Soberanes - Rocky Ridge Loop

Yesterday, I was able to cross of the Soberanes - Rocky Ridge Loop off of my bucket list. I had attempted it before, but my husband and I were so busy taking pictures that we barely got half way up Soberanes Canyon before we ran out of time and had to turn around. Yesterday, we started our endeavor at 8:30 AM and didn't have to be anywhere that evening.

Walking through Soberanes Canyon made us feel like we were walking through another time or another world. Much of the towering redwoods with carved out trunks that crisscrossed the Soberanes Creek looked like scenes out of The Lord of the Rings while they were trying to escape the black horseman of Mordor. I love the smell of Redwoods, and the sounds of the creek.

We passed a signpost that didn't have any actual wording on it, other than graffiti that said something like "save yourself." Although, otherwise ominous I figured it just meant that some out of shape hiker, like myself, was remarking on how strenuous the hike was going to be. I already realized this was supposed to be a "butt kicker" and that the state has abandoned maintaining the back country trail, so we pressed on. Thank GOD I brought my trekking poles, and there was one place through the redwoods where my husband had to boost my  pack up so I could make it up a heavily eroded part of the trail that had exposed tree roots from where the rain washed out the dirt all around it. After we got passed the shade line, the flora changed from redwoods and lupines to maritime chaparral with no trees shading the trail. At least I had a hat!

There is a reason the trail connecting Rocky Ridge and Soberanes is closed! Mostly, it is because there has been zero maintenance done, and it is heavily heavily eroded. Lots of loose rock,  and a fine silt of sandstone over harder sandstone which is then very very slippery. We basically had to make baby steps through most of the climb to avoid slipping backwards. There were several wide hard exposed faces with deeper caverns washed out where the steps used to be. We struggled with this short part of the trail for about two hours, even though it was only a mile long at the most.

After reaching the summit, all bad memories of the struggle to get there evaporated. My GOD what a view! We could see all the way to the Salinas Valley behind us, the Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz mountains to the north of us, and Carmel Bay, Point Lobos, closer to us to the north and all way way down the beautiful Big Sur Coast. The view took my breath away, and I felt like I was dancing on top of the world.

Eventually we had to leave Nirvana, and head down Rocky Ridge. I'm glad we were able to walk down towards the ocean on this trail, because otherwise there isn't much to see and it would be a whole lot of punishing climbs what looked like a never ending rock. Never could I have imagined how glorious the top was going to be, and I probably would have given up. Going down Rocky Ridge was no bargain either. More slippery silt, and loose rock that would easily twist an ankle, and even my husband was having a hard time with it. Yet, we saw people trail running down the trail - they must have better balance and more experience with the trail than us because there was no WAY we could do that.

All and all, I am so grateful we were able to make the trip. Not for the faint of heart, and maybe next time we go we'll add the Peak Trail to our excursion. We'll have to leave earlier, and not stop to take so many pictures.

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Trail highlights

While climbing up the connecting trail, we saw a deer acting as sentinel looking down the canyon. She was only there for a moment, saw all of the hikers and then disappeared back into the chaparral.

Lots and lots of turkey vultures, and we thought we may have seen a baby condor because it had white underneath the shoulders but it was way way too small to be an adult condor.

Red tailed hawks circling the redwoods. We could only see them from above looking back at Soberanes Canyon.

Hearing sea lions below while on the top of Rocky Ridge.

The bench overlooking the ocean on Rockey Ridge trail. you have to climb over a rock formation to get to it, and keep from tossing anything down the front of it by accident.