I went to Castle Rock State Park over the weekend to get a sense of the Skyline to the Sea trail.
I found the park really crowded on both Saturday and Sunday. I am not sure how the Park closures were selected but based on my one weekend it seems crazy to close this place come September based on apparent number of visitors.
I hiked the Saratoga Gap trail to Waterman Gap Trail Camp rather than starting on the Skyline trail. The scenery is nice but I found much of the trail too close to highways and I crossed pavement three times in about as many miles. There is also a large section of the trail that crosses a private paved road which is pretty uncomfortable considering the numerous signs warning of civil penalties for straying.
There is a shooting range relatively close to the Main Trail Camps and this presents far more gunfire than I seek while backpacking but the park is in a relatively populated, multi-use area so I understand that it has to be accepted. I am glad I went down to Waterman Gap camp even though it wasn't technically opened. This is a spacious area with multiple sites and only a little road noise as opposed to constant gunshots.
Temperatures were really mild. I wore shorts, a silk weight tee shirt and a ball cap for the trip. I brought a synthetic pullover but only needed it for a few minutes while eating breakfast. My wind shirt would have probably sufficed as I didn't spend much time out of my bag.
This was my first time using the hammock I bought off Ken Thompson on the forums and that is a nice way to rest. There is a definite learning curve and I need to get out a lot more and work with it. Overall sleep was very good although I did have some cramping in my calves and need to figure out the best position for me. A thin torso pad and my puffy were plenty of insulation under my bag. The Rock Wren was great in a hammock as I didn't have to wriggle completely out to get up but could put my feet and arms out first and get my feet down before sitting up. I'll try to find as many chances as I can to practice with the hammock over the summer.
From Castle Rock parking lot to Waterman Gap Trail camp is 11.8 miles. I got started late, at 2pm on Saturday and got into Waterman Gap at 6. I felt fine the next morning and the first nine miles went easily. The last 2.8 proved to be draining and really taxed me although I finished in 5 and a quarter hours. I would like to try the whole Skyline trail in a day but 23.6 miles in 23.25 hours really beat the hell out of me and I need to work on my fitness.
My pack weight with food and water was just under 10 lbs. That really helped me keep up the pace. I think it's a real shame that this park will close and I definitely need to head back there before the end of summer.
