Doud Peak
Hike Review
I hiked up Doud Peak via Soberanes Canyon Trail, Rocky Ridge Trail, then Peak Trail. I did not see any signs, but looking at it now, I see that Rocky Ridge Trail is closed and I should not have hiked this.
Soberanes Canyon Trail follows the Soberanes Creek and is a well-kept trail that reminded me a lot of the trails in Mount Tamalpais State Park. The mix of running water, redwoods, sandy trail, and wooden stairs built into the trail gave similar vibes. I suppose that the difference is the first half mile or so of the hike where it is much drier—there are cacti and there is no shade. Once the trail enters the forest, the trail gains elevation, but as there is plenty of shade, it is rather nice.
Rocky Ridge Trail is currently closed (as I found out when I got home) and I think I understand why—there are parts that are extremely steep and with loose sand about, slippery to boot. On top of that, there is no shade with the exception of one tree about halfway up the trail.
The Peak Trail is a relief after the steep trail that precedes it. It is not traveled often though, leading to vegetation leaning over the trail. I didn’t get any ticks, but if they were there, I would have been the proverbial fish in the barrel for the ticks. There is also no shade, but the views of the ocean and surrounding hills are rather gorgeous.
Throughout the hike, I saw trash pretty often. Especially disgusting were the pieces of toilet paper that littered the trail.
There were plenty of parking spots on a random Thursday. I’m going to bet that on weekends the roadside parking fills up fast.
There were three well-stocked portable toilets at the trailhead. They were clean too!
What I Learned
When I initially thought up this hike, I thought it shouldn’t be too difficult. I mean, 2000ft elevation gain over 3.5 miles is on par with Mission Peak, which I’ve done many times. However, on the Rocky Ridge Trail, I must have taken 314 mini breaks to catch my breath. And the unrelenting sun made me want to turn back (and I almost did), but I knew I would hate myself for giving up, so I trudged on. After two false peaks though, there was this large tree providing a huge blotch of shade—it was one of the sexiest things I have ever seen in my life. For 5 minutes, I took one of the best breaks of my life in the tree’s shade. I regrouped, felt better about everything in life, and finished the hike in much better style. It’s been almost 6 months since I have hiked more than 2000 ft of elevation gain, so it figures why I struggled so much.
I was amazed by the beauty of the Soberanes Canyon Trail—I mean I saw it during the middle of the day, which is usually the worst part of the day, photographically, to see anything. I did not expect to see so much beauty on this day and Big Sur delivered.
Media Consumed
The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan—finished!
What Happened?
7.1 mile, 3 hrs 40 mins, 2210 ft of ascent
With my trip to the Sierras postponed and possibly cancelled due to the high amount of smoke and thunderstorms, I headed down the coast to check out Doud Peak. I don’t remember how I found it or why I had it marked on my map, but I’m going to guess it was because I found the name funny—I can’t imagine pronouncing it any other way than “dood” (it’s probably “dou-d”).
The hike started off like some dry coastal trails, with the trail lacking shade and the ground being sandy. However, I entered a forest after less than a mile, and things got green and beautiful fast. The dappled light provided so much depth and visual drama—I felt like I was taken to a totally different world than I was just in. It wasn’t all ecstasy, though; the trail started to gain elevation.
In all too short a time, Rocky Ridge Trail intercepted the Soberanes Canyon Trail, and I started the extra steep ascent. It was so steep and tiring that I put my camera away and just focused on putting one foot in front (and above) the other while maintaining my balance. Honestly, with these types of type two activities, I don’t remember this part so well (probably for the best).
I then got on the Peak Trail, and although a trail was present, I felt like I waded through tall grass (like in Gladiator) to get to the top of Doud Peak. I didn’t even consider a break as I was already way past the deadline I had set for myself. The rest of the hike was rather nice, though. I mean, I didn’t fall (even on the slippery parts), and I took it at an easy pace, so not bad at all.
Oh! Actually, a little bit after the tree (on the way down) on the Rocky Ridge Trail, I spotted these two teenagers about 10 feet off the trail. I saw that they both had their shirts off with a relaxed body language—guessing at what they were up to, I looked away and just kept hiking. I hope they had a great time up there… and maybe learn to get off the trail a bit more before having fun.
I got back to Ramona (my truck) with no other drama. With less than 90 minutes before the sunset, I quickly pointed Ramona north and headed to Monterey for a sunset bike ride.
