Buzzard's Roost

DATE: Saturday, March 7, 2020
DISTANCE: 5 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 900 ft.
TIME TAKEN: 3 hours
SUMMIT: 1005 ft.
PFEIFFER BIG SUR STATE PARK
MONTEREY COUNTY, CA
SOUNDTRACK: Armageddon: Buzzard

PHOTO ALBUM
MAP












…continued.

I awoke in the van late, to the sound of fat raindrops collecting in the redwood branches and splattering on the thin steel above my head. Fumes of various cocktails tainted my breath and bounced around in my brain. My vision was blurred. When I eventually tried to take some steps, they were unsteady. It would be a slow start today. I was trying to figure out what kind of hike to do… Manuel Peak appeared to be inside a cloud, and I didn't want to go all the way up there to see nothing. Also it would have been a late start. I wanted to lead those in the party camp who were willing on some kind of group hike, and the realistic destination of Buzzard's Roost was chosen! And therefore, I was put in the unusual position of "leading" a rather large group on a hiking expedition, because I have apparently gained the (false) reputation of someone who knows what he's doing, and was subject to such taunts as "where are we going, I heard you're the hikemaster?"

Ferwood Resort / Campground, among other amenities, has a well maintained trail leading south which connects with Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, allowing us to walk right out of the campground and not have to drive anywhere. This would not be my first experience with the trail, as me, Amber, and her cousin Allen had stumbled drunkenly down it on a night hike, on the previous year's visit, recounted HERE. Although Amber and Allen were both in the camp today, they did not choose to risk repeating last year's misadventure. Probably wise! This expedition was also a flashback of my first vista to Fernwood, years previous, which included not only Amber, but also Fern and Greg, who are now my bandmates in Deathgrave, but back then they were just good friends. 

Trail out of Fernwood

This is some serious digression, so skip to the next paragraph if you want to find out about Buzzard's Roost. But back in the summer 2014, me, Amber, Fern and Greg had taken some unexpectedly potent mushrooms, and started off to walk to the beach from Fernwood. We had no idea where we were going, maybe Pfeiffer Beach, which would have been a hell of a walk! Anyway, the mushrooms we ate kicked in almost IMMEDIATELY, and hard. We had walked a little bit down the highway, and ducked into the woods, where we found a rustic amphitheater, and played around in the redwoods and in the river river for the rest of the afternoon. We were so psychedelically unhinged that we barely made it half a mile from the campground! In retrospect, it's better that they kicked in soon, because if we had been far from home base when the peak drug experience hit, we might not have made it back! 

Nature's gate

The beginning of today's hike had echoes of that past confusion. There were a few false starts as to where the actual trail to Pfeiffer began, and I led the whole group around in a dumb circle. This is why I don't like to be the leader! I don't mind making mistakes on my own, but dampening the enjoyment of others is no fun, and it makes me feel like a fool! Were down to nine hikers (from eleven) by the time we got to the real trail. And then we were off. Going uphill, through the lush woods, mounting the hillside above the river. Rain threatened all afternoon, but only appeared as intermittent sprinkles. And we pressed on. The more people you hike with, the slower it usually goes, which can be frustrating, but this was compensated for by the camaraderie of friends. Now into Pfeiffer SP, we got the the intersection with the Buzzard's Roost trail, and went up some more. Some people were drunk and/or on mushrooms (myself included, everything in moderation). There was some falling, and dropping of things, and much merriment. "Other" Clint, from Mortuous, was asking all the other hiking parties we saw to give the trail a "Yelp" review of one to five stars. Most of the bewildered trekkers rated it four!

Once we gained some elevation, there were views out of the Big Sur River Valley, but the  mountain tops were all enshrouded in clouds. When we got to the Buzard's Roost loop trail, we decided to loop counterclockwise, and this was the steepest part so far.  Buzzard's Roost it's self is an unremarkable rocky hill, crowned by a minor communications tower, and a cinder block hut. I think BR is a destination mostly for the ocean views it affords. These views were intermittent today, with clouds blowing in out, and occasionally the silvery sea could be seen heaving in the distance. In spite of this, our ragtag group spent almost an hour on the summit, eating our snacks and annoying the others hikers who came up. On the way back, the rest of the group went back the same way we came, and I decided to strike off on my own and complete the loop trail. I didn't tell them, and they were temporarily worried that I had gotten lost in the woods and died, until I met them at the intersection, ten minutes later. We all continued together after that, all the way back to camp, with much enjoyment and laughter echoing through the forest. 

That night back in camp was another doozy, as the birthday party raged on. We lost an hour due to the time change, and before I knew, it was four AM, then five, shattering my plans to get up early and climb Manuel Peak in the morning! Oh well!  

To be continued... 

FURTHER READING
•Outdoor Project: Brief description and statistics

•Little Grunts: The perfect hike to kill time before dinner...