SummitPost.org

Lately, I've been contemplating a run up Skyline Trail from the Palm Springs Museum to the tram station, where I'll take the easy way down.

A few years back, I hiked the trail alone, so I'm vaguely familiar with it. For the past few years, I've been doing a lot of trail running in the mountains, including the Mt. Baldy Summit Run (6,000 feet to 10,000 feet over 7 miles).

I realize Skyline would involve more miles (11 as opposed to 7) and more elevation gain (8,000 as opposed to 4,000).

Any advice from Skyline regulars? This is the perfect time of year, isn't it?

Thanks, all.

I did it around this time last year, and still had to start around dawn for temps to be comfortable. Brett Maune actually set the record in December, though by then the snow up top slowed him down a bit.

You should be able to estimate your time based on your Baldy vertical ascent rate (ft/hr). From that, you should know how much water to take.

deungsan,

You might want to try PMing to Cy Kaicener (I think it's the same Cy who posts on SP all the time) and pick his brain.

http://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2012/ ... -hike.html

"An energetic fellow named Cy Kaicener, 75, has hiked the Skyline Trail a few hundred times and dedicates much of a personal website to the tales of the trail."

Also:
Per Fastest Known Time:

http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/thread/49

Also FWIW,

If you like elevation gainers/desert peak elevation runs, you should check out the Mount Grant Memorial Challenge that is a really cool dirt run with awesome views:
Mt. Grant Memorial Challenge: ~7k gain over 16 miles. It's a dirt road run with really no down hill.
Course is open only once a year as it's on a military reservation. It's worth running at least once. Downside? you gotta drive to Hawthorne, NV.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mt-Grant ... 1951080592
Be well,
JM

Done it 3 or 4 times around this time of year, including trail running it once. Should take you about twice the time to reach the tram vs. the Baldy Race. This is a pretty time, but the best is in another month or so if it doesn't snow (just going to the tram reduces that probability).

deungsan, Good advice in the posts above. I also suggest you try the San Jacinto Message Board. Cy is a regular on that board too. I recall last year or maybe two years ago a post from a guy calling himself SDTrackRunner ran the whole trail, up and down, no tram ride in a pretty remarkable time. I'm getting older and slower with each passing year but I still aspire to someday do the whole C2C, round trip sans tram in under 24 hrs.

I've only done the C2C route once and not at a pace that will impress. However, on that day, I was passed by three people all jogging at a pretty good clip (one ran down too), so I get the impression that it is run pretty frequently.

Here is a link to get information about running Skyline - Just ask what you want to know

http://www.mtsanjacinto.info/viewforum. ... c40ffafe32

More on fast runs up Skyline:

http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/thread/49

Under 4 hours is not unusual, but not tons of folks do it under 3 hours. I'm happy to do it in 7 hours, but I'm shuffling and not running.

The trouble with that trail is that the shortcuts have shortcuts; so there is no standard trail until you get up to Flat Rock. For some it is 10 miles, but for others it is 9 miles or less; so there is no way to say who did it the fastest when the route varies from runner to runner. At the same time, under 3 hours is darn fast no matter how many miles.

Ze wrote:Done it 3 or 4 times around this time of year, including trail running it once. Should take you about twice the time to reach the tram vs. the Baldy Race. This is a pretty time, but the best is in another month or so if it doesn't snow (just going to the tram reduces that probability).

Twice Baldy is doable. I might be in.

RickF wrote:deungsan, Good advice in the posts above. I also suggest you try the San Jacinto Message Board. Cy is a regular on that board too. I recall last year or maybe two years ago a post from a guy calling himself SDTrackRunner ran the whole trail, up and down, no tram ride in a pretty remarkable time. I'm getting older and slower with each passing year but I still aspire to someday do the whole C2C, round trip sans tram in under 24 hrs.

Been to the SJMB but didn't go back far enough to see those posts. Time to try again. Thanks.

Cy Kaicener wrote:Here is a link to get information about running Skyline - Just ask what you want to know

http://www.mtsanjacinto.info/viewforum. ... c40ffafe32

Thanks, Cy. You won't remember, but I think I met you several years ago on the trail just above the PS museum.

Ok, maybe November is waiting too late this year!

http://www.mtsanjacinto.info/viewtopic.php?t=4348

The only suggestion I would add is that you might want to consider starting from the San Ramon Rd instead of the Museum as it'll be easier to follow and keep your pace. I don't/can't run that trail but have seen a few guys do it. The most impressive was when I saw that guy ultrademus from the link KathyW put up. I was up there the same day he made his attempt and while he didn't set the record, it was impressive watching someone move so quickly. That snow should melt quickly if you're planning it soon. We have sunny days until at least next Wednesday.

BTW There was a snow storm on the 9th of October in the San Jacinto Mountains. About 2 inches of snow on the ground in Idyllwild at 5,200', much deeper cover higher up. It might stay a while at above 8-9K. JFYI.

asmrz wrote:BTW There was a snow storm on the 9th of October in the San Jacinto Mountains. About 2 inches of snow on the ground in Idyllwild at 5,200', much deeper cover higher up. It might stay a while at above 8-9K. JFYI.

Thanks for the heads-up.

I saw some patches of leftover snow on Mt. Pinos north of LA today around 7,000 feet.