Ramon vs. Museum trailhead

[zippetydude]

I've gone both ways, and I really prefer the museum trailhead. It's much shorter, and there's no unnecessary downhill that you have to buy back on the next uphill.

For you Ramon fans - what is it you like about that route?

z

[AlanK]

I like the Ramon trailhead because it's longer. C2C is so much fun that I want to prolong the experience as much as possible.

OK, maybe that doesn't sound sincere, given that I like to push the pace. the real reason I use Ramon Rd. is that it's what I've always done. I'm just not all that picky, I guess.

Some day, I will get around to trying the museum start.

[magikwalt]

I like the Ramon start due to its straight forword nature and lack of danger in the first 30 minutes. After I'm awake I don't care but the museum route requires me to wake up in the parking lot.

[Perry]

I like the feeling of quickly rising above the city and immediately seeing a whole sea of palm trees.

[Perry]

and there's no unnecessary downhill that you have to buy back on the next uphill.

Sounds like somebody takes the shortcut.

[magikwalt]

Hiking conversations with Zippety and our Admin host can be a little different. Whenever I mention switchbacks they get a puzzled look on thier faces and ask "Don't you just go straight up the mountain?"

[Perry]

Actually, I rarely cut switchbacks unless there's a bunch of people on the trail and it's easier to go off-trail temporarily. In the winter time I like to snowshoe a direct route to the peak, but we didn't get much of a winter this year. 5 years ago it was more clear what was the museum trail and what was skyline. Now there are prominent shortcuts that didn't used to be there, or they were obviously trace trails 5 years ago. In my opinion, it should be an official trail. Then there would not be the confusion. Also, that last creek bed on the traverse confuses people the first time.

[magikwalt]

Okay so it was just a poke in the ribs for two of the fastest guys I've ever seen go up a mountain. The lower section of the museum trail is littered with them and they play heck with me while I'm trail sleeping the first 30 minutes or so.

[zippetydude]

"Shortcut"? I don't think I've ever gone the same route twice! The part above the museum has so many routes, I don't really even know where I am in the darkness. I try to stay to the right at every split, and I usually see white dots and arrows along the way. Sometimes I find I missed a turn and find I'm going downward over towards the Ramon route, but then it switches back and goes back up again...

Perry, you're into photography. I had thought it would be fun to have, say, 4 or 5 guys go up in the darkness, each carrying a bright light. If you could time expose a shot, then superimpose the light trails over a daytime picture of the area behind the museum, we could see where all the various routes go. Might be a lot of work, come to think of it, but it sounds interesting anyway.

I do agree that if an official trail were to be established, it would be a good idea to stick to that route alone. Incidentally, I particularly like the idea of the elevation signs, done in Cynthia's tasteful rustic design.

z

[Perry]

Z, you might be onto something. Have you done creative photography yourself? I think someday I'll have to do that. It would look better using two or more frames and digitally adding them together, instead of trying to do it all in one shot and still getting the rocks and contours of the mountain. People leave at various times from midnight to sunrise.