Pinnacles is a very scenic place, but not to be tackled during the rainy season nor the hot season. As we appear to be between those seasons just now, this should be a good weekend for it -- and we may hope that the wildflowers will be out. This hike covers the really important parts of the park in 8.4 miles, only a few of them strenuous. Total elevation gain is just about 2000 feet, most of it in one long climb at the beginning. We'll start from the west entrance, and hike up the (steep) Juniper Canyon trail first thing, before the day gets hot. After seeing the fantastic views and impressive geology, we'll proceed down the (steep) High Peaks trail, have lunch somewhere along the way, and loop back by way of the Balcony Caves in the afternoon. Bring lunch, water, munchies, water, a flashlight (for the cave), $ for carpool (200 miles round trip), park entrance fee, and likely dinner stop on the way home, and water. Good sturdy hiking footwear is definitely recommended; sunscreen is also in order. Meet at carpool point #3.
Directions to LPSS carpool point #3 (Santa Clara County parking lot): Corner of 1st and Hedding, San Jose. Exit 101 or 880 onto 1st Street south in San Jose. Turn right at Hedding, and right again into the parking lot. Don't be too worried about the "no public parking" signs; they don't seem to apply on weekends.