Bottchers Gap to Pat Springs
Ventana Wilderness
Los Padres National Forest
May 14-18, 1999
Trip Leader: Roland Wentz & Matt Hahne
Trip Report By: Roland Wentz
This is one of the old and favorite
"classic" trips in Ventana, mainly because it
consists of hiking along the tops of ridges and affords
magnificent views of the ocean, Devils Peak, Little Sur
River, Uncle Sam Mountain, Carmel River drainage, Pico
Blanco Mountain and the three Ventana Cones.
Additionally, by day hiking to Ventana Double Cone, a
large 180 degree half-circle can be made all along the
peaks and ridges. Now, if one had an "extremely wild
hair" one could go cross-country and straight across
the half-circle through the poison oak, manzanita and
treacherous ridges and mountain lion dens, etc. to
Ventana Double Cone. But speaking for myself, I guess
I'll pass …..
Friday morning, Matt Hahn and I started from Bottchers
Gap and hiked up the Skinner Ridge Trail to Devils Peak.
Clear, sunny weather offered us nice views of the ocean
and the Little Sur River drainage. We had lunch in the
cool ocean breezes, then hiked east to Pat Springs for a
daily total of seven miles. During the afternoon, the
wind picked up drastically with very strong gusts so we
made an effort to camp away from trees (snags) which
could fall. The seasonal flowing stream that meandered
nearby was still offering water so trips up the little
hill to the spring were not necessary. That night we
planned to day hike the next day to Ventana Double Cone.
During the night, fog came but rain did not occur.
Saturday morning we set out with lunch and water toward
Double Cone. Before long, we came to several areas along
the ridge where an inch of ice crystals strangely lay on
the ground. We concluded that they came from the treetops
from the moisture brought in by the fog. It had frozen
while in the trees from the cold wind, then crumbled and
fell to the earth. Too bad I did not have my skis! When
we reached Double Cone (elevation 4,853 ft.) the view was
magnificent as expected. The mountaintop is a previous
site of a U.S.F.S. fire lookout. All that is left now is
the cement platform and a few steel cables. From the top,
looking east, down into Ventana Mesa Creek, the terrain
was practically straight down - a steep slide! Likely a
good place for a mountain lion den, and hide-out for them
and any other wildlife not wishing to be disturbed by
man. Looking southeast were the other two cones - Ventana
and South Ventana. After a lengthy lunch we hiked back to
Pat Springs. Our daily total had been about fifteen
miles. After that exercise, I had no trouble sleeping
that night!
Sunday morning, I woke up around 7:40 and while still in
my tent, decided to munch some jerky, cheese and crackers
for breakfast. Matt had already risen and upon exiting
his tent, confronted a mountain lion face-to-face. It was
a fully-grown adult, probably weighing one hundred and
eighty pounds. After a few seconds the lion bolted off in
the opposite direction and was not seen again. Shortly
afterwards we packed up and hiked out. From Devils Peak
on it was mostly downhill to Bottchers Gap.
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