Trail running from top of tram

[afletche]

Hi - i'm going to be in PS May 1st and looking for some trails to run (10-20 mile runs). Are the trails at the top of the tram suitable for running? (ie. not still snow/ice covered, not crazy hilly, not rocks that require climbing etc.)

thanks for any help - alan

[kd]

Alan,

If you can go Saturday the second, I will run with you. I believe the conditions will be fine by May. Many trail choices.

Thanks
Kevin

[zippetydude]

Just about everything is runnable up there, and it's all very nice.

If you take the first tram up, you can run to the peak and will have it to yourself for a while (depending on how fast you run and the speed of those hiking behind you), so that's a short one (11 mi round trip) that is real fun.

Perry does a loop that I think is 22 miles, but you can cut across the middle and make it a bit shorter.

I've done an out-and-back to Caramba, and if you go on kind of a warm day, it's fun to take a dip in the stream down by the overlook where it forms delicious pools. Coming back is mostly uphill on that one (I prefer to do the uphill first), but it's not too steep to run and the distance is fairly short. Skunk Cabbage Meadow (I think that's the name, I don't have a map with me) is really cool to run through.

In May, you should find plenty of water sources as well. I'm a runner as well, so I don't carry a filter like a backpacker might (not all do). I've never had any problem, and I've been drinking out of these streams for a very long time.

Hope you have some fun out there!

z

[afletche]

z - thanks - i looked at those routes on the trail map on a website and they look good. sounds like a tram ride is the way to go, to avoid the roads and some of the heat.

seems like from the tram to the SJ peak and then round the pac crest trail loop thru strawberry junction, should be about 18ish

hadnt thought about drinking unfiltered (i'm a town runner usually) - is that ok up there?

[zippetydude]

That's a great route, and it's especially nice once the weather turns hot down below. I don't run in the smog, and I don't like to run in the heat, so this is one of my favorite places during the summer. The San G Wilderness offers some great options as well. When it's 110 in the shade in Redlands, it's probably in the high 60's or low 70's as I cross the ridge between Mt. San Bernardino and Mt. San Gorgonio. I look down and think what a lucky fool I am.

As far as water, there are two very distinct opinions as far as I can tell: Those that don't think filtering is necessary (me, for example), and those that don't think filtering is all that hard, so why take a chance? (I believe Hikin' Jim is of that persuasion).

I started out filtering, but quit out of laziness, figuring I'd change my mind if I got sick. Well, that was over 20 years ago, and I've been all over these mountains with no problems yet. On the other hand, a water bottle with a built in filter is just a few bucks nowadays, so it's not really a tough call either way.

Hope to see you out there on the trail.

z

[Trendsearcher]

If you are looking for mileage like that you might as well save your tram fare and start in Idyllwild on the west side of the peak…

All the trail heads are 3 or 4 thousand feet lower than the tram and you are guaranteed to some good stretches without snow as you head up towards the peak. Plus you could hit the PCT and head north or south going down the hill pretty much as far as you’d like (well at least until you hit Mexico or Canada ).

[Norris]

On the subject of water treatment, a SteriPen is tiny, weighs next to nothing, only takes a minute to use. It uses ultra-violet light to sterilize the water. Just a thought.

[afletche]

On the subject of water treatment, a SteriPen is tiny, weighs next to nothing, only takes a minute to use. It uses ultra-violet light to sterilize the water. Just a thought.

norris - the steripen looks pretty cool. but i guess the difference between running and hiking is the definition of tiny/weighs next to nothing. if it doesn't fit in my shorts pocket it's too big. maybe the smaller traveller model would be ok though. perhaps i need to get over my town running behavior where all you need is shorts/shirts/shoes....

trendsearcher - running from idyllwild looks good, but i'm staying on the tram side, so can run the 4 miles to the tram or get a ride there pretty easily vs getting to the trailheads on the west.

thanks for all the info - i am getting pretty excited about running up there!

[kd]

I took a run from Humber Park in Idyllwild to the tram and back on Saturday. There is still just enough snow to stop you from running continuously .
I would run a little, hit a patch, slow down, step across, then run again.
In about two weeks, the trail conditions should be great. I was on the Willow Creek trail. The trail does disappear in places.

Aside from that, the day was absolutely beautiful. Clear skies, lots of water in the streams and clean high altitude air.

Kevin

[zippetydude]

Good job on that run! How many miles was it? I might have someone drop me off at Skyline and then meet me in Idyllwild this summer, but I don't know how many miles I can run after a Skyline trip.

z