How long for Skyline to melt off?

[DaveD]

I hiked the skyline Saturday on a solo trip. Took 8 hours to top out into Long Valley. The trail all the way up to the traverse is mostly dry but when you drop into the traverse bowl it was hard pack crust over pretty deep snow. Ellen, it was here where I ran into uber hiker guy - Brett Maune from Calabasas. He was out for a little workout with his girlfriend to hike up to the snow line and back. Really enjoyed talking with him. I would not do the traverse without crampons and ice ax. The surface snow was hard crust and I would need to place my steps very deliberately. Although I felt secure with crampons, I would have turned around without them. A fall would be like a high speed bobsled trip. It was a perfect bluebird day with no wind and mild temps.

[Cy Kaicener]

Thanks for that trip report Dave. Climbers need to know that they need crampons and snow shoes and probably an ice axe as well. (and how to use them)

[qonbige]

I went up to the tram station with 2 friends on Sunday. Ran in to Tina and Steve. The info provided on the forum is pretty much correct. No snow shoes needed. But ice ax and crampons are a must to do the traverse. I guesstimate that it will be another 2 to 3 weeks before it can be done without the equipment, assuming no new snow. Quang

[tinaballina]

Hi Quang,

it was nice meeting you sunday, rick called me yesterday and gave me a trip report. Glad to hear you made it safe and sound.
i look forward to seeing you on the trails again sometime in the near future.

[Kevin]

Is there anywhere in the area that rents mountaineering equipment? I typically do winter hiking a couple times a year, usually in the Presidential Range in NH, but always have rented crampons and axes from the EMS school there.
Aaron

I think you'll be hard-pressed to find a rental shop for these items. The place wasn't named Palm Springs by accident. Think in terms of "Lawrence of Arabia" kind of landscape.

If it were me, I'd bring those items with me on the plane.

[hiketheworld81]

Thanks Kevin. that's what I've found by calling around. I finally bit the bullet and bought the Petzl Vasak flexlock's and the black diamond raven pro that I've used in the past.

now i at least won't have this problem again.

Thank you all for the recent trip reports, they help immensely with our trip planning (although we will likely bring LOTS of gear, and make a game-day decision as to what we will need based on the latest trail condition reports and the weather forecast).

Has anyone attempted to summit recently, or are most people ending at the tram station?

[bluerail]

Quang,

It was nice running into you guys on the trail Sun. enjoyed talking to you and have really enjoyed Bills website : eightsummits.com

Glad to here you guys had a good day on the trail.

-Steve

[Cy Kaicener]

Five of us started from the museum at 5.00 am this morning.
Steve left a little before us headed for the tram while his wife Kathryn came about halfway up with us. After an hour and a half the vegetation became very green with lots of yallow flowers.
I turned back at 3500 feet because my knees cant take more than 3000 feet of steep descent. Mark caught up to us before I returned. He is recovering from a sore back and was still planning to go up to Flatrock.
Soon after I saw Doug and Tina also headed for the tram. Right behind them was Doreen going up to at least 5000 feet. It was a real SJ forum reunion meeting at the steep switchbacks between 3000 and 3500 feet.
At 9.00 am at the metal sign I met a guy without any gear and tennies headed for the tram. This sounds like another rescue in the making
We have been promised a couple of trip reports

[bluerail]

It was good seeing you this morning Cy, Kathryn really enjoyed being with you guys on the trail and hopes she can hike again with you soon. She did end up coming down the mountain with Mark at a faster pace than she was with Dave.
I was glad she did because she was my ride from the Tram.As it was, I walked most of the way down the Tram rode before she and Mark pulled up to rescue me from the pavement torture.
As for my TR, I had a wonderful morning on Skyline. During the dark period I had one encounter with a pair of eyes caught by my headlamps light staring at me from up the trail, I'm assuming a coyote, however he wasn't easily scared away even with my best caveman impressions.
Once I got up closer to the traverse and started across an expanse of snow, I sunk to my knee after only a few steps. The thought of going a different route had already been in my mind and I had been staring at the mountain going up trying to judge it. This picture was taken on Jan 1, so theres snow in the picture thats gone now.

I ended up going SE across the base of the large rock peak near the center of the photo. There wasn't much snow other than the time I spent in the deeper ravine to the left in the photo. I did alot of dealing with brush and some of it got the better of me, there was alot of rock scrambling and bouldering and going up the last steep ravine on the south side of the peak was a challenge. It was completely void of snow but fairly steep, alot of bouldering and scrambling on a steep pitch can keep you very aware of everything you touch and step on.
I popped up in long valley only maybe a few hundred yards from where you would normally come up off skyline.
I spent 21/2 hours getting up that last 1000' or so, I don't recomend going this way at all, it's very dense and very steep with some large rock formations in the way.
I do however think I would have spent more than 6 1/2 hours on the mountain had I tried to deal with that snow.
Didn't bring a camera and probably a good thing, I might have flung it off the mountain to ease my situation a couple of times.

[Cy Kaicener]

It was great seeing you again Steve even though it was only for a few minites You would have done the traverse to Long Valley (the last 1000 ft)
in 45 minutes at your speed if the trail was snow free. Your picture gives us a good idea of what the last section is like at this time. There might be a liitle more snow today.