[Bloated Chipmunk]

With a pool party to attend in the afternoon, I needed something short/close to home so I opted for a little unnamed peak in the Pine Creek Wilderness. I'd seen Pk. 2,665' on the map & noticed it was just a short distance off-trail from a path heading south from the parking lot, a trail different than the well-used one known as the Espinosa Trail. I figured it'd also be good to scope this trail out for a possible future trip to an unnamed canyon to the south near Barrett Lk. I arrived @ the TH to find a few other cars; most likely the other hikers took the Espinosa Trail. I stepped around through the small gate on the right instead, & found that I had this trail to myself.

TH to the right of this sign

Along the way, I got some nice views & passed by interesting rocks.

Standing rock

Still bloomin'

Valley below

@ one point the trail splits in 2 -- I took the right fork. When I reached a small saddle, I found an obscure trail someone had made heading toward the little pk. Score!

Pk. is up there on the right

More blooms

Just a li'l hill...

I followed it to the top & enjoyed the views.

Summit pano

Summit pano

Distant Tecate Pk.

Lawson & Gaskill

View NE

View north

View south

View west

The way I came up

Rocky pk. to the SW

Cool area to explore?

From there I headed back to the fork & went down the other way, hoping to get down to Pine Creek @ a lower spot than what I'd seen before. I think I would've, except that before long I reached a drainage that had patches of unavoidable poison oak. D'oh! Yep, time to turn around. Wasn't gonna deal w/that crap.

Distant penis rock

Poison oak

Corte Madera & others

Rock ledge

Yucca blooms

Perched

I headed back up, feeling the heat of the day settle in. I stripped off my fleece & continued on, back to the TH & back home to get ready for the party.

Standing rock

Penis rock?

Route

Stats - had to keep this one short

I had a couple margs @ the party, but my pic wasn't too exciting...