Distance: 20.6 miles round trip on dirt road and use trail
Summit Elevation: 6225' (McKinley), 4697' (Cachuma)
Elevation Gain: 5323'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 4.2
Round trip time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Recommended water: 128 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at Cachuma Saddle
Difficulty: Strenuous
The day started as a one-day attempt on Santa Cruz Peak, deep in the Santa Barbara back country, Los Padres National Forest. The plan was to ride a rented e-bike 8 miles on the dirt road to McKinley saddle, hike Santa Cruz, and ride back. That all changed when the motor on the e-bike made a grinding sound and conked out just below Cachuma, only 2.5 miles from the start. Several reboots, no luck. Battery still showed full power, but no pedal assist or throttle response. I parked the bike and hiked up to the Cachuma (LPC #6) summit to contemplate what to do with the rest of the day. It was my second summit of Cachuma, this time in sunshine. My last visit was in clouds and rain. I enjoyed the wonderful views in all directions, signed into a register in a small ammo box. Coming down, I did the time math in my head, concluding I could hike to McKinley Mountain (HPS #172) and back, but wouldn't have enough daylight for Santa Cruz. It would have to wait for another day.
I continued south on Forest Road 8N08, curling around major bumps, dropping to around 4200'. Then came a section of partly rutted road that gained 1500' up to McKinley Springs Campground. There were several camping spots, all empty. A horse trough was on one side with green algae water. A cistern was on the other side with spring water running from a pipe. With altered plans, I didn't need any water, but it was nice to know it was running. Not far above the campground was an open space with a trail leading to the dominant San Rafael Mountain. An overgrown road continued on toward Santa Cruz, but I took the use trail to McKinley. It had a steep start, then mellowed out. A little brush intruded on the trail, but it had been cut back in most places. It looked like the summit might be enclosed by trees, but a pile of rocks rose above it to offer a nice 360. Black painted cans held a new register. I did not find any marks, but there were cement base blocks from an old fire lookout. Santa Cruz looked very brushy from my vantage point. After a brief stay on top, I started down. Bugs had been a nuisance all day. A few mosquitoes, but mostly gnat swarms. I finally broke down and dug out the bug net. When I got back below Cachuma, I checked the e-bike and it was still dead. It was downhill all the way back, so I had no problem coasting at 8-9 mph. I was back at the trailhead in no time. When I returned the bike the next day, the owner said he would give me a free rental to make up for it. Now, I need to plan my next foolhardy attempt.
See also:
Cachuma Mountain (2016)
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