Skyline help

[Screerider]

Partials are a good way to train as well as get your confidence up. You do need to get to some altitude like the tram or Vivian though, to see how you do as well as to get acclimated. Some people do fine without it. Some don't.

Try to hold off for another week or two, it's getting down to the double digits.

[KeirOxley]

Hello all, I am in NoCal and I joined the forum to get advice re C2C and you guys have freaked me out! I can fairly comfortably hike 26 miles with a 6,000 ft climb over 10 hours, though my hiking is all up and down large hills so the highest I get is about 3,000 ft.

It sounds like additional conditioning may be needed before trying C2C. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Hikin_Jim]

If it's any help, here's my Skyline Training Regimen from last year. You'll notice that I did multiple hikes with over 4,000' of gain and multiple hikes with over 5,000' of gain.

Of course overall conditioning and endurance matter, but putting yourself to the test on a high gain hike is important.

HJ

[Hikin_Jim]

I can fairly comfortably hike 26 miles with a 6,000 ft climb over 10 hours, though my hiking is all up and down large hills so the highest I get is about 3,000 ft.

That sounds pretty good although I wonder if sustained steepness might be different. I have no idea what's a good "checkout hike" near you, but some good checkout hikes in S. Calif. include:
1. Anderson Peak via the Momyer Creek Trail
2. Mount Baldy via Bear Flats
3. San Gorgonio Mountain via the Vivian Creek Trail
4. San Jacinto Peak via the Marion Mountain and Deer Springs Trails
5. Mount Baldy from Wrightwood via the Acorn Trail, Pine Mtn, and Dawson Peak.

I'm sure others can contribute suggestions, but those are some high gain steep hikes that I could think of off the top of my head. If you can do one of those, you're probably ready for Skyline.

HJ

[Screerider]

Being freaked out is a prerequisite. It doesn't appear to ever go away.

[zippetydude]

I like Cynthia's suggestion. That's how I first did Skyline, and I don't regret it at all for several reasons.

1) As I did the initial shorter hikes, I carried more than enough water. That allowed me to cache water at a couple of places to avoid any emergencies. I've also been able to share water with other people who had run out of water from those same caches.

2) It was really fun exploring the trail a little at a time instead of just making one big push. You see things differently when you're not pushing for time, and the whole route looks very different on the way back down. It allows you to really get your bearings.

3) Since I didn't have to worry about time, I started later in the day (roughly at sunrise) instead of starting in the predawn darkness. Thus I could see the early parts of the trail and become familiar with them rather than having to plow through and hope for the best in the dark.

In short, it was just more fun that way. I generally just go right through nowadays, but when there's snow up top, I still just turn around and enjoy the route on the way back down. No stress, no worries. If you've already done most of the trail and you have extra water available, you're going to feel pretty confident. See you out there!

z

[cynthia23]

Thank you Zip for liking my suggestion. I also like your suggestion that Bamm can use the opportunity of partials to stash some water. And you're right that leaving once the sun is up makes it far less likely to get lost at the bottom, as so many do, when their first time on the trail is in the dark.

[Hikin_Jim]

get lost at the bottom, as so many do, when their first time on the trail is in the dark.

Which is why I started from Ramon Road. The trail is more readily apparent.

HJ

[Ed]

And you're right that leaving once the sun is up makes it far less likely to get lost at the bottom, as so many do, when their first time on the trail is in the dark.

As I did the first two times. So I too recommend the 'partials' method for calibration. In other words, do as Cynthia suggests, not as I did. But also do Baldy by the Bear Flats Trail or San Gorgonio by the Vivian Creek Trail. There is nothing conflicting about taking both lines of advice.

Ed

[Perry]

Vivian and Devil's Slide fill up a lot. It's easier to get a permit for Marion Mountain, Deer Springs, Momyer, Angelus Oaks.