My boots were still dead, and I made a last-minute walk to big5. The previous strategy of "buy-the-most-expensive-big5-boots" was getting tiresome: they work fine, but just aren't durable enough to survive the bushwhacks. So I employed a new strategy: assume it's all going to fall apart quickly, and buy the cheapest thing they have. After 20min I walked out with a brand new pair of Denali something boots for $25.
The tram isn't running, so we'd be walking up and down. But it also means that that whole side of the mountain is deserted: didn't see anybody all day. We started walking at the bottom of Tramway rd a bit before sunrise; it was 80deg F. The breeze picked up once we started climbing, and the heat was mostly not an issue the rest of the day. It was cloudy and it rained a bit, so the conditions were perfect.
The lower section is steep and slabby and fun.
Then it flattens out and goes on for a looong time. There are deer here
And magnificent views
At 5000ft is a lotta mosquitos for some reason. The trees up on the ridge are visible from far below, but it takes a while to get up to them
Eventually at ~6000ft we were there!
The section is amazing. The next section is a scrambly rollercoaster:
At point 7446 the view opens up into Snow Creek and the San Jacinto summit ridge:
The final section crosses several bumps. It's a scramble and it is great.
Eventually we crested the ridge and took a looong break
Got up here in 8:22, a far cry from the 5-hour time I was shooting for based on previous skyline experiences. We rested here for a bit, and decided to skip the summit: it was late, and we still had to hike all the way back down. The descent down the skyline trail went faster, but it still took us a solid 5 hours from Grubb's notch to the art museum. Saw the Salton Sea
And very glowy red mountains at sunset
We got back to town after dark. It was laughably hot.
We didn't summit, and my legs haven't been this sore in a long time. I don't understand how headsizeburrito did 2 laps, both physically and also just being able to motivate to go back up after the first lap. Instead of the second lap, we devoured some pizza, and drove home.
Leatherneck ridge is great. Go do it.
The $25 boots from big5 have some odd fit issues, but are functional, and are still in one piece!
