====== Lone Pine Mesa and Hermits Peak Trail with Brenna ======

Date: July 15-16, 2007

===== The Big Hike =====


Well, it was certainly the biggest complete hike I have done so far. We began at an obscure trailhead just up from San Ignacio and Sapello and hiked on Lone Pine Mesa Trail.

Our first campsite was really the first level spot on the trail that we could find. The skies were getting very dark and threatening and the wind was coming up, so we set up a small camp.

The next day, we set out and shortly made it up to Lone Pine Mesa itself. We went on to the junction with the Hermit's Peak Trail and nearly lost our way. Fortunately, the trail that gets lost through a meadow follows a fence toward a gate. The trail was rather clear once we got to the gate.

It was very nice that people had set up rock pile through the forest that we were hiking to mark our way. We occassionally added a few more rocks to make things a bit more clear.

===== The "Dogbowl" =====


We found a hollowed-out rock that catchs water and filled our water bottles from some very interesting looking water. Brenna was very skeptical of the water, but once we got really thirsty, it tasted just fine and nobody got sick. We both filtered and treated the water, just in case.

===== The Goal =====


The second day was pretty hard for both Brenna and I. I think it ended up being about an eight mile hike to Hermit's Peak, which looks like a very well kept park at the summit. As you can see from the pictures, it is quite a view!

===== Getting back down =====


The third day, we basically followed the same route down from Hermit's Peak that the boys and I took from Hermit's Spring. As usual, I am the person pushing everyone up the trail in the beginning and everyone else is practically running downhill when the end of the trail is in sight! Brenna was going much faster down than I could.

We met Lisa at the El Porvenir Trailhead parking lot.

{{outdoor:20070715:BrennaAndLonePine.gif |Brenna Interfaces with the Lone Pine}}

{{ outdoor:20070715:BrennaAtHermitsPeak1.gif|Brenna at Hermits Peak}}

{{outdoor:20070715:BrennaAtHermitsPeak2.gif |Brenna at Hermits Peak}}

{{ outdoor:20070715:BrennaAtHermitsSpring.gif|Cold Brenna at Hermits Spring}}

{{outdoor:20070715:BrennaFirstCamp1.gif |Brenna at Our Lone Pine Trail Camp}}

{{ outdoor:20070715:BrennaFirstCamp2.gif|Brenna at Our Lone Pine Trail Camp}}

{{outdoor:20070715:BrennaFirstGoodView.gif |Brenna at Hermits Peak Trail}}

{{ outdoor:20070715:BrennaFirstMorning.gif|Brenna at Lone Pine Trail}}

{{outdoor:20070715:BrennaOnHermitsPeakTrail.gif |Brenna at Lone Pine Trail}}

{{ outdoor:20070715:BrennaStart.gif|Brenna at Beginning of Trip}}

{{outdoor:20070715:BrennaTheHermit.gif |Brenna the Hermit}}

{{ outdoor:20070715:FirstGoodView1.gif|The First Interesting View}}

{{outdoor:20070715:HermitsPeakCamp.gif |Our Camp on Hermits Peak}}

{{ outdoor:20070715:HermitsPeakFromLonePineMesa.gif|View of Hermits Peak from Lone Pine Mesa}}

{{outdoor:20070715:HermitsPeakSurveyMarker1938.gif |Hermits Peak 1938 Survey Marker}}

{{ outdoor:20070715:JayAtHermitsPeak.gif|Jay at Hermits Peak}}

{{outdoor:20070715:JayAtHermitsPeak2.gif |Jay at Hermits Peak}}

{{ outdoor:20070715:JayFirstMorning.gif|Jay after the First Night Camp}}

{{outdoor:20070715:JayOnHermitsPeakTrail.gif |Jay at Beginning of Trail}}

{{ outdoor:20070715:JayOnLonePineMesa1.gif|Jay on Lone Pine Mesa}}

{{outdoor:20070715:JayOnLonePineMesa2.gif |Jay on Lone Pine Mesa}}

{{ outdoor:20070715:JayStart.gif|Jay at Beginning of Trail}}