Cactus to Clouds

General Palm Springs area.

Cactus to Clouds

Postby mountainman » Tue May 23, 2006 12:32 pm

Well, im finally going to attempt this monster on friday, i have a few questions

how are the conditions up there? is there still snow?
what time should i start?
Does the trail follow a ridge the whole way to long valley?
Is this hike (palm to tram) harder than mt. whitney?

thank you!
mountainman
 

Postby mountainman » Tue May 23, 2006 12:40 pm

oh, and one other thing, is the trail crowded?
mountainman
 

Postby AlanK » Tue May 23, 2006 1:24 pm

mountainman -- My report on our C2C hike last Saturday is in the thread called "C2C update 5-20-06."

"how are the conditions up there? is there still snow?"

There is snow, but it is not a major factor. Our photos give some idea.

"what time should i start?"

That is a very individual thing because it depende on your speed and how much you want/need to avooid the heat. Sunrise is before 6 AM and it starts getting warmer quickly after that. I'd plan to be several thousand feet up the trail by then.

"Does the trail follow a ridge the whole way to long valley?"

I posted a map with our pictures. It is a straightforward trail, but does not fiollow a single ridge.

"Is this hike (palm to tram) harder than mt. whitney?"

It is certainly harder than Whitney one way. The entire thing, including San J summit, returning via the tram, is harder than the round trip Whitney hike. In my opinion, of course.

"oh, and one other thing, is the trail crowded?"

It is not crowded at all up to Long Valley. If you continue to the summit, it is pretty popular.
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Postby Bigby » Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:54 pm

I recently did C to C for the first time and found it to be substantially more difficult than Whitney. Also, it was quite hot, even when leaving long before dawn. Some hikes you can BS your way through even if you aren't well-hydrated, well-rested,in less-than-great shape etc. Cactus to clouds is no joke and not to be fooled with, even if you think you are a good day hiker.
Bigby
 


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