cactus to clouds

[bstone]

my friends and i were wanting to attempt this hike sunday july 18, 2011 starting at about 530 in the morning. None of us have hiked any of these trails before and we are all in good shape. I was curious as to what the average time is from the museum parking lot to the summit and back to the tram is and if we are starting early enough to not get done in by the heat. Also will we need any extra gear aside from lots of water and some snacks? any and all advise is greatly appreciated.

[drndr]

well, if you're legit, 530 isn't nearly early enough. You would be in direct, hot sun the whole way. Last time I checked Palm springs is extremely hot in the summer, not knowing the trail will only make things worse. But I may be wrong. I will defer to the local hiking experts.

D

[Florian]

5:30a start is too late IMO. 4a if you're in good shape and accustomed to desert hiking. (If you're not in good shape and not accustomed to desert hiking don't even think about doing the hike.) Temps should be down a bit below normal this weekend.

-Florian

[Florian]

And since none of you have done the hike before and don't know the trail i would strongly suggest you don't even attempt in July. Any way you can reschedule for maybe October?

-Florian

[halhiker]

I concur with the other guys. 5:30 is too late since the LOW on Sunday is supposed to be 77º. Once the sun gets up it will feel much warmer than that very quickly. It's not always the ambient temperature that gets people but the radiant heat of the sun beating down on you that's wearying. It's probably not a good idea to do it the first time in July; we've seen too many people taken to the hospital or DIE in the summer heat out here. All of those people thought they were in good shape but they were not used to hiking in desert heat.

I'd suggest doing one of the trails out of Idyllwild to the peak as a warm-up. There's still a significant amount of elevation gain to be had and the temperatures are more comfortable this time of year.

I think most people on the board would suggest you wait until October to do your first Skyline. You'll enjoy it more and have far less chance—although some—of being another rescue statistic.

[bstone]

thank you all for the input, Due to scheduling we will be putting it off for a bit. We are all from Brawley so we are all well aware of the heat. But i do thank you all for the input. Is the trail easy to find from the museum or is it something you have to search for and know where to go

[Nick-SJM]

DON'T even think about it until October. You may think you are in good shape and use to the heat. Even the "experienced" people on this board would not consider this.

[zippetydude]

Hi bstone. Welcome to the board. You have some good questions, and smart hikers ask exactly those kinds of questions to get an idea of what to expect.

The trail is surprisingly easy to find - if you're in the street in front of the museum, you would just go to the parking lot on the right, go to the back of the parking lot and walk through the opening in the wall.

As far as start times and temps and all that, here's the general scoop. Once you start, there's no shade until you're almost done, so if you start at 5:30 on an autumn morning, you're before sunrise, and the temps are only going to be in the 80's anyway. If you start at 5:30 right now, the sun will be upon you at once, and the temps will climb to 100+. It makes it no fun, and for some people it has resulted in rescue or the poor souls actually dying on the trail.

If you get the chance to come up here from Brawley, I'd suggest you do an initial scouting trip that lets you check out the trail in advance. Maybe just find the trail head, go up a mile or two to see what it's like, then come back down before it gets crazy hot. If you have time, go up the tram, go to the east side of Long Valley, and follow the trail down a mile or two. On the way back up, you may find yourself thinking, "I'm not sure this is such a great idea after all."

If you do, that just makes you better mentally prepared for when you actually do go for it. The mental fatigue comes part and parcel with the physical fatigue on this trail. I had done Whitney a couple of times, and San Gorgonio and San Bernardino Peaks many times before I heard of Skyline (aka C2C if you continue on to the peak). I scouted it out, just like I recommended to you, and I was still surprised at how it kept going up and up and up and up...

My first time up I ran into a guy named Andy when I was at about 7000' elevation. I said, "Surely we're close by now?" He said, "Nope." I was dismayed. After your first time or two, it doesn't seem as long, but on the first one, it's nice to have all the elements in your favor.

Hope you and your group have a great time!

z

[Florian]

If you have time, go up the tram, go to the east side of Long Valley, and follow the trail down a mile or two. On the way back up, you may find yourself thinking, "I'm not sure this is such a great idea after all."

To disagree with my friend Zip just a bit, this isn't a good idea. It sounds like a good idea, but it's not a good idea. It's very easy quickly drop down a couple thousand feet and then think, gee, Palm Springs looks so close, let's just walk back to town instead of climbing back up. That's how people really get into trouble on the Skyline. Being on the lower hottest part of the trail in the middle of a hot summer afternoon is not something you want to experience.

-Florian

PS: I know Zip isn't suggesting you hike all the way down. I'm just cautioning you against even being temped. Once you see how steep the upper part of the trail is you really won't want to climb back up.

[zippetydude]

Heh heh. Good point Florian. Even in the winter it's dangerously tempting - like that poor fellow they didn't find for two years, until that lost couple came across his tent and the diary entries he made as he slowly lost hope...the wilderness is a risky place at times.

z