Here we go again?

[Hikin_Jim]

The OCHBC is going to do a full C2C. None of that wimpy stop at the tram stuff. Just speaking for myself, the "you're on your own" language makes me a little uncomfortable. And isn't 4:00 AM a bit of a late start?

HJ

_________________
Announcing a new meeting for Orange County Hiking and Backpacking Club (OCHBC)!

What: Cactus To Clouds (AKA C2C)
When: Saturday, May 10, 4:00 AM
Where: (A location for this meeting hasn't been chosen yet)

Who should come: Anyone likes a good challange. PLEASE, DON'T RSVP "NO" IF YOU DON'T INTENT TO PARTICIPATE. If you like to relate a message please email me.

Meeting Description: This is 9th annual (by my hiking group) C2C hike and you are welcome to join, if you think this is something you would like to challange yourself.

Total elevation gain: 11,000' + -
Summit: 10,800'
Total mileage: 23 Miles
Total trail time: About 7 to15 hours
Total waking hours: 12 to 22 hours

Start Time: 4:00 AM.

The details about starting and ending points, two way radio channels, lights, hotel reservations, any other suggestions will be emailed closer to event day.

If you are thinking about it, now you have time. Get off your butt. Go out and start hiking to get ready for this one.

I am going to do this hike regardless. So, this is an invitation for anyone to join me, only if you think you are capable and experienced hiker. I am not in a position to decide if you are qualified to do this hike or not. This is one of the toughest hike around, possibly in continental USA. So if you know your limits feel free to put your name in and join me. This is an advanced hike and you are presumed to know what it takes to do this hike. You will have committed to minumum of 11 to 12 miles and 8,500' elevation gain after two hours into the hike, if you can no longer continue further.

This is likely not going to be a group hike but a buddy system, as long as you can keep up with somebody. There is a good chance you may be separated and hiking by yourself. It is recommended that you bring along a two-way radio. We will regroup at few strategical locations. We will also have an optional dinner in Palm Springs after the hike.

Any outdoors activity can be challenging, fun, or a painful experience, (often depending who you are with), even deadly and more painful depending on you, your abilities, circumstances, lock of judgement and sometimes just bad luck. Accidents happen. Please do not sign up; if you are not comfortable with what you are doing, or if you think you don?t have the needed skills for the event. You will be agreeing to take responsibility for yourself, your actions and not to hold organizer/group leader, participants, carpoolers or anyone liable but yourself by signing and/or showing up for this event. Please remember that if you are not capable to this event or you don?t know your limits and still sign up, you may not only put yourself in danger but the all other participants who are going with you. You further agree to pay for any medical or legal cost involved incase of an injury to yourself by signing up for this event.

Learn more here:
http://hiking.meetup.com/217/calendar/7614087/

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[cynthia23]

OMG!!!!! Why I don't just call Jim Bakos and the rest of the SAR guys right now? That way they can clear their schedule, pack their bags, and have a leisurely lunch right before they head to 7000 to rescue one or more of these poor benighted souls.

Verdi's draconian warning notice will not defer anyone other than sensible people, leaving him with a hike full of egotists and fools. Great plan!

Halhiker, I believe, said it best: don't lead hikes up Skyline with people you have never hiked with before! People cannot "self-evaluate" themselves for a hike like this. There's only way to set up a hike like this, and it isn't "whatever happens, happens, dude!" It's very clear: first you have to take people out on some shorter hikes and see how fit they are. Then you have to commit yourself to leading them! The plan isn't, we're going, and if you can keep up with us, fine, if not, you're f--ked, buddy! If this is your "plan", then why not hike alone?!!

This is messed up.

[Hikin_Jim]

Yeah, the, "There is a good chance you may be separated and hiking by yourself," part really disturbs me to me. "I'm going hiking and if you can't keep up ... too doggone bad. I'll calculate the spot where the vultures are circling and notify your next of kin."

To lead people into a situation where their very lives may be at risk and to do nothing to try to attend to their safety seems unethical to me.

[Rick Kent]

This would be better if they were planning on descending via the PCT.

[simonov]

Calm down folks, Verdi leads this hike every year.

I don't know what methods he uses for weeding out the noobs in advance, but he seems to be a pretty good hike leader (I have been with him on a couple of his hikes). Most of the people on the hike with be from the Outdoor Club, who (in my judgment) seem to be a bit more hardcore than the OCHBC folks.

Personally, I am not sure I could do the C2C and never for a moment considered signing up for his hike (though I believe I was just this morning invited to join a group attempting Whitney this year).

[Cy Kaicener]

Verdi already has 33 people from the Outdoorsclub signed up for this hike.
This is not counting the second group from OCHBC.. Verdi is very fast, so I hope there will be a couple of assistants at the rear.

[cynthia23]

THIRTY THREE?!!!!!

Not counting the people from Orange County?????

But there will be no sweepers or formal supervision?????

But no one will have been vetted or tested beforehand?

But the hike leader does not plan to take any responsibility for keeping track of people?

There will definitely be a rescue. In fact, more than one.

Now, not to be crass, but I suggest we take this golden opportunity to form the .....

FIRST ANNUAL SKYLINE RESCUE POOL!!!

Rules: winner is the one to correctly predict number of rescuees, time of rescue, and location.

Of course, Grandmaster P would not want us to actually gamble on this site, so it's purely in jest that I suggest contestants throw in, let's say, 5 bucks ....

May the best sick joker win!

Now: I'm gonna go for: (drum roll, please): three exhausted people, 11 a.m., 5,800 feet. , PLUS two sick, dehydrated people, 4pm, hopelessly lost in the technical chutes at 7400 feet.

Next?

[simonov]

There will definitely be a rescue. In fact, more than one.

That's a strange thing to say when you consider he has done this before multiple times without any rescues.

What is special about this hike?

[cynthia23]

Why do I think there will be a rescue??? Because Moses and the Pillar of Fire couldn't lead forty unvetted, unsupervised people up this mountain without a rescue! Much less a guy who has specifically stated he won't lead and he won't wait for stragglers!

I'm gonna hand this off to someone else, I think I get too emotional. Especially when I have five whole bucks at stake.

HikingJim, you are the dulcet tones of reason. You take the wheel.

[Hikin_Jim]

HikingJim, you are the dulcet tones of reason. You take the wheel.

LOL. Now we're really in trouble.

That's reassuring to know that Verdi has done this before. Still, that is a pretty big group. What size groups has he done in the past?

Also, from his wording, I get the impression he's not doing any screening. That's a bit worrisome. A lot of the folks on this board I would trust to know "yes, I'm ready for this" or "no, I'm not." On the other hand, there are a lot of people have no basis from which to evaluate themselves; they have no idea what they're getting into.

Just thinking out loud here, but perhaps it would be a good thing for Verdi to sort of ask for a "resume" of recent hikes for the last 3 - 6 months? I've been on Sierra Club outings where they did that. If one scans down the "resume" one can pretty quickly see whether a person is a good candidate vs. a poor one. Imperfect to be sure, but one could screen out a lot of "obvious" ones. What do you guys think?