Have you ever witnessed nature do something absolutely incredible? We did when we walked the Prewett Trail and saw the High Peaks revealed.
The High Peaks revealed
We’d heard about how spectacular the High Peaks at Pinnacles National Park were. That’s why we planned to stay at the nearby Inn at the Pinnacles. The Inn, located high above the Soledad in the Salinas Valley, is just minutes from the west entrance to the park. October isn’t normally a heavy fog month in that area, but on October 15, we awoke to thick, gray soup that cloaked everything with drops of water.
Fogged in
Undeterred by the fog at the Inn, we took off for the west entrance of Pinnacles National Park. The normally jam-packed parking lots were empty. And with good cause. The fog had taken over the park. Deflated by the idea of having no views, we drove to the end of the trail, took two of the shortest hikes, then turned around and headed to the visitor center just inside the park entrance. We were still somewhat in shock. It was nine o’clock and the parking lot was almost empty. This was not the Pinnacles we’d read about.
From concealed to revealed
We’d travelled 400 miles to see this place and were determined to give it a final go. And so we began our trek along the Prewett Trail. The trail was named after Fred Prewett, a local rancher who also supervised the construction of several trails in the park in the 1930s. Prewett Point trail is the newest trail in the Pinnacles National Park system. At only one mile long and with a 70-foot elevation, it’s also one of the easiest and most accessible.
The two photos above show a panoramic view of what we saw. It’s important to note the times that these photos were taken. In a way, it felt much like we were taking part in a home-improvement show that was being put on by Mother Nature. The High Peaks revealed themselves in spectacular fashion in a grand total of about ten minutes. We were the only two people on the trail at the time. And the only two who witnessed this incredible event.
With the fog gone, the view of the High Peaks is crystal clear
With the fog gone, the air was crisp and clean
This panorama shot shows as much as possible about the stunning rolllback of the fog.
Ten minutes earlier or later and we would have missed this reveal.
Two minutes later, at 9:22AM, we went from completely covered to a view of the top of the peaks
9:20 AM and we got our first inkling that we would see the High Peaks
This shot was taken at 9:14 AM, just as the fog began its retreat.
The fog might have been lifting on the hills, but in the valleys, it was still hanging on.
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