Today on Skyline

[HikerBlatt]

It's been about five years since I have done the Skyline. A friend and I did it today. We didn't see any other people on the trail. A slight cloud cover was appreciated and it was even a bit cold in the pines.

[Hikin_Jim]

Sounds nice. Any pix?

What time did you start; what time did you get to the tram? (if you don't mind my asking)

HJ

[HikerBlatt]

We started at 6:20 and were drinking beer in the tram station at 2:10. I took some photos, but haven't mastered posting them here. Only a couple came out any good.

[Hikin_Jim]

We started at 6:20 and were drinking beer in the tram station at 2:10. I took some photos, but haven't mastered posting them here. Only a couple came out any good.

Nice. I'd love to get a Skyline in an eight hourish time frame. I figure I'm more of a ten hourish kind of hiker. We'll see.

You have to post pics elsewhere and then use the [img] tag to display them here. Picasaweb.google.com is free and works pretty well (it's what I use).

HJ

[drndr]

Is the trail completely free of ice and snow? Wasn't sure if this last storm left anything up there?

[HikerBlatt]

The trail is clear, no snow, no ice. That may be the last time I hike the trail? I first became familiar with the trail in the early 70s. Back then I didn't see even a foot print on the trail let alone another hiker. The middle third of the trail was overgrown and very difficult to find and/or follow. Brush busting was often the order of the day along with bloody scratches. I'm nearly 70 years old now and somehow the trail is more difficult and longer than I remember it, though it is still the ultimate local hike. Around the mid-70s a fire burned off the vegetation on the middle section of the trail and it became easier to follow. Then I started seeing other hikers and almost always footprints. I don't remember when it happened, but local hikers began trimming and marking the trail and it became busier and busier. Now it is a braided trail from numerous hikers having cut the switchbacks so they can set new speed records for themselves as they dash up the trail. I'm impressed with how fast some are. Never in my best day could I have come close to their times if I had tried. I do miss the old unbraided trail. It was a beautiful trail through our mountain. My style of hiking could best be described as wandering. I haven't been doing much hiking lately, just a lot of bicycle riding, but a friend who hadn't been up the trail asked me on Sunday if I would do the trail with him. I slowed him down considerably. Like I said, the trail is harder and longer than I remember it.