January 24th & 25th, 2026
6 miles, 2,500 vertical feet – January 24th
2.5 miles, 1,000 vertical feet – January 25th
Taking a moment to reflect, I’ve been known to bemoan my perceived lack of “verticality” in Monterey County. Known more for our beaches and bike paths than for our mountains, I’d fallen into the trap of travelling to get my vert. My steepest local trail runs have typically been at Pinnacles National Park, Garland Ranch, or Garrapata State Park. I’m planning on adding Timber Top to this repertoire.
On Saturday, I had planned to climb Pico Blanco via Coast Rd. Unfortunately, I didn’t account for the locked gate blocking the road three miles before the trailhead. I’d be willing to bet you’ll read a trip report from there over the coming weeks, as I’m considering taking the mountain bike to bypass the gate and speed up the approach and return from the trailhead. On Saturday I decided to head back down the road and continue South to Timber Top. This one was sitting a bit lower down the priority list for me, but considering my sleepy morning and later start than I had hoped, it seemed perfect for the day!
This trail is STEEP! Practically an elevator, by the time you’re a mile in, you’ve climbed 1,000 vertical feet and can see the car less than a linear quarter mile from your feet as you crane your neck down. The steepest grade was 45%, which was certainly felt in contrast to the average 20% grade all the way to the summit. I don’t think that I’ve experienced a trail this consistently steep in Monterey County. It felt more Hawaiian than anything else.
The ridgeline was so sheer that I had a group of three California Condors flying by only 20 or 30 feet away. One got so close that with my phone camera, I was able to capture an image identifying the individual. Meet Kodama, California Condor #646, tagged with a purple 46. Kodama was born in the wild, and rehabilitated at the Los Angeles Zoo Condor Care Unit when she was three months old. Kodama means forest spirit in Japanese, and I certainly understood the vibe as I watched her flit ephemerally along the forested ridgeline.
https://www.ventanaws.org/condor646.html
On my way up to the summit, I took a selfie with a banana slug and tried to catch a peek at the ocean through the fog. The summit was anticlimactic, and I mean what can you expect from a peak called “Timber Top”? It sort of inherently implies a “top”, not a peak, and certainly doesn’t promise 360 degree views unobstructed by timber. I actually found the better views to be on the grassy slopes in the last half mile or so.
After downing a mint chocolate, I started my descent. While I intended to run the descent, it turns out that running a washed out 40% decline might not be so fun. So I ran what I could run, and hiked what I had to hike.
After grabbing some tacos on the drive back, I gassed up the trail so much to Riley that she was willing to run it back on Sunday! We left a bit later the next morning, as we’d dealt with some senior dog troubles at 4 am, and made it to the trailhead by 8:45 am.
We cruised up to a viewpoint fit for a feast for sour gummy worms (for Riley) and miscellaneous meat sticks (for me). The fog wasn’t present that morning, and we had a beautiful view of the ocean, which we calculated (guessed) to be about 200 square miles (with a healthy amount of error).
After a nice snack and break, and after crushing 1,000 vertical feet, we turned around and hiked back to the trailhead due to some joint pain. Not wanting to stop for tacos at the pricey Big Sur joint, we stopped at one of our favorite taquerias in Seaside for some better al pastor, patting ourselves on the back for our frugal decision.
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