Welcome to the best ride in the high country of the Los Padres. This is my proprietary route that I am sharing with you on a limited basis so don't share with others otherwise it'll be overrun by the casuals.
We start our day at the trailhead for Mt Pinos. We start on the fire road and pass the "road closed sign" immediately after this you can see a ridge coming down, either start up it directly or go around it and climb it from the north side. There are some cool rock formations that you can clamber on or pass by to the side. After this continue following the ridge over a flat section up another bump and then it flattens and reconnects with the road.
Once you hit the long cleared plateau, follow an old fire road to the north side. Enjoy the rollercoast route of going over three bumps with the last being the installation that is the high point of Mt Pinos. Reconnect to the road and follow it to the Mt Pinos Vista Point. Start your way down to the saddle between Sawmill and Pinos. These switchbacks are weak sauce, after you pass the big rock outcropping, drop down into the drainage and follow it on the south side to avoid brush and take a direct route towards the saddle. You'll reconnect with the trail and let it take you down the last section.
Follow the trail to the Sawmill turnoff follow it to the most massive cairn, ever. No don't turn around that would be dumb. Continue along the ridge until you get to a saddle and drop off the south side slope and follow it through a nice wooded area until you connect back to the trail. But wait there is a bonus peak right above you Sawmill-West Peak. Contour a bit to the left and get on the ridge and follow it to the top. Continue along the ridge and reconnect to the trail.
Follow it down past the turn off for Sheep Camp. The route up to Grouse is now a proper trail. Afterwards follow the trail to the low point of the ridge and then follow it as it turns to the west. Then drop through some thick downfall on the north side of the peak and you'll eventually connect to the trail. Continue down to the low point of the trail, whew it's hot and there is not that much shade, sucks to be you. Continue up the steep trail and connect with the paved road. No effing way we're hiking up a paved road, we don't have four tires we got legs for hiking.
Continue right across the road and start up a draw that eventually closes up and you follow the ridge to to a dirt road just south of the campground. So where is that Cerro Noroeste sign-in can? Well follow this road towards the south where there is a little installation. About a hundred yards before it, you can see some rock piles to the west and that is where you'll find it, weird spot.
Now you get the fun part as this hike is upside down, return back the same way but this time you can just follow the trail. Enjoy and don't share this with your friends.
