Just before Christmas I finally made it up Pico Blanco, a 3709′ limestone monolith at the edge of the Ventana Wilderness in Big Sur. First a long hike through second-growth redwood along the Little Sur River, then a long winding road up to the summit, gradually rising through the fog and clouds which finally cleared as we left the road and scrambled the last 300′ to the summit. Beneath us lay the rugged canyons of the mountains of Big Sur, and to the west the endless Pacific.
Pico Blanco was once slated to be mined for its limestone deposits but the combined efforts of environmentalists, the California Coastal Commission and the US Supreme Court prevailed an prevented any further development.