Pink Plastic Ribbons on Skline. UGH!!!

[Wildhorse]

Neverwashasbeen - Where have you seen the lights?

Cynthia - I like your idea of forming an organization to care for Skyline, like the that cares for the PCT. It surely would help.

It is sad that encouraging use of wilderness does not help preserve it today. It worked in the past, but now it does not. The expression today is "we are loving it to death."

[Ed]

I don't know what the solution is. We are certainly not likely to have permits and rangers on patrol, and I doubt I would want that. An authorized volunteer trail association in charge of signs, trail maintenance, etc., and with its own website, might help.

With regard to population pressure, it is there, but it is far more than population pressure. I started hiking again in 2010, after a hiatus of over 30 years. It was a Rip Van Winkle experience. I was stunned by the increase in the number of hikers. I was sure it was much greater than the increase in population, but I checked the census figures for California anyway. The population of California has perhaps tripled since the mid-1970's, the number of hikers on the trail is many multiples of 10 greater. And a much wider range of types, from people who clearly don't belong where they are to many superfit hikers and trail runners. I remember hiking up the Vivian Creek Trail in the spring of 2010, and being amazed at both the number of people and the types. Everything from people hiking in the snow in shorts, tank tops, and low cut hiking shoes without trekking poles, to people carrying snowboards, to people who looked equipped for an ascent of Rainier. And noisier people, I'm still not accustomed to people carrying on loud conversations I can hear from a very considerable distance. And flags, crosses and stone windbreaks on summits. Etc.

Some things don't change, though. I'm impressed by how little the trail from Humber Park to the summit has changed. And on weekdays I see very few people between Saddle Junction and Wellman's Divide. I first hiked it in 1970, and there is little more than some natural changes in vegetation along the trail.

[cynthia23]

Neverwas, last night I noticed a bright light that seemed to be somewhere around Murray Peak, but I was looking at it from way over in Cathedral City while I was driving West on Dinah Shore, so I could be wrong about the location. Maybe there were lights in the San Jacintos but I wasn't looking that way. But I definitely saw a light. The odd thing is that it seemed to be 'revolving' around, i.e. getting brighter and then faint, bright and faint, etc. It was very strange and I mentioned it to my kids in the car with me.

Ed, I found your historical perspective on California hikers quite interesting. I feel like in a way hiking has been 'professionalized"--that there is, now, a small elite group of well-equipped, well-educated, and very fit hikers and runners, and then the rest of America: 'regular people' who go on a hike once in a blue moon. are sedentary and overweight, and seem to have so little common sense or knowledge of wilderness that they do dangerously silly things. My sense is that back in 'ye olden days' it was a family activity initiated by Dad, who had a little bit of wilderness knowledge he'd gotten from his own dad, hunting, boy scouts, or just goofing around in the woods as a boy. Now, regular people don't have any of that folk knowledge, and it's become specialized and elite knowledge you have to spend money to get.

[neverwashasbeen]

I'm not sure of the exact location of the lights, they seem like they are maybe a few hundred vertical feet below Rescue Box 1, on the switchbacks.

[Wildhorse]

Sightings of lights with unknown origins is intriguing. A mystery that invites the mind to consider fascinating, possibly alarming, explanations.

[guest]

Cynthia,
It sounds like you may have seen a mt. biker or two. They occasionally night ride over by Murray Peak / goat trails & Dunn Rd. They'll lights can be very bright, and, as they go up & down, left & right, it changes.

The lights Neverwas is seeing may be the same cool led's placed there a few years ago.
There used to be several around 1,700 - 2k or a bit higher, but south of the trail.

Hey, let's put lights, (w/ pink ribbons) all along Skyline so we can leave out headlights at home!!

ss

[cynthia23]

Hey Guest, thanks for solving the mystery! I never thought of a 'night rider' but that explains what I saw very well. I can't believe anyone would be crazy enough to ride a bike down Murray Peak at night, but I also can't believe anyone would be crazy enough to ride a bike down Murray Peak during the day, which I've seen people doing with my own eyes So that must be the explanation.