Is Skyline open yet?

General Palm Springs area.

Re: Is Skyline open yet?

Postby Perry » Mon Apr 11, 2022 9:27 pm

Hopefully Skyline will re-open while it's reasonably safe. Otherwise people might just be hiking it in the summer after waiting. And I hope that authorities consider the positive effects that challenging hikes have on people's lives.

zippetydude wrote:By the way, this board is a tight knit family, I doubt anyone is wandering across these pages for advice.


guest wrote:I guess Perry doesn't have his C2C website anymore.


It's still up, but Google has nearly dropped my web sites from it's search results. Now if you type in exact titles, yes they show up, but not general terms that people actually search like "skyline trail palm springs," "hiking mt. san jacinto," or "cactus to clouds."
skyline/skyline.html

I'll try to get the mtsanjacinto.info working again without the forward, and upgrading to HTTPS may help, but I also wonder if there is something else going on. Speech is becoming less free in terms of reach, and the Internet is more consolidated in ownership and tracking for ads.
Counting the days until October...
User avatar
Perry
Site Admin
 
Posts: 1518
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 6:01 pm
Location: Palm Springs, CA

Re: Is Skyline open yet?

Postby drndr » Mon Apr 18, 2022 12:54 pm

Anymore updates if officially open? It sounds like it's clear of all snow and ice but some friends were wondering how they are enforcing the "trail closed" rule. Could they just say they came up from Idyllwild? Has people been doing the trail with this great weather anyways?

D
"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time"
drndr
 
Posts: 233
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 11:10 am
Location: Riverside

Re: Is Skyline open yet?

Postby Ellen » Mon Apr 18, 2022 2:12 pm

Howdy drndr :)

SanJacJon.com indicates that Skyline may be opened towards the end of April.

I know people who've hiked Skyline recently. There is no snow or ice on the traverse. I feel that Skyline should be opened, especially before the weather gets too warm in Palm Springs.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen
Ellen
 
Posts: 2578
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:38 am
Location: Riverside, CA

Re: Is Skyline open yet?

Postby Pyrodude » Thu Apr 21, 2022 7:29 am

Surely they aren't going to 'permanently' close the trail!
They have never performed any trail maintenance. The users and lovers of the trail have provided that service for years.
Attachments
278936426_10221622053396344_4274806406799607446_n.jpg
User avatar
Pyrodude
 
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2017 7:59 pm

Re: Is Skyline open yet?

Postby Ed » Thu Apr 21, 2022 9:32 am

I have never seen a ranger on Skyline.
Ed
 
Posts: 824
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 2:04 pm
Location: San Diego Area

Re: Is Skyline open yet?

Postby Pyrodude » Thu Apr 21, 2022 10:34 am

The perfect Catch22 for the powerful State Fonctionnaires.
"We are closing a trail due to degradation. A trail we have never maintained, and have no intention of starting."
User avatar
Pyrodude
 
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2017 7:59 pm

Re: Is Skyline open yet?

Postby emilytroemel » Thu Apr 21, 2022 12:42 pm

Thanks all for the helpful info on this thread! I've hiked Cactus to the Clouds in 2 segments before (Art Museum to Tram one time, and Tram to summit to Tram another time), and am hoping to do the whole thing this Saturday with a couple hiking friends. Any further updates on the status of the trail? Thanks in advance :) -Emily T.
emilytroemel
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2022 12:14 pm

Re: Is Skyline open yet?

Postby emilytroemel » Thu Apr 21, 2022 12:49 pm

ps My main question is whether anyone knows whether we'll still be able to fill up with water at the Long Valley Ranger Station, despite the trail being 'closed'. Thanks!!
emilytroemel
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2022 12:14 pm

Re: Is Skyline open yet?

Postby guest » Thu Apr 21, 2022 1:49 pm

Wow, if that in fact is true, it's another move by the SP to minimize their job, and keep from having to deal with rescues, (which so take these reseources away from their other duties, and can put them at risk, I get that).

It's a real shame, since CCC crews, managed by SP, have been doing campground rebuilding, porta pottie replacement, meadow restoration, and in the process, (using water from Round Valley meadow), using mechanical, (gas powered) mules for yrs. with accompanying forest erosion of "new trails" and disturbance, loud, obnoxious rock crushers, jack hammers, large food caches that attracted at least 1 bear, and on.
I understand that certain money is ear-marked for certain, approved projects, but who priorities them.
There is a nice vid on their site of a Sign Project in 2020, with 45 news signs. :(

The main trails to the summit are crap, IMHO, rocks, roots, large steps, slippery in areas, to cause numerous injury and grief. Gee, wonder why so many locals and park personnel take the alternate, (not maintained route)?
Sure, it's more direct, but also better in many ways.
I can't remember this SP doing much trail maint. at all. A ranger questioned yrs ago re. condition of trails, including new, boot-leg unauthorized trails to bouldering sites like the Shangra-la area, their job is to educate, enforcement and to help when the public needs it. I've spent many hours removing bootleg trails, knocking down cairns that only lead to areas few would want to go to, making climbing areas looks less over-used, picking up trash, (& balloons), helping disoriented folks get back to the main trails, or headed in the right direction, etc.
Keeping the "lower" trail through Laws & Skunk Cabbage closed for years because of threat of trees falling, which I've heard is now so overgrown that one wonders if the park will ever spend anytime on it.

I think a bit of blame was those publishing the heck out of this trail, (not that a lot could be done as social media, internet etc. grew), and those looking at it as some notch in their belts to concur. I've seen many floundering around between Coffmans Crag & Long Valley, (Grubs Notch), and the preceding areas, especially in the snow & ice, making new trails to avoid conditions, which leads to others getting off trail, etc. That section is really the main area needing some maint. (depending on how one defines needing maint. on a trail that was only known as a route 10-15 yrs ago), outside of deadfall and a few areas where trail has slide a bit off the slopes, (which can also be a hazard, especially for very tired climbers who cause even more damage from their footing placements, weight bearing, and on. Attracting many who have no business on this climb, with little experience, inevitably lead to too many people calling for help. But, many seem to expect a nice, maint. trail it seems, as they have little skill to deal when it's not, (maybe part of SP reasoning?).

I took a new ranger and 2 park aids up Skyline many yrs. ago for their first time, so they could familiarize themselves with the trail, in case they needed that knowledge. I wonder how many actual SP that work in that area have ever even hiked it.
I have to wonder if SP also spoke with RMRU, who seem to do the bulk of the rescues here, with SP help.

And so, will the SP enforce this, (I'm sure their reading this), and if so, to what extent. And, will it cause some to seek out an alternate, (if even for the last section, yeah, it's very steep, but there are ways), or post someone on the trail? If so, is that good use of limited resources, which has been an issue for many, many years with these agencies.
Maybe it will get reopened, we'll see, not holding my breath. ss

.
guest
 
Posts: 781
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:27 pm

Re: Is Skyline open yet?

Postby Pyrodude » Thu Apr 21, 2022 6:28 pm

If the SP wanted to give us a date/dates in advance, I'd be more than happy to participate in discretely getting a group of Skyline denizens together to spend a day or more working on the trail in the Final 550 from Coffman's to Grubb's.
I agree that is where the most trail degradation has occurred.
A group of 50-75 fit, motivated, volunteers wielding shovels, spades, axes, mattocks, saws, etc, under the direction of the forest professionals, could accomplish quite a lot in fixing many of the problem spots.
This would be best handled quietly, as opposed to advertising on social media and getting too many people showing up who aren't quite as invested in this magnificent trail.
User avatar
Pyrodude
 
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2017 7:59 pm

PreviousNext

Return to Mt. San Jacinto & Santa Rosa Mountains

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 10 guests