BLM Bearing Tree placard

The trail turned left for one last uphill leg to an unnamed highpoint. (a right turn takes you off of park land). The foliage turned back to chaparral as the trail regained the ridge.

The trail got a bit steeper as it headed up to the highpoint. If you look at the topo, it looks as if there was once a more direct route down from the highpoint to the creek, but this seems to have been reclaimed by the wilderness.

A lone pine tree along the trail and the High Peaks (Machete Ridge) now visible in the distance. North Chalone Peak to the right of the ridge.

Looking back at the lone pine and the trail highpoint. It really seems as if they could have constructed this trail to avoid the highpoint and cut through the clearing down there on the left.

High Peaks loom above as I descended down to the Chaparral parking area.

The Chaparral parking lot was a zoo. Everyone in Soledad seemed to be visiting the park today.

The crowds thinned out as I headed up the Juniper Canyon trail. (Most of the folks were headed the other direction towards the caves).

Stopping for a rest on the long climb back up to the ridgetop.