My wife would be reffing a VB tournament in Las Vegas again this coming
weekend, so I
headed out to join her, leaving a few days early to get some additional peakbagging
in. I stopped near Coalinga in the Central Valley
for a trio of minor summits found on LoJ. It was
nearly noon when I left San Jose, so not an early start by any measure. It was
getting close to 2p by the time I arrived in the Coalinga area.
W K Hill
This one is located in the East Coalinga Field, an oil field run by Sentinel
Peak. There doesn't seem to be much activity here. Signs at
I used
were signed for no drugs and alcohol and
Danger, but said nothing about
trespassing. I drove about a mile into and
a few hundred feet
to the grassy summit. Lots of detritus from oil work around the place, but
pleasant-looking this time of year with everything so green. I took photos
looking to Black Mtn and another
to the Kettleman Hills, then
drove back out the way I came.
Coalinga Nose
This one is found about four miles SE of W K Hill, on oil fields owned by Chevron.
There was much activity here and I was unable to use the entrance from the
northwest that I planned. There were numerous trucks around several oil heads
and a gate just off the pavement prevented easy access. I'm kinda glad I didn't
stop to check the gate for a lock, because as I drove away I noticed a county
sheriff parked just off the road within easy view of the gate. May have to wait
for activity to diminish before trying again.
Guijarral Hills
This is a very small range to the north of the Kettleman Hills, on the west side
of Interstate 5. It is entirely on private property, a mix of ranchlands and
commercial oil fields. Paved Phelps Ave runs on the north side of the range,
getting within about a mile of the summit. Los Gatos Creek runs between the road
and the summit. I thought this one might be tricky, involving a quick dash from
the roadway to the flood plain below, then a crossing of the creek I expected to
be flowing, before climbing up the northwest slopes of the range to reach the
highpoint. It turned out to be much easier than this. For one, the creek was
completely dry, no water at all. Better, I was surprised to find the Pleasant
Valley Ecological Reserve is found on the south side of the pavement. There was
a metal
going up and over the barb-wire fence along the road and a
few notices regarding access, hunting, etc. I used this, then
cross-country towards the highpoint, noting many tire tracks in
(maybe there's a way to drive here?), and some old tracks running up various
slopes on
of the range. There is to cross as one nears
the base of the range. It was easy to slip between the loose strands of barb-wire.
On the way back, I went by a gate in the fence, locked, but the strands of wire
have been cut on the side of the gate to make
. I spent just
over half an hour to reach the highpoint. There is an
at the summit and
from 1944. I took a few photos looking and ,
then via nearly the same route. The grasses
are getting tall, small ,
and everything is going to seed,
with only a few weeks before they let the dogs loose to torture socks and boots.
But lovely out there right now...
Beale BM
This was a bonus I hadn't planned on. It's located in the Sierra foothills, found just south of SR58 as it begins to climb up the west side of the range,
located on private ranchlands. I must have driven past it more than a hundred
times over the years and often wondered how I might tag it. This seemed like a
good time, as I would arrive shortly before sunset. I parked off SR223 southeast
of the summit, a little less than a mile away. There is a dirt ranch road that
goes partway up to the summit that I used. I started at 6:45p from
found off the highway, skirting
of the enclosure, then up .
I spent 25min plying the road and then to reach the
summit right . I found
, but not one with the BEALE label.
I took a few quick photos (nice one of Bear Mtn to
), then headed , finishing after 7:30p.
I took a shower in the fading light where I'd
parked, then drove a few more hours east towards Barstow, camping just outside
the west side of town for the night.
Continued...