Cactus to Clouds June through Sept is a DEADLY idea ..

[scottmac]

fyi ...

[Hikin_Jim]

Excellent graphic.

HJ

[cynthia23]

Love the 'billboard' and that poster, ScottMac! I especially like the black, twisted stomach with an exclamation point inside. Sometimes I know just how that guy feels!

And speaking of sickening. My last point on this topic is that aside from the danger, summer Skylines are extremely unpleasant, and because one moves so slowly, they're a lousy work out, too. I also think they're unhealthy even if you don't get heat stroke. It really isn't natural for the human body to exercise for long periods of time in high heat. Why do something dangerous when it isn't even any fun?

[mattytreks]

Ascended SanG via Vivian Creek yesterday (trip report coming later today/tomorrow), and in places where Palm Springs was in clear view, I couldn't help but feel for the souls down there baking in 110+ degree temps.

[Wildhorse]

For the sake of the 1% of the 1% who are qualified for the summer treks, it is interesting to discuss how to do it, as David W mentioned early in this thread.

While I think Cynthia's warning is completely sound, I still admire those who do the summer treks with the right abilities, even while knowing they are taking a risk that is deadly if something goes wrong.

Ironically, taking such risks can make life all the more worth living.

[cynthia23]

I'm afraid we're in total disagreement on this issue Ken, but great minds don't always think alike. From my perspective, deliberately choosing to do a summer Skyline is like deliberately eating some meat you know is rotten, then waiting to see if you get food poisoning. Hardly a thrill or a daring life-enhancing experience. It's just miserable, and indefensible if it forces somebody to risk their lives rescuing you. Remember, too, that I actually did several summer Skylines one summer, ten years ago, so I am speaking from direct and unpleasant experience. On one of those trips I had a pretty bad episode of illness and it was that which clarified for me what a dangerously befuddled fool I'd been. Since then, I've been much more careful. Bad things and accidents of fate still happen, but there is a difference between a rational wilderness risk and mere ignorant foolhardiness. I'll reserve my admiration for those who don't pointlessly put other people's lives at risk.

[Wildhorse]

When a hiker considers calling 911 as an emergency plan, the hiker does not have an admirable plan.

Mechanized escape is not a good way to live or avoid death.

[cynthia23]

Realistically, everyone calls 911 in a true emergency. I certainly would, even if I'd done something stupid and had no one to blame but myself. I can't see that anyone else would act differently, either. Stupidity is not usually coupled with a heroic determination to quietly die rather than risk another's life. Quite the contrary. Granted, some of us may hit the panic button quite a bit sooner than others, and ready access to the 911 system may cause some to give up before they're truly at death's door. Florian, as I recall, mentioned that in his youth (before cell phones) he'd run into considerable trouble wandering Skyline, and with no other option but death, struggled on even though he'd thought he was totally spent. I think you and I might agree, Wildhorse, that in a way ready access to emergency service degrades our ability to 'dig deep' into our souls and find out we're tougher than we thought. But for good or ill, cell phone emergency service seems here to stay, and with it, people taking risks that put other people in danger, too.

[hawkbill666]

I believe she was referring to the 1% as being able to hike 8,000 feet over 11 miles in general, not necessarily in the summer. hey, I want credit as I am in that 1% .
But that is the important point as my heat tolerance is terrible even though I have no problem with the fitness part of the hike. My first C2C was in an unusually hot October, and it scared me all the way to flat rock. I went through close to 6 liters by flatrock and had one liter left for the rest. As soon as it got cooler and shady in the trees I used almost no water. But on the early part of skyline I was just dying for a moment of shade, and there was none.
So even beyond the very clear warning here, is your own heat tolerance. If its terrible like mine - November+.

[Wildhorse]

I don't really disagree with Cynthia's warnings, or with the benefit of being able to call 911 as a last resort. I thought I was agreeing with her in my last post, but my words were so few while I was on the beach that I can understand how they could have been read differently than I meant.

Does anyone know if rescue workers are required by law or contract to conduct rescues when conditions are dangerous or using dangerous techniques? I thought their safety came first.

Cynthia's bad experience after completing several other summer hikes up Skyline seems to indicate that even the fittest can expect to die if they hike in summer often enough. Is that true? Zippetydude, do you still hike Skyline in summer? How many times do you think you have done that? Does anyone else here hike Skyline in summer?

I would think that someone who is capable of running Skyline under milder conditions would be capable of hiking there in summer by getting an early start. Such conditioning would allow one to shorten the hike. The early start would further minimize the temperature and the sun exposure. (Too little heat intolerance would rule it out even with such conditioning.) Zippetydude, does that match your experience?

Any idea how many people hike Skyline in summer? Is it just a dozen, or is it hundreds?