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C2C, 10/19/13 Cactus to Clouds
#33888 10/24/13 11:15 AM
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I swore I'd never do it again, but my father-in-law was visiting from NH. We were hoping to hike Mt. Whitney, but with the gov't shutdown and the 'expected' full winter conditions, we decided we'd save the Whitney trip for another time. I still wanted to do an something epic (for lack of a better word).

Even though I did this a year ago, this may have been my toughest hike ever. I started getting cramps 7 miles into the 17 mile climb, but still managed to beat my PR for Skyline by 40 mins and shave 55 mins off of my C2C time last year.

There were a few small spots of ice/snow on the traverse (the mile or so before Coffman's Crag), as well as some spots between Long Valley and Wellman's Divide. There had been enough foot traffic to cover it went with dirt/mud, so it wasn't a problem.

We started around 3 am and I doubt we saw any temperatures much above 70 degrees (66 @ Ramon Road, 56 @ Coffmans, 60s @ summit). It was a beautiful day for a hike!





Re: C2C, 10/19/13 Cactus to Clouds
63ChevyII.com #33989 11/04/13 05:35 PM
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You are NUTS!!!!

that elevation gain is insane...very nice...

Re: C2C, 10/19/13 Cactus to Clouds
cloud9 #34001 11/07/13 12:27 PM
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Originally Posted By: cloud9
You are NUTS!!!!

that elevation gain is insane...very nice...


Thanks grin

IMO, this hike is easier than a Whitney Day Hike!

Re: C2C, 10/19/13 Cactus to Clouds
63ChevyII.com #34016 11/08/13 05:32 PM
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I don't know about that...according to backpacker.com. whitney is not even on the list of top 10 hardest....you did #5 on that list...

WTG!

Re: C2C, 10/19/13 Cactus to Clouds
cloud9 #35558 03/28/14 10:30 PM
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Nice job! I have to do this one day...out of curiosity, what are the other top 4 harder dayhikes??

Re: C2C, 10/19/13 Cactus to Clouds
nyker #35559 03/28/14 11:09 PM
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Originally Posted By: nyker
Nice job! I have to do this one day...out of curiosity, what are the other top 4 harder dayhikes??

Here.


Verum audaces non gerunt indusia alba. - Ipsi dixit MCMLXXII
Re: C2C, 10/19/13 Cactus to Clouds
wagga #35567 03/30/14 09:06 AM
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Ahh. I remember these. The Adirondack one would be a knee killer.

Re: C2C, 10/19/13 Cactus to Clouds
63ChevyII.com #35576 03/31/14 10:15 AM
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I find this hike harder than a Mt. Whitney dayhike. Friends that I hike with feel that Mt. Whitney is more diffcult. I am not bothered by altitude but the steepness of C2C kills me. Others are not bothered by the steepness but have trouble with altitude. Different horses for different courses.

Re: C2C, 10/19/13 Cactus to Clouds
Sparty85 #35586 03/31/14 03:11 PM
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I just hiked Skyline again Saturday with a group of 7. 4 in the group have hiked Whitney. Everyone in the group, except for me, thinks that Skyline by itself is harder than Mt. Whitney. One guy said he'd rather hike Whitney twice than hike Skyline once! I guess I am in the minority. I really enjoy the climb and the lack of downhill on Skyline. One of the hikers, who has hiked Whitney, was having a bad day. Since we were going at a pace much slower than I usually hike Skyline at, I strapped her pack onto mine and carried it from Rescue #1 to Flat Rock. I was feeling pretty good about myself until I got major cramps just above Coffman's Crag.

I will post a link to my pics when I get them up. On the hike, I spent some time confirming the info on the map I've been messing around with and am happy with the result.


I have a friend that really wants to do a C2C next month. I told him that I could definitely get him up Skyline trail, but he may be on his own for the trip from the tram to the peak and back. The 10/19/13 hike is still too fresh in my mind!

Re: C2C, 10/19/13 Cactus to Clouds
63ChevyII.com #35625 04/01/14 01:39 PM
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Altitude would be the deciding factor for me. The uphill on Skyline is relentless, and we moved slower because of it. But the altitude of Whitney sets it apart as harder if not acclimated well. I also think the downhill on Whitney is bruising. I recovered fully from C2C in a day. 3 days after Whitney I was still sore and tired. And I was in better shape back then.


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