Skyline starting midnight (1am) April 12 & May 5 &12

[Cy Kaicener]

If you really want to beat the heat and carry less water, start at midnight. Today Kurt Wedberg, Dave Detterich and I reached Long Valley at 7.30 am.
The sun came out at the top of the traverse at 7500 feet. I used less than two quarts of water. It was cold and windy which makes you go much faster.

[KathyW]

Cy: Were you past Flatrock when the sun came out?

I'd like to try starting real early (or late depending on how you look at it) some Saturday - maybe in May 12th I'll do that.

Kathy

[Cy Kaicener]

Kathy - It was still dark at Flatrock. The sun came out a mile from Long Valley.

[KathyW]

Duh! - Your first post said that the sun came up at 7500 feet - I guess I should have already known it was past Flatrock.

Thanks Cy.

[mattytreks]

Cy- since you started at Midnight, I'm assuming you were wearing headlamps?

How was the lighting on the trail while using your lights?

[Cy Kaicener]

We definately needed our headlamps way past Flatrock where it started getting cold and a bit windy. Those conditions make you move faster to keep warm. Kurt is a professional guide who has done Everest, Denali, Aconcagua, Rainier, technical routes on Whitney etc. His stories made the time go very fast. Afterwards he had to drive to Oceanside to give a talk and slide presentation.

[guest]

Well ,
I'm not sure why you'd want to do almost the whole trail in the dark when the weather is so nice right now, it's such a pleasure to be able to see the rattle snakes I've been running into at 7k!.
This may be one reason why were seeing dots & cairns all over thew place.

have fun,

ss

[TRumble24]

First time I did Skyline I started at 3am, second time I started at 11:30pm. Both times my group and I picked nights close to the full moon to allow for as much natural light as possible. We used headlamps, but might have been able to get by without them, full moons in the desert can be really bright. We're slow hikers compared to the abilities of most of the people on this board, so we hit daylight at about 7000-7500 ft after the 11:30pm start, right when you start to need it. I have to agree with Cy that the darkness and the colder temps do keep you moving. I had to put on a sweatshirt at about 5000 ft, but the cold was enjoyable.

Personally I love hiking at night, especially if the moon is bright. I don't think orange dots are neccessary for hiking at night on Skyline, though I think a couple cairns only at crucial locations are nice to see on any trail, day or night. On a side note when we were just about to start the last section up to Long Valley a couple hikers passed us who started at 5 or 6am, made us feel soooooo slow!

[Cy Kaicener]

I am planning on another midnighter on May the 5th or 12th depending on when there is more moonlight. When you get up there real early you have more energy to go for the peak. Get at least four hours of sleep. I am going this Saturday at 3.30 am.

[zippetydude]

May 2 is the next full moon, followed by June 1, June 30th, and July 30th.

Ever since Alan's posting about the Red Rattler of Death in the middle of the trail during the wee hours of the morning, I'm a little hesitant to go without a light. I still do so up in the San Gorgonio Wilderness, as it is much colder, at a much higher altitude, and I have never seen a snake of any kind over there. It sure is peaceful, though, with a beauty all its own in the silence of a moonlit night.

z