Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop

July 23rd, 2023 at 7:06 AMLos Padres National Forest, CA

Info

Distance10 mi

Elevation gain3,900 ft

CruxClass 2

Route typeLoop

Duration5 hr

Quality6/10

Protected areaLos Padres National Forest, Forest Service

EcoregionSouthern and Baja California Pine-Oak Mountains

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Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Starting along Tunnel Road.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Apporaching Inspiration Point Trailhead.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — From Tunnel Trail, Arlington Peak's southeast ridge (AKA the "Dragon's Back") comes into view.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Trail junction. Keep left.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Bubb's Peak Trail junction. Keep left.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Mission Creek crossing. The popular Seven Falls Trail follows the creek upstream to a series of waterfalls. The trail to Arlington Peak is to the left.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Gaining the ridge.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Vertebrae-like boulders along the Dragon's Back.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View back.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Some minor brush to contend with.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — La Cumbre Peak visible to the right.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View back.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Class 2.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View back.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Approaching the summit of Arlington Peak.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Arlington Peak summit block. Class 2.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Arlington Peak summit. View south. The Channel Islands are off on the horizon.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View southeast along the Dragon's Back.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View north toward Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Following a use-trail toward Cathedral Peak.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View back toward Arlington Peak.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Approaching Cathedral Peak (left of center). The routes climbs the gentler north face.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Class 2 on Cathedral Peak's north face.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Cathedral Peak summit. View south toward Arlington Peak.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View northwest.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View north toward La Cumbre Peak. The route follows Cathedral Peak's northwest ridge (foreground), bypassing the large pinnacle on the left before descending its north side.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Along Cathedral Peak's northwest ridge, keeping to the climber's left of these features.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Approaching the saddle between Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Starting up La Cumbre Peak's south slope.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View back at Cathedral Peak.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Faint trail.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View back.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Gentle grade near the summit of La Cumbre Peak.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — The trail joins with this road which leads to the summit.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — La Cumbre Peak summit. View south.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Continuing east.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Following a use trail along La Cumbre Peak's east ridge.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View back toward La Cumbre Peak.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Joining East Camino Cielo Road.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Following the road for about 0.8 miles. White Mountain is in the distance.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Approaching Angostura Pass, the northern terminus of the Tunnel Trail.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Rejoining the Tunnel Trail.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Convoluted yield sign.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View of the Dragon's Back from the Tunnel Trail.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Some interesting rock formations to the south of White Mountain, an area referred to as the "Rock Garden".

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View down Mission Creek toward Santa Barbara.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Approaching Mission Ridge.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Turning left onto the Mission Crags Trail.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Along Mission Ridge.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Mission Ridge summit. View west toward Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — View north toward White Mountain.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Rejoining the Tunnel Trail to complete the loop.

Cathedral Peak and La Cumbre Peak Loop — Nice view from a switchback.