Photographs from the Photography on the Run post: Pinos to Abel Out and Back
For many that do the 1.9 mile excursion from the Chula Vista parking lot, the Condor Summit Observation Site is the practical summit of Mt. Pinos. The highest point on Mt. Pinos is at the end of the service road on top of the hill with the communications tower, about 0.2 mile to the ENE.
The highest point on Mt. Pinos is about 1.75 mile from the Chula Vista parking lot. The Condor Summit Observation Site is nearby.
The elevation of Mt. Pinos on the Sawmill Mountain topo is 8831'. Peakbagger lists the NAVD88 elevation at 8835'. In any case, it's the highest point in Ventura County.
View ENE from the summit of Mt. Pinos. The Tehachapi Mountains are in the distance, the highest of which is Double Mountain (7981').
The Vincent Tumamait Trail trailhead at Condor Summit. The trail continues west past Sawmill and Grouse Mountains to Cerro Noroeste Road (Mt. Abel Rd.).
The wet 2018-2019 Winter has promoted a bumper crop of Limber pine cones in the Mt. Pinos area. This tree is near the Condor Summit Observation Site. July 20, 2019.
Granite prickly phlox (Linanthus pungens) on the slopes of Mt. Pinos. July 20, 2019.
The unique blue of Royal Penstemon (Penstemon speciosus) was easy to spot along the trail. July 20, 2019.
Morning on the Vincent Tumamait Trail, near the eastern border of the Chumash Wilderness, below Mt. Pinos. July 20, 2019.
Martin's paintbrush (Castilleja applegatei ssp. martini) along the the Vincent Tumamait Trail, near Mt. Pinos. July 20, 2019.
Chumash Spirit Tower on Sawmill Mountain (8818'), the highest point in Kern County.
Mariposa lily and shadow.
The north summit of Grouse Mountain (8582'). The use trail leads to the south summit, but the north summit, a couple-hundred yards away, is marked on the topo as the high point.
Elevation profile of the Mt. Pinos to Mt. Abel out and back, including short side trips to Sawmill Mountain, Grouse Mountain and Sheep Camp. Generated using SportTracks from my GPS track and corrected using NED 1/3 arc second DEMs. Elevations, mileages, track and placemark locations are approximate.
Narrowleaf Monardella (Monardella linoides) was more prevalent along the trail near Grouse Mountain than during our recent string of dry years. The subspecies found in this area (ssp. oblonga) has a California Rare Plant Rank of 1B.3 -- rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere.
Pine forest larkspur (Delphinium gracilentum) near Grouse Mountain. July 20, 2019.
San Gabriel beardtongue (Penstemon labrosus) on Grouse Mountain. July 20, 2019.
Mountain bush lupine (Lupinus excubitus var. austromontanus) along the Vincent Tumamait Trail, near Mt. Abel (Cerro Noroeste). July 20, 2019.
The Mesa Spring Trail branches southwest off the Vincent Tumamait Trail about 0.6 mile from Mt. Abel (Cerro Noroeste) Rd at a saddle labeled Puerta Del Suelo on the topo.
Sulphur flower buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum) along the Vincent Tumamait Trail, near Mt. Abel Road. July 20, 2019.
Yarrow and paintbrush along the Vincent Tumamait Trail near Mt. Abel (Cerro Noroeste) Rd. July 20, 2019.
The Mt. Pinos/Vincent Tumamait Trailhead on Mt. Abel (Cerro Noroeste) Rd. The linear valley in the background is the San Andreas Fault zone.
The border of the Chumash Wilderness, near Mt. Abel (Cerro Noroeste) Road.
Campo Alto, on the top of Mt. Abel (Cerro Noroeste), appeared to be empty.
Meadow of wild iris at Sheep Camp. July 20, 2019.
Western blue flag (Iris missouriensis) at Sheep Camp. July 20, 2019.
Blue flax (Linum lewisii) at a seep near Sheep Camp. July 20, 2019.
Snow plant (Sarcodes sanguinea) is a nonphotosynthetic plant that is found in the mountains of the western U.S. The plant obtains carbohydrate from a mycorrhizal fungus shared with a pine tree.
Mt. Pinos from the west, from the Vincent Tumamait Trail.
Young pine near the top of the Vincent Tumamait Trail, below Condor Summit, on Mt. Pinos. July 20, 2019.
Brewer's lupine (Lupinus breweri) along the Vincent Tumamait Trail, near Condor Summit. July 20, 2019.
Seed head of the annual mountain dandelion (Agoseris heterophylla) near Condor Summit. July 20, 2019.
A bouquet of mariposa lilies (Calochortus invenustus) along the Vincent Tumamait Trail, near Condor Summit.. July 20, 2019.
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