Cone Peak - Hiking and Backpacking Big Sur - page 351

See TRIP 64 Vicente Flat Trail for the first 2.4 miles of this route to Vicente Flat
(1650').
Along the edge of the flat, two parallel paths skirt west. The upper trail, the main
Vicente Flat Trail, climbs 0.1 mile through poison oak thickets to the Stone Ridge
Trail. Avoid the poison oak in favor of the lower spur, which detours 70 feet to two
creekside sites and rejoins the main trail only yards from the Stone Ridge Trail junc-
tion (2.5 miles, 1620'). If you're bound for the coast on the Vicente Flat Trail, refer to
TRIP 66 Highway 1 to Vicente Flat and follow that trail description in reverse.
From the signed junction, the Stone Ridge Trail climbs northwest through dense
redwoods and tanoaks into sun-dappled oak woodlands. Beyond a minor gully lined
with poison oak, you'll climb to a grassy knoll that offers views up sheer-sided Hare
Canyon toward Cone Peak. The trail continues past oak savannas (2.8 miles, 1830')
that harbor several picnic spots, ideal for day hikers from Vicente Flat. In spring this
open terrain is carpeted in vibrant wildflowers.
As you skirt a ridge composed largely of marble, the narrow trail opens on spec-
tacular coastal views. Watch your footing along a minor washout just before you reach
the saddle that divides Hare Canyon and Limekiln Canyon (3.8 miles, 2030'). From
the saddle, a 0.2-mile spur leads west atop a ridge for views thousands of feet down-
canyon to the foamy surf.
The main trail descends from the saddle along the steep north-facing slopes of
the Limekiln Creek drainage. Be on your guard for poison oak along this lightly used
stretch. Increasingly steeper switchbacks lead past sprawling oaks to deep redwood-
lined gullies. You'll have to clamber over and around large fallen oaks and redwoods
in some sections, especially difficult if you're carrying a heavy pack. The trail leads
north to the creek (4.6 miles, 1530'), where windstorms have toppled several large
redwoods.
Across the reliable headwaters, the trail leads 10 yards downstream, climbs the
canyon's steep west wall, switchbacks and leads north, skirting several large fallen
tanoaks. Expect to find lots of debris from dead or dying oaks afflicted by sudden oak
death (see sidebar ) . The trail continues across a minor ridge to a shallow canyon.
Following a seasonal stream west up the canyon, you'll climb first past shady
redwoods then beneath live oaks and bays to two unofficial campsites. Perched beside
the stream, each offers room for up to two tents. Beyond the second site, a curious
trashcan sits alongside the trail. Regular garbage pickup service is not offered in the
backcountry, so please pack out all your trash.
The trail beyond climbs southwest to an obvious oak-clad saddle (5.4 miles,
2030'), then northwest along a nearly level ridge. A hundred feet past a minor gully
lined with madrones, oaks, and bays, the trail emerges in the open (5.9 miles, 2160').