skyline: sand to summit 4/19

[mookyee]

hey all,

we've got a group of 8(!) going up from the museum at 4:00am vying for the summit. we've got varying levels of experience - this will be some of our 3rd times, some 2nds, and a few newbies. i think i've been able to scare people enough so that we're sufficiently prepared. everyone's athletic, so i'm pretty hopeful ...

if you have any recent trip reports regarding snow and/or trail conditions both above and below the tram, it would be greatly appreciated. some of us have both crampon and ice axe experience, but it sounds like the snow has receded significantly, especially below the tram.

and of course, if you see us on the trail, be sure to holla at us. thanks again for all your guy's advice and witty mountain banter. see you up there!

-chris

[Cy Kaicener]

Chris - Two of us are going around 2am to beat the heat. I will be checking the top part of Skyline tomorrow and will let you know what conditions i find.

[mookyee]

so let me get this straight cy, two of you are going around 2am?

btw there's a full moon 4/20. should be gorgeous. anyone know what time the moon goes down?

[some guy]

A full moon always rises around sunset and sets around sunrise. Looks like it sets at 5:30a on the 19th and at about 6a on the 20th. Good hikin'.

[Perry]

so let me get this straight cy, two of you are going around 2am?

That is funny!

[FIGHT ON]

Wow full moon. I'm gonna go. If you see a guy hiking w/o caffeine, it will be FIGHT ON.

[Cy Kaicener]

I decended Skyline from Long Valley about 750 feet before a steep snow bank blocked the trail near the Traverse at 7600 feet. There was a big fallen tree behind and it was too steep to go around it - a cliff above and a drop off below. I was glad I had an ice axe. Going down at 9 am the snow was hard and I had to chop steps or go straight down to avoid the snow. Coming back at 10.15 am I postholed about a foot in some places.
I dont think its wise to take first timers without an ice axe, so I will not be going next week until it has melted more. Two thirds of the trail from 7600 feet up is now snow free. I will go part way at 4.00 am next Saturday and check the top again after taking the tram up. The low at the tram last night was 35 degrees while the high in Palm Springs will get into the nineties.

[mookyee]

great info. thanks cy. i'll be sure to insist that everyone is properly equiped.

does anyone know where i can find a map with the route plotted? i have a topo, but none with the route outlined. i also have the gps waypoints, but not the software to transfer that to a map. thanks!


-chris

[mookyee]

scratch that - i found it here:

http://www.geocities.com/cactus2clouds/ ... po_map.jpg

[guest]

See my post on Snow on Skyline for an update.
Those maps / way-points may help, but once in the trees, you will need some trail savy skills to kinda "feel" you way past the snow areas.

ss