Cactus to Clouds Hike Guide - HikingGuy.com

[@raywilson548]

Great review and pictures of C2C. I am the former Coachella Valley Hiking Club leader who started this hike on my birthday every year back then. Thanks for the memories!

[@Hikingguy]

Thank you and big thank you for working with the CVHC - I've chatted with some members and know that you guys maintain the white blazes, which are critical for navigating the trail, so again, big thank you.

[@sj1684]

Thank you HikingGuy! Just did the C2C this past Sunday, October 16th. The weather was fantastic and the rain on the 15th made it less dusty and much cooler. The AT is next, February 2023 🏃‍♀🏃‍♀🏃‍♀

[@suriyanramasami]

Thank you HikingGuy for the the details wrt this hike on your webpage. I didn't even have to go and scout the trailhead - your information was so detailed! I did the C2C2C on Aug 5, 2017 - started at 1:00 am.

[@Hikingguy]

Whoa, a C2C2C in the summer, that's huge! Congrats man! Glad the directions helped, I really appreciate the feedback. And for everyone else reading this, don't try a C2C2C unless you really know what you're doing and are super fit.

[@KartsHuseonica]

I need to do this incredible climb. Thanks for all the hard work you put into making this excellent video.

[@Hikingguy]

You're welcome, and it's coming into the sweet spot when folks do this hike, so give it a whirl if you have the fitness and experience!

[@chrisbrunn3480]

Did this hike yesterday, your guide was terrific, thanks for the tips. Weather was perfect & full moon. I grabbed a cheap energizer 2nd head lamp and put it on my pack sternum strap and pointed it at the area in front of my feet that helped navigating the 6+ hrs of darkness without needing to move my head so much. Definitely a tough hike but quite the feeling of accomplishment when heading down from the tram and seeing the ridge you just traversed and knowing that was just a small part of what you did that day.

[@Hikingguy]

Congrats on doing this one and glad the guide came in handy. And I know the feeling of taking the tram down after climbing. It's amazing how disconnected you feel from all the tourists you stand next to. And good tip on the clip on light, will try that on my next night hike.

[@AbandonedMines11]

A very informative video! That’s an impressive-looking hike.

[@BrownRice808]

Just did this hike last week. It was brutal. Thanks for all the hiking info you provide!!

[@Hikingguy]

Congrats, it's a tough one 👍👍👍 glad the guide was helpful

[@drogerstkd2]

Thx @hiking guy ...successfully completed C2C today and your review/info was invaluable to making it. Used your .gpx file , advice and tips ...the ‘blazes’ help a ton in the dark ...

[@Hikingguy]

Awesome, congrats. It's no joke, especially in August. Glad the site came in handy & see ya out there...

[@brockmcdonald5745]

Hiked from Tram to Peak today. Beautiful day. HikingGuy's video was great prep. The trail was covered in snow the entire way. I didn't have microspikes but did have sticks, which made the hike possible. The snowy trail is is very uneven; wreaked havoc on my ankles. I would have preferred full ankle support hiking boots. Fantastic day overall.

[@Hikingguy]

Nice, yea saw some pictures from friends of the snow, looked really nice. It's supposed to get clobbered with snow on Wed/Thu too.

[@moe761]

Finally going to do this hike this weekend, cannot wait! Thanks a million for the advice.

[@Hikingguy]

Awesome, you'll love it. At points you might hate it (like right before Long Valley), but in general you should have a blast. Not sure if you saw the blog post too, but you should definitely check it out: hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/hiking-la/cactus-to-clouds-hike/

[@moe761]

HikingGuy.com checked this hike off my bucket list 2 weeks ago. Thanks again for the tips

[@kiimii82]

Love your channel for clear, level-headed guidance. Thank you for all the hard work and providing us with so much information+

[@Hikingguy]

Thank you!!!

[@larrykay6606]

Update for this hike. You must now park on the street outside of the museum/parking structure. I just did this hike yesterday. It is EPIC!

[@Hikingguy]

Congrats! It's a beast. & for the updated parking, it's all in the article, made the mistake of mentioning parking in the video... article has latest and greatest...

[@lionfish7449]

Thanks HikingGuy, we are planning the Skyline Trail to the tram on Thanksgiving Day of 2016, so we appreciate all the videos out there!

[@dft1]

cool. I have mountain biked up and down this trail, its a wild ride(well I turned around about 500 vertical from the top of the tram. its 100% push your bike up it.

[@frankieguillermo]

That blue tent at round valley at the old ranger station was there for a week before the rangers took it down. cool video. U are lucky, I usually run into some rattlers when running skyline at night. Awesome hike, great job on pointing out that staying on the path is key and not taking the shortcuts while on the skyline portion of the C2C Not to take away from the fact it is a serious hike/run just to get to Grubbs notch.

[@Hikingguy]

Thanks man - yea, got lucky on the snake front this time - last time I did a short hike to painted rock and saw a few of them. As if it isn't hard enough without poisonous snakes...

[@concerned1313]

I might do the picnic tables in the winter time as my bucket list. I can't believe you did the peak too. If you had hiked all the way back down to Palm Springs, I don't know what I would have typed. Thanks, your video is the only one on KZbin that serves this hike justice, and it is far too much for me today. You have a good amount of warnings and links that validate warnings. A man has got to know his limitations, and this is one for me not to go.

[@Hikingguy]

Thanks for the note and glad the guide was handy, and yea, I'm with you, better to stay in your limits. No hike is worth risking your life for. You'll get some nice views from the picnic tables and it's a great winter hike.

[@chingona322]

I love your videos and appreciate all the info you provide. Thanks 😊

[@Hikingguy]

Thank you 👍👍👍

[@justrione]

Always great information thank you very much

[@Hikingguy]

👍👍🙏🙏🙏

[@monaliza8559]

Thank you very much. I appreciate all your vedios.

[@Hikingguy]

Of course, glad it was helpful, thank you for the note! 🙏

[@ConjuntoBuenaMezcla]

I love this option. I do not know whether I am acclimated to hiking from the Palm Springs parking lot trail head, however, the ranger station option hike to the San Jacinto Peak looks great. I just came back from some 7,000-8,000 ft hikes in Colorado, so it is a challenge to adjust to the altitude. I think I can bite off a 5-6 mile loop to the peak, I would choose late spring or early fall. I was surprised at how cool it is up at the ranger station. The last time I was there in 2010, it was shorts and a tank top, to a Pendleton shirt and long pants.I did think ahead. I didn't take that Round Valley loop, but I promised myself next time I will do so. Thanks for your video!

[@Hikingguy]

check this out: hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/best-la-hikes/palm-springs-aerial-tramway-hike-to-mt-san-jacinto/

[@Ruffpeaksoutfitters]

Good video. You were spot on. I did the hike today.

[@ElCidVargas]

Done c2c twice now, couldn't have done it without video! Man the last two miles are always a free for all especially in the dark 😅

[@boytoy7605]

Awesome..... Im going to do it.

[@hikewithmike4673]

Cool hike, crazy pre dawn hiking... Looks like an awesome place to hike and camp

[@Hikingguy]

Thanks man, yea, it was beautiful. Was happy when the sun came up though.

[@MrTyroneWashington]

I enjoyed the video and the information you shared about the hike. I'm an avid hiker, but I couldn't do that hike. Hell, for a four hour hike in a non-desert climate with my dogs, I bring 3 gallons of water....and that's starting a couple of hours before dusk.

[@Hikingguy]

Ha, thanks thanks... and yea, this would definitely be a tough one with dogs. Probably doable but have never seen folks doing it with them.

[@rommelnavarrette2831]

Love your videos man

[@Hikingguy]

Thank you 🙏🙏🙏

[@WarbirdPylonRacer]

Great video!!! Thanks for doing this one! Gives a boost of confidence which is helpful for any hike. What time did you start your hike from the trailhead in this video? It was getting light when you were 5 miles out so can I assume about 3am?

[@Hikingguy]

Yea, it was early, more like 2am. The slowing is pretty slow in the dark (in addition to the climbing).

[@WarbirdPylonRacer]

I use your videos and website as a resource. You do a great job! Keep em coming! :)

[@Hikingguy]

Awesome, glad it comes in handy!

[@aliensoup2420]

Thanks for the video. I tried this once in June. I made it about 5 miles, then my legs cramped, so I had to turn around and go back down. It was strange because I had done several long distance, high altitude hikes before (Whitney, Gorgonio) with no problem. I had lots of water and Gatorade, fruit... ??? At the trail head I met a local guy on his way up with nothing but a water bladder on his back - super fit. He said "have a nice hike", then he started running up the trail. I never saw him again. The trail markings are a crap shoot. In the first couple miles there are dozens of connecting trails leading everywhere, and dots all over. I was really confused about what was the correct route.

[@Hikingguy]

Yea, June can be tough with the heat. Happy you made it back down safely. That's when most folks get in trouble. Not sure if you saw the accompanying article in the description, but usually it's safer to push through to the tram depending on where your bail out point is. Either way, happy to made it back safely. && Yea, I've been passed by trail runners doing C2C2C, which is insane... I guess if you have the fitness and experience anything is doable

[@jimwalker3039]

We had downloaded a gpx file that was correct to within 30 ft ..and warned us if we strayed from track. Since we did firt 5k climb in dark, the gps was a life saver. Also, June is probably not a great month for this hike. Try before it gets too hot. If you have done Whitney without any issues, I dont think you have stamina issues for this hike.

[@hhocter]

Great video!

[@Marco26438]

Do you think hiking down this trail is a good idea if you overnight backpacked your way up from idyllwild

[@Hikingguy]

If you have a GPX file it's pretty easy as long as the temperatures cooperate. Otherwise most of the white dots are oriented toward hikers going up. That said, if you're good at spotting a trail, it's doable.

[@oscarmolinaoutdooradventur1648]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@AdventuresAZ]

Thanks, well done. Doing C2C at the end of Oct and this helped.

[@Hikingguy]

Thanks man - glad it helped. Check the page out too, lots more info there: hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/hiking-la/cactus-to-clouds-hike/

[@Hikingguy]

How did it go?

[@AdventuresAZ]

I had knee surgery in August and it has not come back as fast as I was hoping so I am delaying it. How late in the season is it possible to go?

[@Hikingguy]

Yea, not a good idea to do this one until your in top form. You can basically go until they get a lot of snow / ice. I'd call the ranger station (see my blog post) to get trail conditions. With the weather these days, you never know, but Nov/Dec/Jan will probably be the cutoff unless you're experienced at winter hiking.

[@sentinelhd9964]

@@AdventuresAZ I’m doing the trail here in a couple days and, yes, if you’re not experienced with winter hiking it can turn sour pretty fast. It’ll be more trouble than it’s worth, especially gear wise if you don’t already have it, so I’d say just wait if you’re thinking about going near the end of the year.

[@irisnan3666]

Nice hike!

[@JeffServigis]

The perfect video

[@984337brian]

How does this hike compare to the standard Mount Whitney Trail? Is it much harder or around the same?

[@crishazzard3129]

It has about 4000 feet more climbing than Whitney (in a comparable distance). But the altitude is much less of a factor on C2C, since you start near sea level. For me, C2C was harder than Whitney (I didn't have any altitude problems on Whitney).

[@hikeryoga7079]

How do you train for this huke?

[@Hikingguy]

Check out the full hike guide in the description: hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/best-la-hikes/cactus-to-clouds-hike/

[@jimwalker3039]

Hello HikingGuy, do you see any issues with doing this hike on late March or early April time frame?

[@Hikingguy]

Usually it's icy / snowy and only doable with mountaineering experience at that point. April / May is a better bet for the thaw

[@jimwalker3039]

Thanks. Will shoe crampons and ski poles do? our group has no ice experience besides that.

[@Hikingguy]

Mountaineering is above my pay grade, so not sure. Might make sense to check out the SoCal Hiking board on Reddit. I know some folks are avid winter hikers there. Post and see what you get.

[@jimwalker3039]

@@Hikingguy Did this last April, last week. Conditions were perfect. we are a slow group so we started around midnight and were at the tram station around 10

[@jimwalker3039]

the walk from there to top and back was a 6-7 hrs hike, but less strenuous than the 8k climb.

[@randolphsloan2263]

I got go there and hike that mt

[@Hikingguy]

It's def a bucket list hike...

[@TVinmyEye]

crazy! 10,400 feet of gain is just insane. thats 4300 more than whitney! think i just stick with the marion mountain trail lol.

[@Hikingguy]

Yea, by the time to you to Long Valley, you already feel like you did one of the toughest days ever. Then you keep going!

[@markaguirre9035]

ever seen any mountain bikers on this beauty?

[@Hikingguy]

I have not but I bet someone has tried it. There are def sections where you would have to walk though.

[@paulholt2317]

No, the hiking volunteers have not done a "good job" of marking the trail. When one gets to the picnic tables, there are 3 directions to go: Lykken South, Lykken North; and the Skyline trail. There are no signs whatsoever designating which trail goes where. I think the "hiking volunteers" are anxious to get hikers lost.

[@Hikingguy]

I strongly disagree. Given the landscape, land ownership, and conditions, I think the tough parts of the hike are very will marked. At a junction with Lykken you should be able to figure out the right turn with a map and/or GPS+GPX. This is not a beginners hike and you shouldn't expect signage like you would in a National Park. If you think it can be better you can reach out to the local group and offer to volunteer or discuss with them. cvhikingclub.net

[@HydeMyJekyll]

I figure if I can run multiple ranges in full gear in one day at 29 Palms in the heat of the day, I can probably walk up this hill with a light pack and some water.

[@JesseStLouis]

Love your channel. It would be great if you could give me some feedback on mine.

[@Hikingguy]

I dig it. I like your content, finding places that are accessible but off the beaten track. The video looks good and I like the soundtrack you lay down. I guess if anything, it might make sense to do a separate channel for the travel / adventure, and then another one for the acting and personal stuff. It might help get subscribers who want to focus on one or the other. Overall really great, enjoy the videos.

[@JesseStLouis]

Thank you

[@tacocruiser4238]

Looks like more trouble than it's worth.... I would rather start from Idyllwild. It's easier and the scenery is just as good (f not better).

[@Hikingguy]

Yea, I agree, give me Deer Springs or Devil Slide to San J any day. C2C can be beautiful when the temps are in your favor, but it's more of a bragging rights kind of hike since Backpacker labeled it one of the toughest day hikes a few years back.

[@marksivert1684]

Great video!