In Palm Springs Mid-February

[CanadAndrew]

Hi there,

As the name suggests, my name's Andrew and I'm from Canada. I'll be in Palm Springs in Mid-February and am considering hiking the Skyline trail. I am a pretty avid hiker already, spending a lot of time in the Rockies, but only know what the internets tell me about the Skyline Trail, so I'm hoping to get some help from the people of this community!

So I see that late fall and early spring are usually the best times to do the hike, but is it something that is doable in February or should I consider another day hike?

Anyways, thanks in advance for your insights!

Cheers,
Andrew

[cynthia23]

Well, normally winter is not ideal for novices because of the snow and ice the last 2 thousand feet, but this winter is very dry and it's likely that won't be an issue (but it could be, of course, by February, if we have some big storms.) But the basic overall issue is how conditioned you are. Have you done a hike with that much gain in one day? Most people get in trouble from exhaustion and, when it's warm, dehydration.

If you have enough time during your visit, a good thing to do is to do a 'test run' the day before, and go up the trail for about an hour. See how much altitude you gain and how you feel. The steepness is pretty much the same throughout, except it gets worse the last two thousand feet. You have to have a sense of how much your body can do.

[CanadAndrew]

Thanks for the reply - I've done a few hikes with 5000-6000 feet of elevation gain, but nothing like this, so I like the idea of a test run the day before.

Thanks again,
Andrew

[zippetydude]

Hi, welcome to the board. If you've done that kind of elevation gain, this is a trip you will probably find challenging but fun. I've done Skyline during all the months of the year, but only in very dry years would it be reasonable to do it in mid-February. So far it's been very dry, but the chances of having very little snow for the next month are actually pretty low. I'd say go ahead and condition/plan for Skyline, but make some other plans for a desert outing in Joshua Tree or a snow trip up San Gorgonio from the north in case the route becomes impassable. That way you have good local alternatives, so you win either way. If the trail is clear you just might meet some of us out there.

z

[bluerail]

If theres snow on skyline and you want to switch plans, there is a nice trail in Joshua tree which is a good workout. http://www.backpacker.com/destinations/hikes/410883

[cynthia23]

Andrew, if it does indeed turn out the trail is dry .... PM me if you want me to take you up the Desert Museum (first part) of Skyline, during your day-before 'test run'. I usually do the DM at least once a week anyway and it's no trouble to take you. It's a very confusing section and it helps to have a regular point out the correct turnings. Otherwise you can waste a lot of time (and energy) during the first thousand feet. Otherwise, I would recommend you start from the Ramon trailhead, as the trail there is much more clear.