This post could be titled -- "How to hike Skyline in 9.5 hours." Normally it takes about 6 hours.
Marilyn and I left yesterday at 6 AM. The mixture of low and high clouds over the Coachella Valley, Santa Rosas, and San Jacinto were beautiful. By 4.5 K we were "girlzillas in the mist" and donned rain jackets. The recent rains heightened the desert colors and odors. Hiking in the mist provided a Zen stillness and kept us focused on the moment. At 5 K, we started encountering snow on the Never Ending Ridge -- it covered the trail and brush. The snow became deeper (6 inches) at we made our way to Saint Florians point. We took a fuel break and discussed whether we wanted to hike back down or continue on. We both donned warmer clothing and continued on.
We lost the trail several times on the way to Flatrock. The snow and mist made even significant landmarks such as Flatrock look different. At times I felt that I was looking at the world through gauze. The snow caused brush and trees to droop, making route finding more difficult. The snow also became deeper (up to my knees) as we climbed. It was wonderful to reach familiar landmarks such as the step over tree below the traverse. The rocks at the beginning of the traverse were covered in snow. We made our way through ever deepening snow to Coffman's Crag, another welcome landmark. From Coffman's on up, we were often on all fours scrambling/swimming uphill through the snow. The sun was shinning when we reached Grubbs notch at 3:30 PM. I have to confess that I actually enjoyed walking up the ramp.
Once in the tram station, we started to shiver violently due a phenomenon known as "dumping the core." Jessica gave us two of her jackets, which helped tremendously with the rewarming process. We celebrated with a wonderful meal at Las Casuelas before heading home.
Miles of smiles,
Ellen
