VENTANA WILDERNESS

The Window

Ventana Double Cone from Skinner Ridge

This is the notch in the ridge about a mile west of Ventana Double Cone, as viewed from the summit.

Introduction

The United States Congress designated the Ventana Wilderness in 1969 and it now has a total of 240,024 acres. All of the wilderness is in California and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.

Description

Legend relates that the unique notch at the summit of Ventana Double Cone (4,853 feet) was once connected by a rock bridge forming a window, or ventana in Spanish. Established as a Primitive area in 1931 and gaining Wilderness status in 1969, Ventana straddles the Santa Lucia Mountains south of the Monterey Peninsula, an area of ruggedly beautiful coastal mountains. You'll find steep-sided, sharp-crested ridges and craggy peaks falling into V-shaped valleys wondrously hidden from the outside world. Elevations range from 600 feet where the Wild and Scenic Big Sur River leaves the Wilderness to 5,750 feet where the boundary circumvents Junipero Serra Peak in the eastern section (which is separated from the main section by Arroyo Seco Indians Road). Most of the streams fall rapidly through narrow canyons over bedrock or exposed boulders, and waterfalls, deep pools, and thermal springs can be found along the major streams. A great diversity of vegetation is dominated by chaparral, the brushy cover that grows over much of Central and Southern California. Grassy meadows and stands of pine are located throughout the area, and virgin coastal redwood trees stand in the deep canyons of the fast-moving Big Sur and Little Sur Rivers. The largest population of mountain lions in America lives in the Santa Lucia Mountains; wild pigs, wild turkeys, and opossums may be found in abundance. Numerous other mammals and birds share the area.

The area offers approximately 197 miles of trails from at least nine trailheads. The Pine Ridge Trail (24 miles) in the middle of the northern section is the most popular. Trails from Little Sur River in the north and Kirk Creek in the south attract many backpackers, and the trail from Kirk Creek up to Vicente Flat offers a challenging 4.3-mile ascent to higher country with extensive views.

White Peak

Survey marker on top of Pico Blanco

Pico Blanco, Spanish for "White Peak," is perhaps the most distinctive and immediately recognisable peak in central California's Big Sur region. It is located at the far northwestern end of Los Padres National Forest, a few miles south of Monterey, and splits the north and south forks of the Little Sur River. The peak is the prominent white limestone/marble cone seen from the Ventana Trail leading to Ventana Double Cone, as well as nearby Post Summit. (In fact, it is reportedly the largest limestone deposit in the state). Summit views are quite good, taking in the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean to the west, Ventana Double Cone and Kandlbinder Peak to the the southeast, as well as a host of other Big Sur peaks: Mt. Manuel, Post Summit, Uncle Sam Mtn., and Cone Peak far off in the distance.

Pico Blanco is most noteworthy for its cultural and historical significance. The peak was considered a sacred mountain from which all life originated in the native traditions of the Rumsien and Esselen. According to Indian legend, the world was destroyed in a great flood, and when the waters rose, the summit of Pico Blanco was the only land to remain exposed. Several creatures--according to one version of the legend, an eagle, coyote, and hummingbird, according to another, an eagle, crow, raven, hawk, and hummingbird --survived the flood. A magical feather was plucked from the eagle and planted in the ocean to cause the waters to recede, recreating the world.

Still another fascinating legend concerns Al Clark's Lost Silver King Mine. In this legend, Al Clark, a "haggard toothless hermit" who eked out a poor existence from a silver mine on the peak, claimed to have found in the course of his excavations a vast cave with paintings by native peoples. This artwork would be some 20,000 years old, amongst the earliest evidence of native people's presence in America anywhere. Clark died in the 1920s, but before he did so, he blew up the Silver King Mine to protect the ancient treasures he'd found. Was his claim true or not? It's tough to say, but it's a neat story.

This website is for collecting and displaying history of Camp Pico Blanco, Camp Esselen, Camp Wing and Camp Totocano.