skyline: sand to summit 4/19

[mookyee]

lots of great responses. thanks everyone for all the detailed info and trip reports.

anyone been to the summit in the past couple of weeks and know what we can expect up there? i assume there will be pretty substantial snow coverage. also looks like the forecast is cold and for alot of wind. which means ice ... lmk. thanks!

chris

[Cy Kaicener]

I took the tram up today and hiked down below the traverse where the first snow patches begin. I did not need my ice axe. Hiking poles are all the gear you need. The trail there is ninety percent clear and melting fast. We will be leaving at 3.45 am. See you on the trail.

[kellie]

Looking forward to the hike this weekend! Thanks for everyone's help in getting a visual on the snow conditions. Can't wait to see you all on the trail - definitely say hi on your way up! There will be a small group of us (2-3) starting at Ramon Rd. around 3:30am. See you there!

[mookyee]

we're down from 8 to 5 now in our squad. it's suprisingly difficult to sell 13 hours of discomfort

[Cy Kaicener]

The weather was 15 degrees cooler than Thursday when Dave G, Norma, Norris, Kevin and I left the museum at 3.30 am. We all made it in eight and a quarter hours to Long Valley, where Dave, Norma and Norris continued to the peak. It was windy at Long Valley but perfect on Skyline. We also met Chris and his friends and Doreen, Tina, another Jim and Scott. No snakes and no unusual incidents.

[Cy Kaicener]

David and Norma promised us a trip report on c2c. They said they had planned to go with Kathy on Big Iron but then saw this link for Skyline. These are the mountaineers who spent a night in a snow shelter this winter rather than call Search and rescue - and made it back to the car the next day.

[Dave G]

Thanks again Cy, for a great hike hike and for showing me where the route really goes! It makes much more sense with the snow gone . After leaving you and Kevin in Long Valley, we continued on to ~9500 feet, where the group consensus was that, along with a few other issues, it wouldn't be safe to continue without crampons and axe. I was a bit dissapointed, but it gives me an excuse to go back soon! It was great seeing you again and meeting Kevin and Norris.

[Norris]

Cy, thanks for showing me the way up Skyline! It was great meeting you and hiking with you after reading so much about you! 237 times up Skyline! Whew! And your ice-axe is a real beauty.

Dave, Norma and Kevin: It was really great meeting you too! I hope we can hike together again soon.

Regarding conditions above Round Valley: They are kind of nasty, IMHO. There isn't a clear broken trail, which is fine except you can't easily go cross-country like you can in the winter, because rocks, brush, etc are sticking out all over. Plus everything is melting out so one has a tendency to posthole as soon as one is in an open, sunny area. In a few more weeks, it should be better, but then it will probably be necessary to leave the museum at midnight.

P.S. Dave: As soon as I log off here, I will look thru my Aconcagua pictures and try to find one that shows the Trek Talons! It was a real plus meeting the inventor of those gizmos! They really rock.

[mookyee]

great hike eveyone. myself (chris Y), sho, francois, josh, dustin and chris L. departed the museum at 4:30am and made the tram just past noon - 7.5 hrs i think. met a ton of people on the board - the esteemed cy, dave, norris, norma , tina, doreen, jim, kellie, to name a few. great to put names to faces! perfect temperature. saw hardly any trash on the route until we got really close to the tram.

headed up for the summit at 1:30ish. and made it to just before wellman when the trail just faded into the snow and decided to turn around rather than take a chopper out. dang!

anyways, thanks again for all your guys tips and information. everyone was even more friendly in person than electronically. who'd have thunk - real people?

saturday nite: i've had my fill. i'm done with this.
sunday morning: well, i could probably be convinced to go again, but i'd never plan a trip again.
sunday nite: when we going back to finally summit this dang thing?

[tinaballina]

Hey Chris,

Just read this, it was a pleasure meeting you. I am glad to hear that you all made it back safe and sound. you guys went up at a real steady pace, once the snow melts on top you must go back to do it. Although, Dustin, seemed a bit spent. Please tell him hello.