Palm Springs Skyline Trail

My House!!!, originally uploaded by Cobber99.

A great article about this trail in the Press-Enterprise about this trail. There are some very dedicated hikers on this trail.

It's considered one of the most difficult and dangerous hikes in Southern California because of the elevation gain and lack of shade and water. Also, temperatures on the desert floor in the summer can be 100 degrees higher than in the mountains in the winter.
Kaicener has hiked it 236 times. Sabia has hiked it 235 times. They are one-two in an unofficial competition for most trips up the trail. That's the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest almost 65 times or walking from Los Angeles to New York City.

There seem to be quite a few hiker rescued after getting lost on this trail because you can take a tramway up to the top. Hiking can be dangerous business.

When it enters Mount San Jacinto State Park, it is not maintained and therefore not a trail, said Jerry Frates, the park superintendent.

In the summer, hikers are often unprepared for the heat and in the winter they are often not ready for ice at higher elevations, he said.

As the trail has become more popular in recent years, at least two hikers have died and rescues have increased, he said. There were at least five helicopter rescues this summer, up from two or three last year, he said.

"It's a very dangerous place to hike when you don't plan it or you haven't done it before," Frates said.

Click through it is a good article with a nice little video too.