John shot Drew and me a text in mid-summer about a trip we had previously discussed on a backpacking trip earlier that year. We Loaded up the car and drove up north to Eastern Big Sur for a few nights of good times and hiking.

Brian joined us night one for some time around the fire, and we shared some music and good food and hit the head early for the long day ahead. Arroyo Seco Campground was a madhouse that evening, and our neighbors were blasting music until 4am. We woke up and hit the trail early and packed up our drybags for some river hiking and swimming. Brian and Acorn joined us for the first few miles of the hike but turned around right as the swimming started for some plans back in SLO county.

The swimming on this hike was amazing, the air temps were in the mid to high 80s, and the water temp was very inviting. We had heard of others doing similar routes in wetsuits and rafts, but we were more than comfortable in plain clothes and our daypacks. We found the doggie paddle best for the longer narrows swims, some of which went on for a few hundred feet.

We had our sights set on a spot called the yin yang pools, and as the day went on all of us were silently doubting if we would have the time to get there and have time to make it back in the light for the return trip. The flows were a bit low, so some of the shallower pools were a bit eutrophic, making the going a bit slow at times.

We knew the pool was on a left-hand bend, and when we arrived it was well worth the trek. The water was incredibly warm, and the surrounding geology was very impressive. The cliff jumps and dive spots made this one of my favorite watering holes in the Ventana.

The trip back went much faster than the way up, mostly because we skipped some of the slower sections with some walking on the riverbank. This night was mellower than the first, but we were awoken by gunfire at 6am, as it was opening day for deer. During our breakfast the next morning, we were greeted by a dude tromping through poison oak, covered in blood, and stoked on his kills that morning. We took this as a sign and hit the road. This was one of my favorite trips of the summer, and it’s always nice to see John for a send.

Some photos below from John...