July 2019 Mangum Dental Hike-of-the-Month Cactus to Clouds (C2C)
- by Dr. Jim Ransdell
Distance: 17.5 miles
Difficulty: Advanced
Elevation Gain: 10,577 ft.
Parking: This trail starts at the Palm Springs Art Museum parking lot; however, hike parking is not permitted at the museum. Park on the street near the museum.
Directions: The museum address is 101 N. Museum Dr., Palm Springs, CA 92262. The drive from Prescott is just under 5 hours and shy of 300 miles. The best route is to travel from Prescott down through Yarnell, Congress, Aguila, and Salome to Interstate 10. Stay on I-10 for 146 miles before exiting Date Palm Drive in Palm Springs.
Summary: The Cactus to Clouds Trail is also named the Skyline Trail. It is a 17.5-mile hike to the summit of Mount San Jacinto. It was given the distinction as the hardest day hike in America by Backpacker Magazine and ranked in the top 5 most arduous day hikes in the world. The challenges include the 10,500 feet of elevation gain, the length of the trail, and the change in climate from the bottom to the top. This is not a casual day hike. It is essential that one plans well, trains, and studies the trail. There have been fatalities on the trail and if a hiker encounters a problem there is a point when descending is far more dangerous than continuing. The Skyline Trail starts at the Art Museum and climbs continuously for 10.5 miles and 8400 ft to Long Valley, at the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tram. From there, the adventurous (mentally unstable hiker) will continue 5 miles to the top of Mt. San Jacinto, at an altitude of 10,834 ft. The hiker then descends back 5 miles to the tram station for the ride back to the bottom. The tram is a few miles from the art museum and transportation can be arranged through a taxi, Uber, or pre-placing a car at the bottom of the tram station. The best time of year is May or October, as the weather at the bottom is not too hot, and the top is not too cold. Most hikers will start this hike between midnight and 4 am to avoid the heat and exposure at the lower elevations.
The trail has light traffic from the museum to the tram. It is common for many hikers to catch the tram up the mountain and hike the last 5 miles to the summit. This past May the last 2-3 miles were icy making it a challenge to follow the trail as well as staying upright. The highlights of the hike included the night-hike up the mountain with a full moon. The noise and lights of the city below will fade with each mile. If you catch the sunrise, it is spectacular and the variation in habitats are magnificent as one increases in elevation. At times, the hike may feel more like a scramble as the trail is steep. The elevation gain is constant and relentless, but the views are outrageously beautiful.
Mangum Dental has been serving the Prescott-area dental needs since 1978. We strive to provide exceptional patient care while rendering outstanding compassionate service. Find out more at www.mangumdental.com.
