Kern County High Point Trip Report
Date: January 29, 2003
Author: Aaron Maizlish
I walked up Mt. Pinos on my way back north from a meeting in Santa Barbara. Conditions were almost
summer-like. Left Santa Barbara at 11:30 AM. Arrived at Pinos at about 2:30, spent some time looking
around for a silly "Forest Adventure Pass", which grants me the privilege of parking by a trailhead,
but didn't find one.
Temperature was about 60 degrees and it hasn't snowed for several weeks. Although there was barely a
trace of snow visible anywhere on the mountain from below, the trail to the top was covered with old snow.
From the top good views of Mt Whitney, the Tehachapis, Mt Baldy, Caliente Mountain, and most of
Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Thick inversion layer over the Central Valley up to 4,000 feet.
All in all, a wonderful hike with my 2-year old son.
Ran out of time to head over to Sawmill Mountain. It was my second time up Pinos.
About 150 feet northwest of the BM there is a metal stake in the ground, which is either an old sign post
or a survey marker for the township/range/county line. Sawmill Mountain is 13 feet lower than Pinos.
If the stake is in fact the county line, then I think that the liner is higher than Sawmill.
Dead-reckoning the line from Sawmill to the stake,
the knoll to the north appears to be less than 13 feet below the summit.
Didn't have a sight level with me.