One of the destinations that has been on our list for a while is the newly-designated Pinnacles National Park (formerly Pinnacles National Monument), located southeast of Salinas and a two-plus-hour (and not very pleasant) drive from Pismo Beach. There are a number of trails that criss-cross the park, but the highlight in just about everyone’s book is the High Peaks Trail, a mile of which weaves its way along the tallest ridge at the park’s center – this ridge is studded with hundreds of granite outcroppings that give the area its name, and the trail routing is considered to be something of an engineering marvel. Several trails offer access to the High Peaks section, and we had our eye on a 9.3-mile loop that begins at the park’s east side, climbs west and south through the High Peaks, drops west and north into the park’s western canyons, then curves back eastward through cliff-lined canyons to the trailhead. Chelsea, Pedro, and the boys were spending a couple of days with us in Pismo, so we snuck quietly out of the trailer and left by 6:30am. Having stopped on the way for gas and Subway, we found the trailhead, applied sunscreen, and hit the trail by 9:30am in warm, sunny weather. It was supposed to be breezy, but there was no hint of wind whatsoever as we started climbing up a canyon toward the High Peaks – although in great shape, the trail seemed pretty steep in spots and shade was infrequent, so we quickly developed a rhythm of stopping every quarter mile or so to take advantage of whatever shade we could find and try to stay cool. We soon reached the ridgeline, emerging into thin pine cover and heading westward up a more moderate grade. While the views had improved with every switchback up the canyon, we were now treated to vistas both north and south – pinnacles of various shapes and sizes and colorful cliffs came into view, standing in stark contrast to the rolling hills of ranchland that surround the park. As we rounded a low hilltop to the west, the High Peaks were suddenly ahead of us – we had heard that photographs don’t do the place justice, and that disclaimer is absolutely correct. Perhaps it’s the number of outcroppings, maybe it’s the variegated colors, but the High Peaks are magical – it’s like being in another world, and even for those who have traveled California top to bottom, there’s really nothing quite like it anywhere. We had gained the majority of our elevation at this point, so for the next 1-1/2 miles we simply followed the trail as it meandered west and south along the ridge. Massive granite blocks were everywhere, and the trail picked its way between those along the crest. Off to the north, we could see the sheer cliffs of the Balconies, layers of vertical rocks several hundred feet tall that resemble an amphitheater. Eventually, we climbed up a large, stone staircase and through a narrow gap to find a steel handrail leading up a very steep section of rock – steps along it had been chiseled into the granite. The terrain to the north fell away from this point, so one felt a little exposed (but not really uncomfortably so) ascending this stairway, but the trail turned safely and sharply at its top and contoured south through the rocks, often contained behind similar railings. Several hundred yards later, we arrived at the trail’s apex below a gigantic granite block. After taking in the view, we then descended slightly into a saddle before climbing back to a lower hilltop where we found the junction with the Juniper Canyon trail, our exit route to the park’s west entrance. We had decided that we’d eat lunch somewhere down below, hopefully in the shade of the Chaparral Picnic Area noted on the trail signs, so after a brief rest we headed down the ridge’s west side. The trail here follows narrow ledges, switching back dozens of times as it drops between pinnacles to the floor of Juniper Canyon. We found welcome shade as we descended further, although the breezes that had graced us in the High Peaks become more infrequent down in the canyon. We followed the canyon north to the picnic area and west side parking lot, only to find that there was no shade in the picnic area at all. After stopping at the restrooms to freshen up, we resumed our hike, heading eastward down the west fork of Cholane Creek (dry). Almost immediately, we were confronted with an enormous granite fin known as Machete Ridge, and we found a nice shady rock across the creekbed from its western tip. We sat here only about 15 minutes, long enough to eat and rest our legs for a bit, then took up the trail again. Along the north side of Machete Ridge, the trail splits, the right fork following the creek as it goes underground for about a quarter mile and emerges in the canyon on the other side. We had only one flashlight and didn’t feel comfortable with walking that far underground without a backup, so we turned left on the Balconies Cliffs trail, a slightly longer alternate route that climbs up the first tier of the Balconies and follows the ledges eastward. As we went up, the cliffs appeared above us, presenting a completely vertical wall of rock, and so close that we could not see any of the taller rocks behind, only the lowest 100′ or so. We made our way along the cliff base, eventually heading back down to the canyon floor to meet the cave trail – we’ll do that one another time. Turning east once more, we walked quickly along the canyon floor under dense cover for a while, that turning to more open coverage as the canyon bent to the south and got wider. After about 4 hours on the trail to this point, we were both anxious to reach the car, so we walked the last 2 miles in about 35 minutes. The last several hundred yards were without much shade at all, and the van’s air conditioning was most welcome – the thermometer read 94 degrees as we made our way back to the park entrance and began the long drive back to Pismo Beach. Despite the heat, this ranks among our favorite hikes to date. The scenery was truly awesome and so different from anything we’ve visited thus far – the High Peaks Trail experience is definitely recommended.