RMRU Report

[Ed]

Quite a rescue.

https://rmru.org/2025/03/03/2025-007/

[Hikin_Jim]

62 SAR volunteers (not including additional law enforcement personnel) from 11 different SAR teams from 5 counties; helicopter support from 3 different agencies (Riverside and Orange Counties and Cal Fire); fire personnel from Idyllwild Fire and Cal Fire; and the US Forest Service

Wow. Just wow.

HJ

[guest]

Wow, hats off to these SAR's and other members involved, that is truly amazing these hikers survived, and didn't give up hope. Talk about one of the worst areas, in some of the most life-threatening conditions, we're all super fortunate to have these folks willing and able to perform these highly skilled feats to help those in desperate need in our local mtns.
Fingers-crossed they won't have to rescue many, (if any) on Skyline now that the heat is coming on. Bravo and a huge amount of respect for all involved! scott

[Hikin_Jim]

Interesting It seems like they officially close Skyline when it's cold but not when it's hot -- or am I mistaken? I haven't attempted it in a long time, and I don't follow it like I used to.

The last time I did Skyline was in December 13 years ago. I was a much younger man then! I did Marion Mtn to San Jac Pk last Saturday with a 30 something lbs pack (low 30s), and I was pretty wiped out thereafter. It was a little hot in parts, but the main thing that wiped me out was just the steepness of Marion Mtn. My quads were pretty fried by the time I got to the Deer Springs Trail/PCT, and of course one still has another couple of thousand feet of gain beyond there in order to summit.

HJ

[Ed]

I miss Cynthia23's wonderful warnings on hiking Skyline in the summer.

When I hiked San Jacinto by the Marion Mountain Trail, it was the downhill that killed me.

[Hikin_Jim]

I too remember Cynthia's rather expressive warnings. She had quite the gift for it. Did she move? Or simply stop posting?

The downhill on the Marion Mountain Trail is no joke. At least for me, a couple of good trekking poles really helps on steep downhills, particularly if I'm carrying any pack weight at all. There are some short stretches that are all but vertical; I almost don't think of them as a trail. Perhaps the original builders were on some kind of deadline? It seems they went nearly straight up the grade.

By contrast, the Seven Pines Trail meanders around, almost as though they were trying to stretch things out. Both trails start around 6300' and end within 20 feet of each other where they intersect the Deer Springs Trail, but the Seven Pines Trail takes 3.2 miles to do what the Marion Mountain Trail does in 2.4 -- nearly a mile longer (0.8 mi). I haven't been on the Seven Pines Trail in some time, but I understand it's fallen into disuse. The Marion Mountain Trail, by contrast, had no shortage of hikers this past Memorial Day weekend.

HJ