W6/SC-417 Harris Benchmark

Harris Benchmark is a peak at the northern edge of Pinnacles National Park, the high point of a long, U-shaped ridge that runs along the top of the park. There are some sections without a trail, so map and compass navigation skills are needed to reach this peak.
I arrived at the parking lot on the west side of the park around 8:45 and quickly got on the trail. The first section of the hike is identical to the one to SC-423. There were a number of bunnies in the picnic area, and they were fearless. Usually the only view I get of rabbits is their tail as they dive into the bushes. These ones just sat and watched me walk by.

Heading up the North Wilderness Trail.

I took the North Wilderness Trail up and over the saddle to the seasonal stream on the other side. This section was much prettier back in March with the green grass and blooming flowers. On the other side of the hill, I found the stream bed that I planned to follow up to the ridge. There are a few stream intersections here, so be careful to choose the correct one. Initially I hiked in or very close to the stream bed, but I discovered there was an easier path a short ways above the stream, on the west side. I think this is how the animals move around, there was a lot of scat and some herd paths. At the base of the steep section crossed the stream then had a choice to continue to follow the stream up the ridge, or go up a spur. The spur seemed to be less dense so I opted for that route.

Base of the ridge.

I made it to the top, but the plants were dense and scratchy. My arms are all cut up from the bushwhacking. At the top there are two parallel fences, which appear to be an old boundary of the park. I crossed the first fence and hiked up the empty space between them. I didn't see an easy way to get across, so I had to crawl under the bottom strand of barbed wire. It was a tight fit. At the top of the hill I had to cross over the other fence, then was able to follow an old jeep trail along the top and side of the ridge. 

Jeep trail, just before crossing the second fence. Harris BM in the center distance.

The trail was wide and easy to follow. Even better, it skirted around the first two peaks, thereby avoiding some extra climbing. I made good time on this section. At the low point of the ridge, the jeep trail continues north off the ridge, but the SOTA activator must turn and bushwhack up along the ridge. I looked around for an old trail or something to make the passage easier, but didn't find anything. This required more fighting through the sharp bushes. Part way up I found this erosion gully and was able to follow it for a while.

Deep gully.

I broke out of the bushes and onto the final jeep trail, which led directly to the summit. The summit had a large open area and excellent views of the park. I found the disk at the top, then set up. There are no trees at the top. I brought my mag loop because it fits inside my backpack, and bushwhacking with a crappie pole on the outside of the pack is even more difficult. I had decent cell service, and sent out a spot for 30 meters. After calling for a while, I had gotten no responses. Usually I can quickly qualify a peak on 30, so I was getting worried that all the effort to get to the top had been for nothing. I moved up to 20 and sent out another spot. I eventually made five contacts, much to my relief.

USGS marker. Didn't have the peak name or elevation marked for some reason.

I decided to try 40, but didn't have any luck there. A few calls on VHF/UHF also came up empty. By this point I had been on the summit for an hour, and was starting to get worried about my water situation. I had brought three liters of water, and had less than one left for the six mile hike back to the car. I packed up and headed down, retracing my steps. On the steep descent to the stream I started feeling bad, which I know means I'm getting too hot, but there was nowhere to stop on the steep slope. At the bottom I found a shady area and stopped to cool down for a while.

QRV on the summit. North and South Chalone in the center, Hawkins Peak in front of them. I could see all the SOTA peaks in the park from here.

I made back to the stream bed before I ran out of water. I saved a mouthful for the top of the climb, then headed up. It was the most unpleasant climb. At the top I drank the rest, then headed down as fast as I could. The water spigot was a welcome sight, and the water was wonderful, even if it tasted bad. Once I got back into town I stopped by a convenience store to buy a drink that tasted better for the drive home. That evening I couldn't tell if my arms hurt because they were sunburnt or badly scratched. It was the scratches.

Trailhead: Pinnacles National Park West Entrance.
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map. I also took the Tom Harrison map.
Route: See description above. North Wilderness Trail, bushwhack, old jeep trail, bushwhack, old jeep trail.
Red Tape: None.

What I think of the heat.