HIKES & EVENTS
Cactus to Clouds
Hiking/Walk
DATE: Nov 11, 2018
END DATE: Nov 11, 2018
Hike/Event Location: Palm Springs CA
Trip Leader(s)
CJDGO
Phoenix, AZ United States
Meeting Time: 3:00 AM
Max # People: 8
Hike Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money
Hike Difficulty Level:
Very Strenuous
(Do you qualify to attend with this hike difficulty rating? Click Here.)
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Summary
Climbing from the floor of the Sonoran Desert to the 10,834’ alpine summit of Mount San Jacinto, this is without question one of the world’s most difficult hikes. Each year, thousands of hikers attempt it, but inevitably several pay the ultimate price for a lack of preparation. Hyperthermia, hypothermia and dehydration are real, life-threatening risks that Cactus-to-Clouds hikers must carefully avoid.
Our reward, however, will be sensational views along the entire route, coupled with an unmatched sense of accomplishment. After summiting Mt. San Jacinto, we will return to the valley floor in the afternoon via the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
We’ll hike almost 22 miles round trip at high altitude with over 10,000’ of elevation gain. That’s only 800 feet shy of the climb from Mount Everest basecamp to the summit of Mount Everest, and more than a vertical half-mile more than the climb up Mt. Whitney, the tallest point in the contiguous United States.
This hike will be extremely strenuous and is suitable only for experienced hikers in peak condition. The hike leader reserves the right to qualify participants.
Our hike will begin at 3:00am and take us about 13 hours to complete, including a lunch stop at the summit. A forecast of rain or snow 48 hours before our start cancels, as does fewer than four signups as of 8pm, Wednesday, November 7. Pack at least 6 liters of water, lunch and the rest of the Ten Essentials, including clothing for a wide range of temperatures.
Directions To Trailhead Parking Lot
We will meet at the Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 N Museum Dr, Palm Springs, CA, 92262 at 3:00am SHARP on Sunday, November 11. Park on the street, not in the museum parking lot.
Trip Leader
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members signed up for this event
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- Driving My Own Car
(Willing to give guys a ride)
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- Driving My Own Car
(Possibly willing to give guys a ride)
For those who end up going down the tram with me, I will PROBABLY have a car waiting to pick me up to shuttle back to the museum. Other options include Uber or Lyft (using Wifi in the valley tram station) or calling a cab to get back to the museum.
Did we want to set up a car shuttle? Two of us can leave ou car at the tram station on Saturday. Just means a few will need to carpool to the trailhead which will depend on where people are staying.
Additional notes: Bring money for a 1-way tram ticket down ($12ish). Also bring cash for the cab ride from the lower tram station back to the museum, probably $5-$8 each. CJ’s note about water is CRITICAL. We'll do an early assessment to make sure we're all on track, and another at 4,300’. Anyone struggling will need to turn around for your own safety. After that, it becomes more dangerous to descend (due to the heat/lack of shade) than to keep going up.
Our weather forecast is looking pretty ideal: sunny, dry and cool. Expect temps in the low 50s when we start the hike, mid-40s at the summit, and a high of perhaps 60 when we reach the tram at the end of the hike.
Refilling water at the spring at the Long Valley ranger station is indeed an option. That's about 12.5 miles into our hike, after 80% of the climb is already done, so be sure to pack enough water to make it that far.
How much water should you bring? Because this hike is very strenuous and our route is entirely dry, plan on A MINIMUM of 6 liters. That's about 1.5 gallons. A full 3L hydration bladder plus a (mostly) full gallon jug of water is not unreasonable. As for the "Ten Essentials," be sure to pack a headlamp and fresh batteries, since the first 3-4 hours of our hike will be in darkness.
Check out the excellent, exhaustive (and exhausting!) summary of this trail at https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/best-la-hikes/cactus-to-clouds-hike/
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