Whether to Do C2C on Saturday the 30th?

[arose10]

Somewhat last minute, I've found out that I'm going to be in Palm Springs next weekend. I'm thinking this might give me a chance to finally do the C2C to the summit of Mount San Jacinto. I'm trying to decide whether or not it will be doable and safe for me at this time of year, though. I'll be hiking solo. I won't have crampons or an ice axe but I will have my Kahtoola microspikes.

Will I be okay? How much snow/ice is on the mountain right now? How much might be on the mountain by next weekend? What resources should I refer to on Friday night to make the final call on whether or not to go ahead with the hike? Also, what time is the final tram back down this time of year? Any advice and tips would be greatly appreciated! I should note that I'm a fairly experienced hiker - I've summited pretty much all 48 four thousand footers in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where I do most of my hiking. Very different terrain, though.

(Also, if folks feel C2C wouldn't be the best idea, I'd love to hear recommendations for alternative hikes in the area to do next Saturday.) Thanks in advance!

[Screerider]

[bluerail]

keep and eye on the weather we warm up again this week. it was fine today on the skyline section. some snow but micros or gaiters werent needed. maybe and inch deep on skyline

[HH8]

I've summited pretty much all 48 four thousand footers in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where I do most of my hiking.

Where's the thread about the difference in doing 8K straight, as opposed to lots of short hikes?

[arose10]

I've summited pretty much all 48 four thousand footers in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where I do most of my hiking.

Where's the thread about the difference in doing 8K straight, as opposed to lots of short hikes?

Um...the Presidential Traverse in the White Mountains, among other intense hikes in NH, is 23 miles and 9,000' of elevation gain. Very different kind of hiking, obviously, but still pretty damn strenuous.

[63ChevyII]

I should note that I'm a fairly experienced hiker - I've summited pretty much all 48 four thousand footers in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where I do most of my hiking. Very different terrain, though.

Have you hiked Mt. Washington via Ammonoosuc Ravine? That was my last hike before doing C2C back in October. It took us about 6 hrs round trip.

I am headed up Skyline Friday morning, but will be starting later than normal (6am-ish).

[arose10]

I should note that I'm a fairly experienced hiker - I've summited pretty much all 48 four thousand footers in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where I do most of my hiking. Very different terrain, though.

Have you hiked Mt. Washington via Ammonoosuc Ravine? That was my last hike before doing C2C back in October. It took us about 6 hrs round trip.

I am headed up Skyline Friday morning, but will be starting later than normal (6am-ish).

Yes! That was actually my first White Mountains hike when I moved up to New England in 2005. How did you like it? 6 hours roundtrip is pretty impressive. Are you doing the full C2C on Friday?

[63ChevyII]

That hike was tough. In my opinion, it is a harder hike than Skyline, especially if you descend the same way. We made the mistake of doing that and spent most of our time on our butts sliding down. The section between Gem Pool and the AMC hut is the most strenuous mile I've ever hiked, with the exception of the last mile of Mt Whitney Main Trail (altitude)! The jet lag and high humidity may have played a part, but I have lots of respect for those NH trails. I will be moving back to NE sometime in 2014 I believe. What state are you from?

My father-in-law did Flume Slide to Franconia Ridge to Bridle Path just prior to C2C. If I remember correctly, he thought that was tougher than C2C.


I don't have time for a full C2C Friday, so we will just be doing Skyline. If you want to join us for the Skyline section, you're more than welcome to. It is a bit of a late start for a full C2C though, unless you're a fast hiker or don't mind descending in the dark.

[63ChevyII]

Here is a graph I made, showing my toughest hikes over the last 15 months or so:




∙Hikes and statistics are ordered by perceived difficulty, from hardest to easiest
∙The grapsh shows hike profiles and their relative elevation change (climb/incline) and distances
∙Mt. Whitney’s high rating is largely due to the mountains high elevation
∙Cactus to Clouds is a close second, but loses out due to it’s relatively low elevation and short descent
∙San Gorgonio via South Fork has the easiest climb of the hikes listed, but ranks higher than other hikes due to it’s overall  distance and long descent
∙San Gorgonio via Vivian Creek is a tough hike, but lacks the overall distance and/or elevation gain of the higher ranked  hikes
∙Mt. Baldy via Bear Canyon has the steepest overall climb, but ranks lower due to its short overall distance.
∙Mt. Washington via Ammonoosuc Ravine has one of the most difficult sections of trail that I’ve ever hiked (Gem Pool to  AMC Hut, 1500 ft over 1 mile / 28% incline), but ranks lower due to its short overall distance. 


Skyline isn't listed, but would be next on the list, after Mt. Washington. The trail profile of Skyline can be seen though. If you look at the C2C line, there is a 'shelf' around 10.5 miles. The line prior to that is Skyline. Skyline is an easier hike for me because it has no descent.

[arose10]

That hike was tough. In my opinion, it is a harder hike than Skyline, especially if you descend the same way. We made the mistake of doing that and spent most of our time on our butts sliding down. The section between Gem Pool and the AMC hut is the most strenuous mile I've ever hiked, with the exception of the last mile of Mt Whitney Main Trail (altitude)! The jet lag and high humidity may have played a part, but I have lots of respect for those NH trails. I will be moving back to NE sometime in 2014 I believe. What state are you from?

My father-in-law did Flume Slide to Franconia Ridge to Bridle Path just prior to C2C. If I remember correctly, he thought that was tougher than C2C.


I don't have time for a full C2C Friday, so we will just be doing Skyline. If you want to join us for the Skyline section, you're more than welcome to. It is a bit of a late start for a full C2C though, unless you're a fast hiker or don't mind descending in the dark.

This data is awesome. Thanks for posting. I currently live in Boston. I typically try to spend most of my fall weekends up in the Whites. I agree, their difficulty is underestimated, perhaps because of the lower elevation, but of the hiking I've done around the world, I can point to New Hampshire (and Maine) for some of the toughest. Ever do the Bond Traverse? Not as tough as the Presidential Traverse but equally magnificent. Just did it for the first time last month. I highly recommend.

I appreciate the offer to join you guys on Friday. Unfortunately, I probably won't be pulling into Palm Springs until the afternoon. I'd love to get some intel from you post-hike on what the trail conditions are looking like at higher elevations. I only brought my microspikes with me and am going solo, so if I'd be taking a risk by heading up there without crampons, an ice axe, etc. then I might hold off on the hike or shorten it. I'll send you a private message with my contact info in case that's possible.