Anyone hiking Skyline this Saturday?

[Yichus]

Hi, all:

A friend and I--he's a rim-to-rim-to-rim runner--plan to hike Skyline on Saturday. We'll leave at midnight and bring plenty of water and Gatorade, some of it frozen. If you're a Skyline veteran and would like to join us, please feel free to do so.

Rob

[Yichus]

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[Hikin_Jim]

Hi, Rob, have you done this one before? It's pretty intense in the July heat. If you've done Rim-to-Rim like your friend then you probably know what the heat will be like (comparable to the bottom of the GC) and what steep is. Just trying to do due diligence here; a lot of people get in trouble on this one either due to the heat and physical difficulty or the fact that the Skyline "trail" isn't so much a formal trail but more of a series of (sometimes conflicting) paths worn by feet over time. The route finding can be a challenge. It sounds like you may well know exactly what you're doing, but, you know, I like to give people "fair warning." Hate to see people get in over their heads in really hot weather. If I don't hear from you, I hope you have a great hike; stay safe.

[Cy Kaicener]

Rob has done Skyline with me a few times and I hope he has been keeping in shape. i wonder if the rim to rim to rim hiker is Kevin who recently did Denali.
Here is a trip report from Rob that was in the LA Times
http://hiking4health.com/Skyline_Trial.htm
If it is a little cooler, I might hike down to Flatrock after taking the first tram up.

[Yichus]

Hi, Jim:

I appreciate your concern, and I enjoy reading your posts; they're both humorous and informative.

Yes, I've hiked rim-to-rim. It was in the latter part of May (Memorial Day Weekend, to be exact), and we encountered triple-digit, skin-searing temperatures at the riverbottom, where sun exposure is extreme--something you doubtless know. I kept cool by dipping my hat and shirt into the river every thirty minutes.

I know Skyline fairly well, having hiked it numerous times, both in summer and winter months. I hiked the trail about four times in 2005 during the July-August period, so I'm aware of the conditions we'll encounter.

Thanks again for your concern, and I look forward to seeing you on the trail.

Rob

[Hikin_Jim]

Sounds good, Rob, I wish you well.

I'm headed out to CO tomorrow to try to see if I can do a 13'er. I didn't get the permit I wanted, so I'm not that optimistic about summiting given the time constraints due to PM lightning, but I am looking forward to spending a few days in RM Nat'l Park.

travel well, friend.