East Coast hiker doing C2C

[Hikin_Jim]

Hello,
I and four others are planning to hike the trail this weekend, Oct 5, 2013.

Would you share some details of the hike? What time did you start? Where did you start? How were the trail conditions? Were there any places where we may lose the trail? How much water did you carry? How much gear did you carry?

We are experienced hikers (one recently summitted a 19,000+ ft peak) in excellent shape.
We plan to start at the Palm Springs Art Museum, taking the Museum Trail to the Skyline Trail.

Well, shoot, if you guys are doing 19,000+ ft peaks, you could probably be teaching us a few things, but desert/dryland hiking is different, so here are a few thoughts:

WATER: The predicted high in Palm Springs on Saturday is going to be upper 80's/lower 90's (depending on which web site you believe), and there's going to be a hot, dry wind blowing. I'd probably bring 4 to 5 liters each for the desert to Long Valley section. You can refill at the ranger station in Long Valley.

CLOTHING: Again, upper 80's/lower 90's are predicted for the lower sections. Long Valley's high is probably going to be in the 60's, and it may not break 60 degrees on the summit. You'll want to bring some layers although obviously it won't be bitterly cold -- if you stay on plan. If you're delayed for some reason, then temperatures could be quite chilly. The predicted low for tonight is 38F above 10,000'.

SUN: There's a lot of sun even this time of year.

FOOD: Salty is good on this kind of gig.

ROUTE: The route from the museum is harder to find. Starting at Ramon Road is generally clearer. Once you're on the Skyline Trail proper, above the painted rocks, the route is fairly clear. There are a couple of places where you could get off, but keep your eyes open. There is one switchback where you go around a downed tree where you can get off route easily. If you find yourself rock climbing, you're off route -- not just scrambling over some low rocks, but really having to go up a chute. When you're on the traverse, it should be fairly clear. There's no snow now. Do make sure you get right up to the base of Coffman's crag before you begin your final ascent to the notch.

HJ

[MikeB]

There was one place where I wandered off the trail for a minute on Wednesday's hike -- there was a large downed tree towards the end of the traverse. I went a little bit low, lost the trail, but having the track loaded on GPS was a big help and allowed me to quickly figure out my error and get back on the trail. Piece of cake from there, switchbacks heading up to Grubbs Notch were very clear and easy to follow.