How long for Skyline to melt off?

[zippetydude]

I doubt we're going to get any further significant snow this season so I'm already chompin' at the bit to do Skyline. Any guesses as to when it'll be passable up to the tram with no equipment needed?

z

[Ellen]

Howdy Z,

I'm chomping at the bit to do Skyline as well. When we hiked from the tram last Saturday, we met a young uber hiker guy who had done the full C2C that day. Lance and I took him back to the museum. He has a lot of experience with ultra-endurance events and wants to set the record for the fatest time to complete the John Muir Trail -- something like 3 to 3 1/2 days.

Apparently it took him only 6 hours to do Skyline. He went off trail somewhere above Flat Rock so he wouldn't have to deal with the snow on the traverse up to Coffman's Crag. Apparently the bushwacking was awful -- he spent two hours gaining the last 500 vertical feet to Long Valley. He carried snowshoes to summit San J but didn't use them.

I think I'll wait for Perry or Scott Scott to give the all clear before I head up. I'm hiking in the desert tomorrow. Hope to be passed by you on Skyline (or another mountain trail) soon.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[zippetydude]

Hi Ellen!

I'll either do San G (either SF or Vivian) or the PCT out of Whitewater this weekend - it's kind of a toss-up.

San G: Seeing thousands of Painted Lady butterflies fluttering about through the forest over snow-covered terrain is rather surreal - the chance only comes a couple of weeks a year, and then only when we've had good snow recently. This is tempting.

Whitewater: The wildflowers between Cottonwood and Whitewater are so varied, so dense, and cover huge sections of hillside and meadow where the trail goes right through them, that it seems like that scene from the Wizard of Oz (only you don't get sleepy). Absolutely amazing.

What a great problem to have, huh? Which to choose...

I look forward to seeing you again out there on the trail soon as well. Where are you headed in the desert?

z

[Cy Kaicener]

Ellen and Stan - You are not the only ones chomping at the bit I will take the tram up in eight days time and every week after that to see how much snow is at the top of the trail below Long Valley.

[THETRACK]

I have been actively reading the Posts since this site's inception, we do CtoC about 3 to 4 times per year and our "kick-off" hike is suppose to be next Saturday, the 21st. Have run into you Zip...last year early one Sat AM.....My thoughts exactly on whether the snow will be gone...hope we get some reports in the next couple of days....Thanks again to all who are on here....THE TRACK ( Lyle ) from Santa Monica, California.

[Ellen]

Howdy Z,

I'm going with Steve, Mark, and Walt on Guadalupe to Sugarloaf (one way). Once again Steve is kindly providing a car shuttle

After reading your descriptions of Whitewater and San G, I may have to head back into the mountains on Sunday.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[Cy Kaicener]

Here is a trip report called Cactus to Slush by Seano fairly recently, emphasising the need for snow shoes on Skyline
http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/4 ... slush.html

[hiketheworld81]

Is there anywhere in the area that rents mountaineering equipment? I typically do winter hiking a couple times a year, usually in the Presidential Range in NH, but always have rented crampons and axes from the EMS school there.

I am going to be in Palm Springs March 26th with a few climbing partners (planning on doing Skyline) and need to know if i should finally pull the trigger and buy gear, or if there's somewhere i could rent from.

thanks for any information.

Aaron

[tinaballina]

I doubt we're going to get any further significant snow this season so I'm already chompin' at the bit to do Skyline. Any guesses as to when it'll be passable up to the tram with no equipment needed?

z

Ummmmmm, hello, big time chomping at the bit indeed. i did skyline up to 5500 feet yesterday, met six people along the way that went up to the tram. they had the equipment. i found out that three men that went up got up in a little over 9 hours i believe. Not sure about the other three people that went up.

miss ya zip.........

[bluerail]

" i did skyline up to 5500 feet yesterday"

...and boy, has she ever gotten slow!