Cactus to Clouds advice?

[Halohiker]

Can anyone please give me an idea of the best time of year to hike Cactus to Clouds? I'm ready to take on that challenge this year. I can easily hike up Mt. Whitney in a day, and have plenty of energy left...so I plan on using it. Thanks!

[Perry]

Generally speaking, April/May or October/November, but it depends on snow/ice conditions and temperatures. You meant you hike the round trip in a day, right?

[desertskyclimber]

Can anyone please give me an idea of the best time of year to hike Cactus to Clouds? I'm ready to take on that challenge this year. I can easily hike up Mt. Whitney in a day, and have plenty of energy left...so I plan on using it. Thanks!

by hiking do you mean walking the 12 miles with the rest of the mules, as muir put it, or by taking the north fork route and earning it in half the distance? the skyline is a bit tougher than the whitney trail, and is accesible anytime of the year with the right equipment and experience. go ahead and challenge yourself, face that fear, but know that to compare the two you must go from valley floor to the summit and back down. going just to the tram or taking it down is not quite comparable

[Perry]

For most people, that's really bad advice. You may be able to handle the heat after all that mileage and ascent/descent, but most people would get heat exhaustion, possibly low sodium levels or dehydration, unless they descend in the evening via headlamp. Doing the full round trip may be more about ego, rather than a fun experience.

[Halohiker]

I do mean the boring Main Whitney Trail. I can also move very quickly up San Gorgonio via Vivian Creek, which I find tougher than the Main Whitney Trail. I hit Baldy a lot, just for fun. I did the entire John Muir Trail in 2006, and that taught me a lot about pushing myself not only physically, but mentally.

For my first go 'round with Cactus-Clouds I think I'll hike up then take the tram down. I'll consider doing the whole up and back in a day, depending on how I feel after my first time doing it. I'm a Personal Trainer and ahve also lead a lot of hikes, so I plan on putting myself through systematic, strenuous training. Thanks for the input.

[FIGHT ON]

For most people, that's really bad advice. You may be able to handle the heat after all that mileage and ascent/descent, but most people would get heat exhaustion, possibly low sodium levels or dehydration, unless they descend in the evening via headlamp. Doing the full round trip may be more about ego, rather than a fun experience.

I agree especially for someone who has not been up there yet.

[hvydrt]

........do you mean walking the 12 miles with the rest of the mules...........

Can you guys ban this clown? he has nothing of value to say about anything

[Perry]

I've thought about it. Desertskyclimber, can you be nice?

There's a lot of freedom of speech on this forum, but most people want a fun experience when they visit. They don't want it to be a total drag where somebody is going to insult them just for posting a message.

[Halohiker]

I also kinda prefer to do the uphill only, then down to the tram b/c I LOOOOOVE the way it feels to hike uphill. Downhill bores me and is more work for my body. So I'll always pick uphill! When I hike Grand Canyon, I tolerate the downhill and thrill in the up!

[HikeUp]

I also kinda prefer to do the uphill only, then down to the tram b/c I LOOOOOVE the way it feels to hike uphill. Downhill bores me and is more work for my body. So I'll always pick uphill! When I hike Grand Canyon, I tolerate the downhill and thrill in the up!

Totally agree on the uphill feeling, there's nothing quite like it. One thing I've learned doing these exposed desert trails though is that managing the sun is just as important as managing the elevation. I've been using shade solutions from ombriere.com at my rest spots and basecamp setup, makes a real difference when you're out there for hours in full exposure.
As I sometimes say... Hike Up!