Location: San Luis Obispo County, about 7 miles northwest of New Cuyama, 145 miles from Los Angeles

Maps

Distance: 12 miles round trip on road and cross country

Gain: 3300' total, 2800' out plus 500' on return

Time: 8-9 hours round trip

Rating: Class 1, strenuous

Navigation: Intermediate, with some tricky route finding

Leader Rating: "I", normal conditions

Original: Wayne Bannister, February 2009

DRIVING ROUTE 2

• Drive north on I-5 past the Grapevine Grade to SR 166.
• Take SR 166 west to the town of Maricopa.
• Continue on SR 166 for 9.2 miles to the junction with Soda Lake Road on the right. Turn right. Note your odometer and go as follows:
• Drive 11.7 miles, staying on the main road, which alternates between paved and unpaved, to the Traver Ranch exhibit on the left.
• Continue driving another 3.9 miles. At 15.6 miles, make a left turn onto a dirt road immediately after crossing a cattle guard.
• Continue on the dirt road, veering right at 1.5 miles, 2.6 miles and 3.6 miles.
• At 4.4 miles, park on a flat ear in front of a gate near "The Old Adobe".

HIKING ROUTE 2

• From the parking area (2517') pass through the gate and follow a dirt road for approximately ¾ miles across flat area and turn WSW across a gully to the base of a ridge.
• Continue west to the top of the ridge.
• Follow this ridge WSW to spot elevation 3518.
• Continue WSW on the ridge, staying to the north of Abbott Canyon, to bump 4613. The route is increasingly brushy starting at about 4050' elevation and passes an area of fossils at about 4240.
• Now the fun part: pick your way along open leads through the dense scrub oak, going west from bump 4613, then SW to meet the ridge road (Route 1) just SE of bump 5082. Waypoints taken from the HPS map may be helpful. Deviating from this route to cross Abbott Canyon will result in negotiatiing serious brush.