Cactus to Clouds September 5

[Torben Thomsen]

After two failed attempts [one because of heat, the other because of snow] I finally succeeded with a nearly perfect leisurely hike ascending the 10,354 ft from the Museum to the top of Jacinto. The vertical ascent is roughly the same as from base camp to Mt Everest. I started at 2AM from the Museum in 90 degree temperature and with the full moon illuminating the path so I could walk without a headlamp. A scattered fluffy thin layer of clouds would dim and brighten the moon light. Looking east I saw Venus rise in the north east and Sirius [the brightest star in the sky] rise in the south east. In between and slightly higher was Procyon, with those three objects forming the outline of a mountain in the sky.
When climbing at night one of the big events is the first appearance of the bright light at the top of the tram. I wanted to know when I first would see that. It turned out to be precisely one third of the way to the tram at 3,700 feet elevation. [0539141E 3741465N]. The first hints of dawn in the eastern sky were spectacular followed by the rising sun from whose stinging rays I was partically shielded by the light clouds. By this time cooler air at the higher elevation made the hike very comfortable.
Between tombstone and Flat Rock, Florian has gracefully provided a bucket with bottles of emergency water. I donated one half liter bottle, since I myself had foolishly run out of water on a trip a year ago.
On the final ascent to the crest of Long Valley I was overtaken by the speedy regulars: Bluerail, Fernando, and Cesar. To my surprise I discovered that the cell phone that I had found in April of 2008 near the entrance to the traverse belonged to Fernando, who had lost it in the snow in December of 2007. He was equally surprised to meet the finder of the phone on the trail. [I had turned it in to Verizon who contacted him.]
I arrived at the Peak at 2:25PM framed by billowing cumulus clouds rising on the North side of the mountain. Because of the heat in the valley I took the tram down instead of hiking down as I had earlier planned. On a technical note, at the tram you only have 73% of the oxygen you have a sea level. While at the peak of San Jacinto there is only 67%. So if you slow down a bit, you know why.

I do NOT recommend newcomers to set foot on the trail when the Palm Springs HIGH temperature is forecast to be above 90 degrees. People who do go must thoroughly know themselves, the trail, their heat tolerance, and water consumption.

[Cy Kaicener]

Congratulations Torben and thanks for a great and educational trip report.
I am glad you took the tram down especially in this type of weather.
I hope that you are working in Southern California now so we can see more of you in October and November.
I saw this profile of a guy studying in Denmark and thought you might like to read it.
http://summitpost.org/user_page.php?user_id=44337

[bluerail]

Yea, well we had to hike down today.....its hot and brutal and we are regulars that have come to know what the trail demands of you in this heat....fun to see the tram station as it was this morning, but I am staying off that trail until they get that ride down going again.