not been burned badly by last years fires. Also be aware that in the Fall, water sources are scarce.

Check out:

http://www.ventanawild.org/

There is a link to Ventana trail conditions- but when you look at the reports, be sure to check the posting date as some are rather old (over a year) while some are very current.

If you are thinking of heading out from Big Sur itself, you should be aware that the Pine Ridge trail is closed due to bad trail conditions (tons of trees down, and this makes hiking on those steep slopes very unsafe). You're not going to get to Sykes.

I'd check on the trail conditions out of Bottcher's Gap instead. Or, further down the coast, trail conditions in/around Santa Barbara heading into the southern portion of Los Padres NF - there are lots of hot springs down there too. Someday I'm going to grab a friend and drive to some of the trailheads north of Ojai and head in to Willetts Hot Spring.

Also, be very aware that a first time out girlfriend may find the trails in Ventana very rugged and the ticks, poison oak, and scorched/burned trees rather unhospitable. The whole area burned in a bad fire that torched 75% of the Ventana. It's coming back by leaps and bounds, but I am not sure by how much. If you do go, take poison oak soap (tecnu) and Ivy Block, long pants treated with permethrin, a broad brim hat, sunscreen (long open stretches of trail and the sun beating down), rain gear, and something to hang all your food and trash from trees like a bear bag. There are no bear problems, but the rats and raccoons will take off with your food.

I'd consider Point Reyes a better first time destination, actually.

Pt Reyes is a beautiful area, but it is sometimes difficult to arrange a permit on short notice for the weekends.

Another possibility is Big Basin park- if the State has not closed them down recently, although their web site has no indication of this.

http://www.bigbasin.org/backpacking.html

Permits also required, but usually easier to get than at Pt Reyes.

Don

Good advice all around. I was considering Big Basin but I've been there a few times and wanted to try some place new. Plus last time I went there I contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. I'll look into permits for Point Reyes. I was really hoping for some hot springs though. I got my first taste of hot springs in the Mammoth area last summer and really really enjoyed it.
Thanks everybody!
GD

GD-

There are lots of places in the Sierra which do not require permits. With any luck the weather will hold through next weekend. I'm sure a book on hot springs would turn up some good destinations. The drive won't be a lot longer, depending on where you decide to go.

Hope you have a great hike!

Don

What places don't require permits that don't make the drive a lot longer? There's the Los Padres, which is not in the Sierras.

Inyo NF requires permits. Sierra NF requires permits. Dinkey, Kaiser, Jennie Lake, Monarch, Hoover, Ansel Adams, and John Muir Wildernesses require permits. South Sierra Wilderness is non-quota but permit is recommended and it's quite a drive. Most of San Bernardino NF requires permits. Carson Pass, Mokelumne and Emigrant wilderness in Stanislaus require permits. Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP and Yosemite require permits in non quota season as well, but SEKI is self register in October and Yosemite will be after October. Fortunately, this time of year, walk in permits are simple to get. Kids are back in school and people are afraid it will snow on them.

Let me rephrase what I said. Permits may be required, but there are places which do not have quotas on entry, which make the permits easy to get.

For example, the Pinecrest Ranger station says that all you need to do is come by, and if your group is less that their maximum group size of 15, you will be issued a permit.

Yes, the drive is a bit longer, but at least you will get a place to hike to----

We ended up going to Loon Lake. Great trip! If any other newbies want advice on this trip hit me up. All we had to do was stop at the ranger station on HWY 50 and they handed over a fire permit for our stove and answered all our questions. We hiked around Loon Lake, Pleasant Lake and camped at Spider Lake. We had Spider Lake all to ourselves! We then thought about going in further but this was our first trip together so we hiked back down to Pleasant Lake and spent all Sunday there swimming, fishing and snoozing. I tried my new lightweight Tenkara fishing gear out for the first time, with no luck. Should have brought a spincast. Tenkara will be great for streams but for a huge lake it was limiting. Anyways we spent the night there and then hiked out Monday morning.

Take Care