Yesterday we decided to avoid the rain and snow and hike a segment of the backbone trail out of Yerba Buena. The beginning of the hike was up the Sandstone Peak trail and into the misty clouds. About half way up it cleared and the day was a mixture of sun and high clouds. From the peak we dropped down to the backbone trail and headed out to the west. Because PCH is closed from Yerba Buena to Las Posas we could not do a through trip.
Dropping down into Blue Canyon we had amazing views with beams of sunlight off of the Tri-Peaks / Boney Ridge western escarpments. At Blue Canyon Junction we turned around and climbed the 2,600' back up to Sandstone Peak and down to the cars. Great day in the Santa Monica Mountains -- mostly just us and the mountains during the day.
