Skyline 10/13

[Ellen]

Howdy All

With the weather not looking pleasant for the three saints (Antonio, Jacinto, Gorgonio), Marilyn and I headed up Skyline. This was our second fall Skyline -- our first was last Sunday October 7, where I managed to lose my Honda and house keys in the tram station No one has turned them in yet.

We started about 5:40 AM, as we did last week. The high humidity was obvious -- not only was the trail wet, but Marilyn and I were sweating profusely early on. At least the clouds obscured the sun most of the time and enhanced the views.



Foreboding.





Wait -- there's a ray (or two) of hope



First good view of San Jacinto from Peek Over Point.



View of San Jacinto from 4 K.



View towards San Gorgonio as we're approaching the Enchanted Garden and Mars Ridge.





Looking towards the Salton Sea from the Never Ending Ridge.



Guess where?



My favorite -- window to the Salton Sea -- on the way to Flat Rock.



Climbing out of Flat Rock and into the clouds.



Marilyn climbing up the Wall.



One last look at the Coachella valley.

I stowed my iPhone when it started raining. Climbing, breathing, heightened colors and scents.

When we popped up into the flat area by the step over tree, we met three fellows undertaking their first Skyline. They asked for help with route-finding. Two wore ponchos, which created an eerie Halloween-esque milieu as the five of us ascended into the mist. Coffman's Crag was barely visible. Before long, we were talking about the movie "Young Frankenstein" and other Mel Brooks classics.

We met three San Jacinto hiking club members on the trail and enjoyed dinner with them at the original Las Casuelas.



Danny (orange shirt), Charles (puffy), Marilyn (blue jacket), bloody blonde and Kalen (purple jacket).

Another great day in the wilderness.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[zippetydude]

Spectacular pics of clouds and lighting Ellen! You have the eye of a natural, you don't stop and think about rules of angle and exposure, you just feel and shoot. Sweet.

Hoping to go have myself some Skyline fun after the TRC. Your pics are luring me back to Skyline even as I type. Thanks for the post.

z

[guest]

Great pics Ellen, It's been a while since I've been up & it felt nice to look at each photo and know exactly where it was, (& how I usually feel at that point).
As Zip mentioned, those are excellent conditions for great photos, with the help of your eye too!
Thxs, looking forward to more rains!
scott

[zippetydude]

Hope Charles isn't mad that you identified everyone else by the color of their jacket but called him "puffy".

z

[Ed]

I'm envious. Currently marooned in San Diego. And probably not fit enough for Skyline. I won't mention the age excuse, since Marilyn has taken away that prop.

[cynthia23]

I loved the 'window' shot! Gorgeous. Thanks for 'elevating' my mood!

[pato]

Great shots!

So my wife and I moved to PS from MI in May. I've been training diligently for the Skyline hike -- from the museum to the tram -- in April, 2019. At this point I'm comfortably reaching the 1st rescue and back. I want to get familiar with the Traverse also so I'm starting to push down and back up from Grubb's Notch. I want to obviously avoid the trouble this fella experienced by knowing that tough part of the trail.

I'd like to connect with some folks like you who have done it recently. Can I buy anyone a drink in PS or nearby and talk through it a bit?

Pat

[Ed]

You are certainly doing it right, Pat. I am sure you will be meeting people on the trail. When your hikes extend to the rockpile at 4300', look for the tramway, you can usually see it from there, if you look carefully: towers, cables, cars. Though the rockpile is sometimes referred to as 'halfway point', in my experience it is about 40% of the time and effort. Certainly hiking down from Grubbs Notch is also a good idea. If you have hiked down from Grubbs Notch to Flat Rock, and up from the museum to the rockpile, you have seen most of the trail. The upper part of the trail will soon have snow (we hope). Coming from Michigan, you probably have more snow experience than most of us. But the terrain is steep and it can be dangerous. If you are entering snow territory, carry trekking poles and microspikes.

[Ellen]

Howdy Pat

Welcome to the Skyline Addicts Not So Anonymous Board

Seriously though. glad you're training for the aerobic demands and aware of route finding challenges. Ed's advice to section hike the trail is excellent.

The hiker who was just rescued went off trail on the traverse (trail section between ~ 7.5 K and 8 K) and wound up in a terrain trap. About half way along the traverse, the trail goes down hill, which is confusing to first timers. This is a common place that hikers go off route and start heading straight up the side of the mountain. As noted in the RMRU mission report, most of the slopes along the traverse have 200 ft of steep granite before cresting.

Now that the weather is cooler, you'll encounter many folks on the trail. Consider joining the San Jacinto Meetup group: https://www.meetup.com/Hiking-Coachella-Valley

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[zippetydude]

Welcome Pat.

I took a similar approach when I first did Skyline, though I did all my recon/familiarization from the bottom. My thought was to place water caches at 3000', 4000', 5000' so that I would be able to be flexible and either turn around at any point and still have sufficient water, or continue forward when there was only a very doable section remaining. It also extended the prep period by several weeks, which I savored.

That being said, as all the old timers on this board doubtless already know, I got to the traverse, the trail disappeared, and I had to wait for a local who knew the route (Hi Cynthia!) to give me first hand guidance. If you have hiked down from Grubb's notch to Flat Rock, you have already done the wayfinding on your own. If not, I'd be more than happy to meet you at the top, mosey on down past the traverse (traveling up-bound, you really can't get lost before that, especially in the manzanita) and then both help put up a few markers so that you can find your way and to walk through taking a series of shots with your phone so that you can be just about 100% sure on your next time. If you like, we could even place a clandestine continuous guide (fishing line hidden and secured under dirt and rock) that will make it 100% clear that you have not lost your way.

BTW, we all have gotten lost to some degree in our wilderness adventures, so not to worry if you find yourself in doubt at some point. Par for the course. But, like the others, I second your intelligent approach to making sure your first adventure is an adventure, not a nightmare. LMK if I can help. This is all fun for me. I'll also be happy to have a beer with you at the top, though you are in no obligation to buy. This is a community of like minded hikin' fools that relish both the adventure and sharing such a crazy undertaking with someone new who is experiencing it for the first time.

There are many similar challenges, some easier, some more picturesque, some even unshared to date that you might enjoy learning. Keep us posted on your prep and ambitions.

z