For those of you who have done this from the desert floor, what time of year did you do it and how hard was following a route up there in the dark? Assume Shoulder seasons are best after the heat and before the snow. Where can I find a reliable gpx file out there?
April's a good time, and sometimes earlier IF you have solid information that's there NO snow/ice on the upper part of the trail - the section below the tram. It's a deadly section with snow & ice.
I used to live in Inyokern for 7 years, and did the Cactus to Clouds hike a few times. If you PM me with your email, I'll send you a GPX that will include the section from the Museum to the tram, and tram to the summit.
