Ok plans have changed, C2C on Tuesday Dec. 30th

[stobbart]

also, since we will only be taking one car and we live about 90min from san jacinto we will not be able to drop a car off the night b4 to shuttle us back. Does anyone have the number for a good taxi service out there, maybe for a taxi they have used for this actual getting back to their car drive? Thank you for the information.

[Zé]

when you are in the tram station buying a ticket, you can have them call a taxi for you and it should show up ~ the time you get down at the bottom of the tram.

[Norris]

Hi, unless the trail has been broken by others such that you have a clear trail to follow, getting off-route is extremely likely (and could lead to a cold night out like it did for two very experienced mountaineers I know whose first C2C attempt was in similar conditions last year). So I strongly recommend that you take a good GPS that you have previously loaded the route into and which can give you navigation directions based on the route. Then even if the trail is totally covered up, you won't get off-route.

[magikwalt]

Getting off trail in fresh snow happens mainly above the 6,800ft mark as they depart the shattered tree stump and through to the traverse.

[stobbart]

well plans have changed somewhat, we will now be going on the 29th instead of the 30th due to one of our members getting a last minute notice of a wedding he has to attend. I am excited to get up there a day early and it looks like the weather is going to be good to us through the weekend so the conditions on the mountain should be favorable.

Will post pictures and hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.

[randyspevak]

Please post up conditions when you can. Planning to go the 31st.

[Ellen]

Howdy All

One of the tram workers told me that a hiker was rescued off Skyline on Saturday. His co-worker was headed home and saw a light pretty high on Skyline. The Sherrif's department sent out a helicopter -- they found the exhuasted hiker sprawled out in the snow. I don't know what elevation the hiker attained and haven't seen any news regarding the rescue.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[runhikeskigary]

Every year, usually about mid January Susie (long term partner) and I head down to Palm Springs and I invariably need some excitement and escape from the inlaws. From years of skiing and running I had taken hiking to trail running and was determined to do the cactus to clouds. I mean I love a challenge.

So I hope some of my experience may be of help. I had already done the lower trail a number of time so felt quite confident to do this as a trail run. It is a fairly obvious and easily followed trail in the beginning.

The lower portions were straight forward and as I ascended higher I was eager to see how the terrain would unfold. I started seeing a more definitive ridge with the escarpment of rocky crags dead ahead. The snow was fairly high and I did not hit it until I got into the trees.

At 8 miles I definitely started feeling my legs and was getting ansy to see some inkling of tram hardware. The trail got very close to the ridge and you could look straight down and see the tram road.

As the time kicked by I entered thick trees with snow. I was in sneakers and started to get nervous as I ascended steep ice chutes. The snow was rock hard. I'm quite adept at ascending which reinforced that I was not going to descend. I was able to traverse most of the tricky items and just headed to me what seemed to be the natural trail.

Finally I saw a cable in a distance, to my relief and continued my general up and to the right direction and eventually I came out to FLAT, although it seemed to take much longer that I thought it should. There were two trails at this point which frustrated me as there was no obvious location at where this tram was. I went straight and eventually found civilization. I felt excited but bummed that I was not going to make it up San Jacinto.

I entered the visitor center and was quickly asked how did I get up here. I responded simply, "I ran." Well sir unfortunately the tram is under maintenance but you can ride down with one of the workers. They could not run my credit card so I got a free ride down. I could care less I was just glad if worse came to worse I would sleep in a nice warm building and not outside.

I got down ran the tram road back to a grocery store so I could call for my ride.

If anything those upper reach resemeble a trail we have up here in Portland called the terrible traverse. During the summer it is a 6 foot wide road...but during the winter it collects snow and shapes into a 45 degree angle with a 500 foot drop below. The upper reaches of the Cactus to Clouds are quite dangerous and it isn't until you top off that you are truly out of danger. Thankfully there was no ice where I was on it.

Keep your wits about you and good luck.

We are headed down over new years..so if there is anyone interested in any trail runs let me know. I am always in a mood for an adventure.

[Norris]

I was going to post to ask for clarification as to the date, then I noticed the post subject "Two years ago". So, anybody reading the previous post, please realize this does not describe current conditions!

[runhikeskigary]

Yes it was two years ago, although I wanted to give a more descriptive sense of what I ran into or where my comfort level changed from confidence to uncertainty...it was definitely the last 1000 to 2000 feet.

But yes thanks for clarifying that this does not depict current conditions.