Can I do it?

[Foleymo]

Hello all!

I'm relatively new to hiking and I just recently stumbled upon this great board. There's a lot of good information here and I'm hoping someone can help me with a question.
I'd like to try my hand at the C2C hike, but I'm not sure if I'm "in shape" enough.
I've been dayhiking regularly since October. I've done San Jacinto Peak from the tram without any problem and I even did a 16-mile trip from the tram to Humber Park and back without incident. Do you think I have what it takes to give C2C a shot? At least from the museum to the tram? What other area hikes can I try first to get ready?

Thanks for your help,

Mike Foley

[glamisking]

I would recommend you hiking Vivian Creek to the summit of San Gorgonio at LEAST ONCE before trying C2C and when you do go with someone from here who is a regular veteran. It is a great hike but it is like non other; except mt. whitney maybe.

[guest]

Hi,
1st, from what this board has discussed previously, C2C means all the way to the peak of San Jac, so I would consider just Skyline 1st, as you suggested.
2nd, wait until fall, before the 1st snow, but until the night temps get back into the 60's or, better yet, 50's, it will make a Big difference.
I hike it regularly, and 10 degree starting temps make a hugh difference throughout the entire hike.
Also, hiking at attitude at least once a week can make it easier, especialyy after 5 or 6k ft. so if you can do that it will help.
And, doing regualr longer (3-6 hr.) hikes will improve your endurance for Skyline.
When I layoff for 1-2 wks from Skyline (as I generally hike it weekly, weather permitting), it is more difficult.
As glamishing suggested, doing San Gorgonio (particularly from Vivian Creek) is a great idea.
Happy Hiking,

ss

[magikwalt]

Hi to all,

I just completed the Vivian - San G summit last Sunday for the first time. We reached the summit in under 5 hours while talking all the way. Arriving at the summit I was immediately struck by two items. First, cooler starting temp and tree cover for 3/4 of the route ment we stayed cool and used very little fluid. Second, it wasn't as steep, nor as long as the tram hike even carrying an extra quart of fluid and carbs for the 26 miles we hiked that day.

Doing Vivian is great training for C2C as mentioned but the higher temps, complete lack of water on the trail, total distance and difference in % of grade put the two hikes in completely different catagories.

Just my 2¢.

Walt

[Foleymo]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll try San Gorgonio via Vivian Creek on Monday. Assuming I get through that one in one piece I'll think about trying Museum to Tram in a few months. Maybe next summer I'll be to the point that I can do the whole C2C! You guys/girls really know your stuff and I'm glad you're so patient with new hikers like me.

Thanks again,

Mike Foley

[Hikin_Jim]

Mike:

Definitely wait -- even if you're in shape. For example, the NWS is predicting a high of 106 on Saturday. 8000' steep feet in 106' heat? Even if you're in darn good shape that's tough. Late Sept, early Oct things should start cooling off more at night and the weather will be a bit more amenable.

Here's an option for the current weather: Take the tram, do a nice circumnav of the high country (Tram to Round Valley to Wellman Divide to Strawberry Jct to Little Round Valley, to San Jac Pk, and then back to Wellman Divide, Round Valley, and finally the tram. That'll be plenty of beautiful miles, all in higher country where it will be literally 20 degrees cooler. It's just a thought; there are plenty of other options. In the heat, I like to start high and stay high.

[KathyW]

Mike Foley:

I'll see you on the Skyline Trail in October when it cools down.

Kathy

[Foleymo]

Thanks Jim! I wonldn't have gotten very far in that heat. I went up to the tram today and did a nice loop: Willow Creek, Skunk Cabbage, Saddle Junction, Wellman Divide, Round Valley and back to the tram.
I liked your suggestion of doing the peak and Little Round Valley from the tram. I've done that before, but that's the kind of thing I'm going to have to master if I ever want to do Skyline (Museum to Tram). I've also been thinking about doing Devil's Slide to the peak. What do you think about that one?

Thanks again,

Mike Foley

[Hikin_Jim]

A very nice loop, indeed.

There are quite a number of good training hikes in the San Jacintos. I don't have my maps with me right now but here are some thumb nail sketches, below.

San Jacinto Peak from Deer Springs trail, Marion Mtn trail, Seven Pines trail, or the PCT/Fuller Ridge trail. These all go through Little Round Valley which is less visited than Round Valley and in my opinion has a sort of interesting high altitude "flavor." The pull from LRV to the top is good training and will acclimatize you some to altitude. Fuller Ridge is the longest/hardest if memory serves me well. I don't reacall the trailhead elevation, but you might skip that one if the trail head is too low and therefore too hot. Each of these has a different mileage and go through some different areas to get to LRV, all worthwhile. You can make these a loop by returning via the east side of SJ and going to Strawberry Junction from Wellman Divide and then back to your starting point. Another interesting variant is to bag some of the off trail peaks like Folly, Drury, Marion, or Jean.

The DST route is a good one, a bit more gain than from the tram of course.

Another interesting one that I've done requires a big car shuttle: take the tram up, hike San Jacinto, exit to one of the western trailheads (Fuller Ridge, Seven Pines, and Marion Mtn) or the southern trailheads (Devil's Slide and Deer Springs). Or do it in reverse if you want more excercise (and enjoy "refreshments" at the top of the tram on the way out). Since you're local, it wouldn't be too hard to drive one car the day before to your exit point with a friend following you (who can drive you home), and then on the day of your hike, you drive to your entry point and then hike to your prepositioned car. If you want really hard core, I guess you could ascend C2C to the summit, descend via LRV, and exit via Strawberry Jct on the Deer Springs trail. Now THAT's a hike!

There's other stuff that's interesting out there besides just the summit block of the San Jacintos (I guess that would be from Folly Pk to Jean Pk and include San Jacinto, Drury, and Marion). I did a neat hike one time from Humber park to Red Tahquitz and then south to South Pk and Antsell Rock. Antsell Rock has a cool class 3 stretch on it to get to the summit. I exited to the west through the Zen Center (you have to get permission in advance to go through the Zen Center). Some of that could be a little warm as the season progresses; keep you're eye on the weather reports of course for that one.

Just some ideas. I hope these are lucid. It's been a long week, and I haven't had my supper yet.

Happy trails,