Cactus to Clouds Hike (C2C) - Mt. San Jacinto Peak

| Two hikers at dawn along Skyline Trail (C2C) |

There are so many things to say about the Cactus to Clouds trail. Being a Southern California classic built early in the Depression era by the CCC, it has been a bench mark for hikers with a passion for challenges.

A short synopsis of the experience is this. The trail is roughly 22ish miles long, starting around 300ft elevation among the city of Palm Springs & rising all the way to San Jacinto Peak at 10,834ft. It is a brutally long day of hiking, often starting before dawn to beat the desert heat & early enough to catch the last aerial tram down off the mountain. Top fitness is required, for the first eleven miles the trail gains around 8,000ft elevation, grabbing the last 2,800 feet over five or so miles to the actual summit. Between 2009 & 2012 four hikers died while attempting this route.

| Night before in the parking lot |

There are lots of websites & hiking blogs out there with information on how to prepare for this hike in the appropriate way. To help you gauge if you are ready for the C2C. These are two sites that really helped in our planning: HikingGeek & HikinJim.

| Rescue Box #1 |

Our small troop decided we didn't want to drive to the trail the same morning we hiked so we opted to drive out Friday night to the Wal-Mart Palm Springs (legal overnight) & sleep in our cars until the morning start time. After a few hours tossing & turning we geared up & were at the trailhead walking at 3:30am.

True to all the advice the beginning couple miles is braided rock trail & hard to follow at times. The white painted blazes are fairly accurate in the dark, but just heading up hill proved to work. Once at the picnic tables it was easier going.

| Plam Springs - Dawn |

After passing the first Rescue Box still in the cool of the night our confidence built. The coming miles would be some of my favorite of the trip. We hiked up tight switchbacks as the sun rose over the city. Fantastic silhouettes all around unfolded while the dim headlamps could be seem finding their way up the trail.

Moving onto the Never Ending Ridge portion, we continued strong. Taking breaks in the shade when needed. Passing the 4,300 rock marker put a smile on everyone's face. From this point on our group split in two until Coffman's Crag, making our way through what seemed like some of the steepest sections after the Flat Rock bench mark, but before The Traverse.

| Heading towards the notch, middle right |

| San Gorgonio - 11,503ft |

| Flat Rock landmark clean up |

The final push up past Coffman's Crag was steep, but did not seem to fit all the warranted advice. Topping out into San Jancito National Park proper it was tourists galore. Everyone had ridden the $12 gondola up to the high meadows & cool pines. Was good to see so many people enjoying the outdoors.

| Steep manzanita section |

| Coffman's Crag |

| Post Coffman Crag before the top of Skyline |

Our troop stopped for lunch near a major area & people watched, it was noon on the dot. After this we refilled our water at the ranger station. We had just done a ton of the climbing over eleven miles, but still had 5.5 miles up to the summit & 5.5 miles back down to the tram.

| Forever switchbacks |

The trail winds around interminably, taking forever to reach mental check points. Finally reaching Wellmans Divide it only takes a longer approach to the summit with long sweeping switchbacks. Passing the summit area hut we could already see our breath, we topped out with snow around us, after climbing all the way from the desert floor. Success!

After a celebratory group photo & summit beer we packed up & got out of the cold. Starting our descent on the long switchbacks the sun was waning & revealing wonderful purple sunset hues. Before Wellman Divide it was time for head lamps & a cautious approach to all the small snow patches that had frozen in the cold night.

The last few miles were a tunnel of headlamp light, but a fitting eve to one long day hike. Reaching the tram station we bought our tickets & the desk was good help calling a cab for us which was waiting at the bottom of the tram ride. It was just over $25 to get us all back to the Museum trailhead where our cars were.

| Looking south |

Really this was a fantastic hike that can be enjoyable with the right approach. Know that you are capable & wish to hike this with confidence from the beginning, with the best possible info. 

"Sure, it’s a big deal to climb Mt. Whitney-but on the highest peak in the lower 48, you begin at 8,360 feet. To conquer Cactus to Clouds, you start on the desert floor and ascend 10,700 feet-a vertical half-mile more than Whitney. Two fun ways to put your pain in perspective as you churn up the unmaintained trail: The trek to San Jacinto’s 10,804-foot, boulder-strewn crown is only 800 vertical feet shorter than the climb from Everest basecamp to summit-and comparable to doing more than a thousand flights of stairs."  -Michael Lanza

Chicken Spring Lake Backpacking - Eastern Sierra Mts

The mighty Range of Light is a testament of challenging wonders that will reveal itself to those that choose to walk it's paths, deep into it's heart, while exploring their own.

Stephanie & I spontaneously decided to go for a weekend backpacking trip, but skipped the usual local San Gabes & went straight for the big stuff, Eastern Sierra's. Deciding originally on a loop trip, up over Cottonwood Pass to Lower Soldier Lake, then back over New Army Pass & through the Cottonwood Lakes region...... Mother Nature had other intentions.

Driving to Lone Pine, it was raining. We got dinner & our hotel, it was raining. We woke, snagged permits & ate breakfast, it was still raining. Feeling confident, we drove up to the trail head, maybe it'd look different at 10,000ft? After navigating the fifteen some odd rock slides on the road we made it to our parking spot, turned the Jeep off... it was still raining. 

| Near Cottonwood Pass, looking into Horseshoe Meadow |

All gear packed accordingly, about to set foot on the trail & the rain stopped, we couldn't believe it. Walking with smiles only lasted about thirty five minutes, the rain returned while we were climbing the switchbacks to Cottonwood Pass. The views down both sides were beautiful, cloaked in thick dark clouds all around us. 

 

| Chicken Spring Lake - Elevation 11,242ft |

Moving on now, we had spent some time in the rain & still felt good about it. Crossing into the 11,000ft range of elevation we started to encounter hail more than rain. The situation was changing rapidly. We were getting closer to Chicken Spring Lake, so we opted for an afternoon break there. 

The rock basin was stunning upon arrival, the hail continuing to grow stronger, covering the forest floor with a thin layer of white. That's when the thunder began. Rolling heavy & loud all throughout the mountains around us. What a magnificent display. 

By now we had decided to alter our route & call this lake home for the night. When the storm waned a bit, we put up the tent & unpacked gear, all still dry as a bone, things were looking up. Steph knocked out while I sat & giddly listening to every thunder clap for several hours. Lighting never showed up to the party fortunately, just lots of earth shaking noise. Props to Big Agnes, superior ultra light tents, this is the fourth trip with multi-hour storms with no problems what so ever.

| Inyo National Forest |

After showing off her power, Mother Nature decided to show us her softer side & opened up the skies for a majestic sunset that will live with me for a long time. Walking the shoreline & then finding a nice high point to see the last rays of light fall over these granite peaks was all the reassurance I needed that this is where we belong.

Retreating to make a tortellini dinner & snack furiously before sleep was all that had to be done now. Life was good, the stars were out & displaying all their allure. The next morning we still had some clear skies so plans were made to explore more before packing up.

| Chicken Spring Lake, Big Whitney Meadow |

Heading up the boulder section on the eastern side of the lake, we gained a ridgline that looked far down into Big Whitney Meadow. A most expansive & encompassing view. The rocks were interesting & warn along the top of the ridge from wind constantly eroding them away over time. Clouds slowly began to gather & we knew it was time to get walking. 

Gear was secured & slung over our shoulders, made it back to Cottonwood Pass with easy, but we could hear thunder & see the rain in the distance, right where we needed to go. Only about five minutes passed & were we in the thick of a shower & thunder roared again. However, today was different, for every 5 or 6 thunder claps we heard, a bolt of lighting would streak across the sky.

The lower section of the trail through the Horseshoe Meadow area is a mix of dense trees & large open & exposed trail sections. While Steph & I walked one of these open/exposed trail sections a bolt a lighting crashed down from the sky & struck the group in front of us in the same open area we were walking through! The sound was so incredibly loud we both jumped out of shear fright, leaving our skin on the trail behind us. Never had I seen or experienced anything like that in my whole life. Needless to say, hearts racing, we picked up the pace & made it to the car as more hail began to fall from the sky.

| Horseshoe Meadow |

The adventure didn't stop there, while driving out we experience a lighting strike, arc hundreds of feet tall, over our car, hitting the ground on both sides of Luken Canyon Road. Later on the Hwy 395, traffic came to a grinding halt due to a large flash flood mud slide that covered to highway (see video). Everyone stood around on the highway cursing obscenities... I was just thinking about the next trip to the High Sierra's.

Silver Lake - Secret Stairs

Once again, a few good friends have found themselves wondering amongst the quiet streets of a hidden Los Angeles neighborhood.



Our Secret Staircases of LA book has brought us to a junction I visit quite often, Silver Lake Blvd & Sunset, but would have never known this nest of hodge-podge homes existed amongst the terrace elevations.



Ambling through the top portion of this walk I noticed as well that this walk had crossed paths with a previous adventure.



Looking back on this walk I missed out on a picture of one of the neatest houses I have seen yet, another trip will be in order for that.