4/23 Skyline/C2C Trip Report + Other Observations

[climbant]

As much as I love the desert (have lived here for about 10 years) and San Diego (Born and raised, stayed til my mid twenties) it would be very difficult to pass up the Sierras. That really is the outdoor play ground.

[Ed]

Bishop, for sure, if it's a free choice.

[cynthia23]

Mattytreks, I think the Coachella Valley is a great place for a hiker to retire, at least six months of the year. It's not just Skyline--there are dozens of wonderful trails surrounding the valley, within a fifteen minute drive, in the San Jacintos, the Santa Rosas, the little San Bernandinos, and Whitewater and San G. It's a really central location. Of course, it's awful May through October--you can get out for a quick pre-dawn hike, but that's it. Maybe spend summers in Bishop!

[physicslord]

It seems to me the mistreatment of the trail is one problem. But what really needs to be avoided is the situation that results in full closure.

Jim Morrison Cave is yet the latest example: http://www.vcstar.com/news/special/outdoors/public-barred-from-malibu-cave-made-famous-by-jim-morrison-rumor-31a3a2e8-79ea-3c6a-e053-0100007f888-377736831.html

It's like if your only form of "research" on a potential hike is to visit the yelp page, you're kind of in a new category of "hiker".

[roncruiser]

I'm planning my first hike up San Jacinto from the museum:

Is Cactus to Clouds from the museum to San Jacinto peak? If so, what is Skyline?

Thanks...

[Ellen]

Howdy Roncruiser

Skyline is the trail from the museum (or Ramon Rd) to the tram -- Cactus to Bar (C2B) for some of us The Skyline trail is also referred to as Cactus to Clouds (C2C), though I consider C2C as being the hike from the desert to San Jacinto peak and back down to the tram.

Then there are the hardcore folks who hike Skyline to San Jacinto and back down -- C2C2C. I'm not one of them

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[cynthia23]

roncruiser, you mentioned you are planning your first Skyline/c2c hike--when are you planning to go? Frankly, aside from this forthcoming weekend which is forecast to be unusually low, temps are now too warm for safety. Late October/November are the best, especially if it's your first time.

[roncruiser]

roncruiser, you mentioned you are planning your first Skyline/c2c hike--when are you planning to go? Frankly, aside from this forthcoming weekend which is forecast to be unusually low, temps are now too warm for safety. Late October/November are the best, especially if it's your first time.

Thanks Cynthia,
I likely missed the window then. Though, isn't an early morning start time the norm for beating the heat? Say, if I plan it for Saturday May 21st or the Saturday after that but start at 3AM. Will I still beat the heat this time of year?

Howdy Roncruiser

Skyline is the trail from the museum (or Ramon Rd) to the tram -- Cactus to Bar (C2B) for some of us The Skyline trail is also referred to as Cactus to Clouds (C2C), though I consider C2C as being the hike from the desert to San Jacinto peak and back down to the tram.

Then there are the hardcore folks who hike Skyline to San Jacinto and back down -- C2C2C. I'm not one of them

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

Thanks Ellen!

One step at a time for me. Skyline first. Then C2C. Actually prefer going with someone that's done it a few times already.

[cynthia23]

Hi Roncruiser--yes, if you leave at 3 or 4 am in late May, you will mostly 'beat the heat' (although it will still be quite unpleasantly warm.) The danger lies in the reality that many people bonk on their first attempt up Skyline (for a variety of reasons, but usually because they have underestimated how draining it is) and have to turn back midway and midmorning. If that happens, you will 'meet the heat'--that is, during the time you are climbing, the temps below are steadily climbing, and by the time you return, you will be hiking down in temps that are (likely) going to be in the low hundreds--a sure recipe for heat exhaustion and dehydration. This is how many of our rescues unfold. So I and most of the people on this board really strongly recommend that novices wait until the 'safe months' of October and November to try Skyline, when a retreat does not have catastrophic consequences. If you're anxious to get going on your project a bit sooner, you might consider taking the tram up and exploring the second part of the route, to the peak, or traveling to Idyllwild and hiking the west side of the mountain, or driving to
Palm Springs early one a.m and simply going up Skyline for an hour or to about two thousand feet, and then coming down. This will help familiarize you with the grade and difficulties of the trail and better prepare you for a full attempt in October or November.

Even if you are not a novice it is still quite risky, because you never know when you're going to have a bad day, and I certainly, nowadays, would never attempt Skyline post-May. The general rule of thumb is to never attempt it on days the valley temps high forecast is above 92 (but actually we have had deaths and rescues on days when temps were in high 80's, too).