It's getting too hot to safely do Skyline now.

[cynthia23]

Projected temps for this Saturday are 95+. We could still get a few cool days but our so-called winter has been running ten to fifteen degrees above average, and there's no reason to think that will change now. I anticipate an April that is more like our normal May or even June. So why is that dangerous?

When temps in the valley are above 92 degrees, descending the trail becomes hazardous. But you're going up Skyline, you say? Well, if you have never done Skyline before, or haven't done it recently, there is a good chance you might 'bonk' halfway through (many people do, especially when it's warmer) and then (unlike in December) you'll be in a situation where you can neither ascend nor descend and will need to be rescued (if you're smart.) If you're not smart, you might try descending midday anyway, and end up dead from heat stroke (this has happened to several unfortunate individuals.)

We are still having relatively cool nights, however (by May or June that will no longer be the case) so if you are a C2C novice and insist on trying the trail now anyway, then leave no later than 3 a.m. If you do bonk, you will still be able to descend during cooler morning hours when temps are still quite moderate. This advice does not apply late May through September, when it's dangerously hot even by 8 a.m. (IMHO a novice or non-regular should never ever try Skyline during these months.) Carry at least 4 to 5 liters of fluid, but remember that in itself, water won't protect you from heat stroke--you can die of heat stroke even if well-hydrated. One of the people who died on the trail was found with a full water bottle.

Every time I post this I always get a few responses along the lines of "But I did it last July and was perfectly fine," etc. Obviously not everyone who does it in summer dies or the trail would be littered with skeletons. Well-acclimatized 'regulars' who do it every month or so are usually fine doing it even in July. I'm just saying that for everyone else, you're taking a significant risk, which, let's not forget, also puts rescue personnel at risk, since flying the helicopters close to the mountain is hazardous. So consider waiting until late fall to do your C2C--as the saying goes, the mountain will still be there.

[Hikin_Jim]

Oh, you guys are such worry warts. I'm an "experienced hiker." I hike 10 miles every weekend, and Skyline is only 9 miles, so, really, how hard could it be? The fact that my local mountains don't exceed 3,000 feet and Skyline is 8,000+ feet of gain is irrelevant. Also irrelevant is the fact that where I hike is typically 20 to 30 degrees cooler than Palm Springs. I mean how much difference can 20 or 30 degrees make, right? I'll wear short sleeves for crying out loud. And I'll bring two water bottles instead of just one. I mean two 1/2 liter bottles ought to be enough for anyone, right? Sheesh. You guys on this board are a bunch of flipping worry warts.

And don't try to con me with that "there's no shade" non-sense. Air temperature is air temperature, and shade is irrelevant. The fact that other people have died doing this is not something that I need to consider because I'm me and it therefore obviously doesn't apply. Duh. Remember I'm an experienced hiker and the fact that you're so worried about things shows that you're not. The fact that you've actually done this trail and I never have diminishes my "experienced hiker" status not at all. I mean how hard could it be? It's just walking. If it's hot you just tough it out. I'm tougher than the heat, and I know it despite the fact that I haven't hiked in the heat any time in the last twenty years. Oh, and my weight problem is none of your business.

Now that I've explained why all of this doesn't apply to me, I'm sure you can rest well at night. I'm getting my flip flops and big straw hat ready right now for my manly man big upcoming Skyline trip.

Ignorantly yours,

"Experienced hiker"

[arocknoid]

Why is that tongue-in-cheek as swolled up as a bratwurst on the grill?
(there is no emoji extant which fits your tone, HJ)

For the unprepared folks who overestimate their heat and hike tolerance, the surest vaccine of safety would be viewing the remains of one such victim. Preferably observed with *all* senses.
For years, the online exhortations of caution seem to stimulate paradoxical obstinance with some of tender ego.

(movie reference for Ellen: "I am INVINCIBLE!" --cue the chill)

kind regards,
arocknoid

[Ellen]

The 'Noid posted -- yippee!!! Picture me jumping up and down with glee

But "Noid, my eyes are blue, not golden However, based on some of my climbs in the snow, I can certainly relate to the "chill" Credit must be given to HJ -- he came up with the masterful title for my hiking misadventure.

Cynthia --thank you

HJ --

Miles of smiles

Blonde, Ellen Blonde

[cynthia23]

OmG HikinJim, you made me laugh so hard I almost cried. Alas, your 'portrait' of an ignorant hiker is only too close to reality to be wholly satire Still, I got a darn good chuckle out of your post Noid, agree that forcing the unprepared to 'view the remains' of those who died would be tough love. It's worth recalling that with two of the unfortunate men who died, their bodies actually had to be 'rehydrated'--i.e. floated in vats of liquid--before they could get fingerprints off them, and their race could not be determined from their completely shriveled skin, either. Ugh. I mention such horrors not to titillate but to emphasize that death from heat stroke is uniquely horrible.

[Hikin_Jim]

OmG HikinJim, you made me laugh so hard I almost cried. Alas, your 'portrait' of an ignorant hiker is only too close to reality to be wholly satire

Sometimes parody can make one stop and think where a straightforward statement would be ineffectual.

It's worth recalling that with two of the unfortunate men who died, their bodies actually had to be 'rehydrated'--i.e. floated in vats of liquid--before they could get fingerprints off them, and their race could not be determined from their completely shriveled skin, either.

Whoa! I did not know that.

HJ

[Wildhorse]

Hikes like the Skyline, or C2C, bring out in many of us a desire for achievement. Success demonstrates that we are young, or strong, or brave, or tough, for example. It is the challenge, including facing danger, that draws many to the Skyline. Without such challenge, the desire for achievement is unfulfilled. We are most vulnerable on hikes like Skyline, I think, when elements of narcissism in us are stimulated. I am thinking of the narcissist belief that limits that apply to others do not apply to ourselves, and to the narcissist belief that "I" am exceptional and not like other people - not like the ones who don't make it on the Skyline.

Personally, I enjoy hiking with people who want to test the limits. The most fun hikers I have ever known always seems to get us into trouble. With the friends I am thinking about, it is not a desire for achievement or narcissism that dominates. It is, instead, a desire for adventure that overcomes fear.

I suspect that those who get into trouble on the Skyline are just trying to test their limits for one reason or another, just like those who make it. That is not a bad way to live, even if one dies living that way. If there is such a thing as a good death, then surely dying wild is the way to go.

I don't mean to encourage hiking the Skyline in the summer. I agree with all that Cynthia wrote. The heat on Skyline tests limits over which we have little control - the frightening limits of our internal organs. There are other adventures in wilderness that test limits over which we do have some control. Those limits are the ones that are most enjoyable to test. Skyline in summer is just not worth the risk or the adventure for most of us.

[Hikin_Jim]

I'm all for the adventure part. It's the whole death thing that I have a problem with...

HJ

[cynthia23]

Yes, Wildhorse does raise an important point, one that I largely agree with. Humans, especially young people, have an inherent need to physically test themselves and prove their physical prowess. It's probably something hardwired into us by evolution. After one of the rescues a few years ago, of a group of young Marines, my initial reaction was grumpiness, but then I thought, "No, wait, these guys are just following an ancient human need"--I mean, it's way better that people try difficult hikes (even when unprepared) then spend another weekend zoned out on the couch watching professional athletes on TV. I have to applaud any impulse that leads people into the wilderness--even when they're arrogant, unprepared, and leave a trail of litter--because at least it's an authentically human desire, that could, in time, turn them into a person with a true appreciation of our wild places. I just want them to survive long enough to grow into wisdom.

[Cy Kaicener]

A lost Los Angeles hiker was found on the Lykken trail last night (Saturday) where the temperature was 90 degrees F
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/201 ... /26030015/