Cone Peak - Hiking and Backpacking Big Sur - page 356

Enjoy unsurpassed views during spring and fall, when typical summer fog and winter storm
fronts have passed.
Trip Description
From its marked trailhead along Highway 1 (190'), the Vicente Flat Trail quickly
climbs a series of switchbacks north past coastal scrub, vibrant in spring with flower-
ing lupines, poppies, sticky monkeyflowers, and sagebrush. In 0.3 mile you'll cross a
minor gully, head toward a minor saddle, then turn north across rolling grasslands and
sun-drenched coastal chaparral. Crossing a gully choked with invasive blackberry and
broom species, you'll hear trickling from a nearby spring (0.9 mile, 700').
The grade steepens as the trail passes scattered yuccas, attesting to the aridity of
these exposed slopes and switchbacks. You'll soon reach a ridge (1.4 miles, 1000')
that offers spectacular views of the vast convergence of land and sea. This is a favor-
ite day-hiking destination.
Onward, the trail enters the Ventana Wilderness and after 0.3 mile reaches
shade beneath a canopy of oaks, madrones, and bays. Follow the ridgeline through
four gullies past a dense band of redwoods. After a steep climb to a prominent
ridge (2.9 miles, 1610'), pause to rest and enjoy the views. To the east is 5155-foot
Cone Peak and its neighbor, double-notched Twin Peak, which loom over Hare
and Limekiln Creeks. Hare Canyon is one of the world's deepest gorges, while
Limekiln Canyon boasts the steepest coastal slope in the Lower 48 on its climb to
Cone Peak.
The trail descends from the ridge, veering northeast through varied microcli-
mates that support a wide range of drought-tolerant and moisture-loving plants. Yuc-
cas dot the open, arid slopes, while redwoods cluster in the gullies. One hundred yards
past a major gully along an unreliable creek, marked by a large fallen redwood, you'll
reach a spur to Espinosa Camp.
The spur leads 100 feet to camp (3.4 miles, 1660'), which sits atop a minor ridge
in the shade of live oaks, bays, redwoods, and rare, endemic Santa Lucia firs. Two
small flats can accommodate up to four tents. Rock outcrops offer unobstructed views
toward the coast. This is an excellent picnic spot, though the gully nearest camp
is usually dry. Just 1.8 miles farther along the main trail, the roomier Vicente Flat
Camp is adjacent to reliable Hare Creek.
Beyond the spur, you'll round a prominent ridge and skirt a large tanoak afflicted
by sudden oak death, evidenced by its large cankerous wounds (see sidebar ) . On a
contour 0.2 mile past camp, the trail reaches the first reliable water source, a creeklet
that cascades past redwoods and lush ferns. Across the creeklet and through another
gully, you'll emerge on open grassy slopes with ocean views. Here the trail veers east,
tops out at 1860 feet, and begins a gentle descent to Vicente Flat.