Mighty Mountaineers

We all have mountains to climb. For the children who are a part of the Oncology and Kids and Camp Reach for the Sky family, that mountain is Pediatric Cancer. The strength and courage that these kids display on a daily basis is remarkable, heroic, and inspiring.

Cancer is an uphill battle for everyone involved, and the effects of a pediatric cancer diagnosis can last for many years; and for some a lifetime. These children and their families are put in a position that most of us can't even imagine, but their love, compassion, and fortitude show us all what it truly means to be mighty.

We have created the Mighty Mountaineers to honor and support these children and their families. Becoming a member of this group will allow you to share in the journeys and adventures of others as we all reach our goals. But in the end we are all coming together to share one goal, and that is raising awareness and funding for Oncology and Kids and Camp Reach for the Sky.

C2C2C Challenge

Cactus to Clouds to Camp

For those of you that want to take on a serious physical challenge, and who literally want to climb a mountain, we have come up with "The Cactus to Clouds to Camp" hike, taking place October 7th-9th.

The C2C is already an established hike, and is known as one of the toughest day hikes in the US. The hike begins in Palm Springs at an elevation of 500 feet, and climbs all the way to the summit of Mount San Jacinto, which is at an elevation of 10,800 feet. This part of the hike is a very tough 16 mile uphill trek.

Normally you would then double back 6 miles and take the Tram back down to Palm Springs. But we have decided that we will make the 6 mile journey west and head down to Idyllwild and spend the night at Marion Mountain Campground, where we will celebrate together.

So our journey will be a full East to West adventure up and over Mount San Jacinto. Please note we will not be carrying everything needed to camp out while doing the hike. We will all meet at the campground on Friday afternoon/early evening and set up camp (we have already reserved a large portion of the campground). We will then be driven by a support team to Palm Springs and start our hike on Friday night at midnight, and we will hike for as long as it takes us on Saturday before finishing our 22 mile journey.

Of course we also want to help and support OAK and CR4TS! So with this option there is also a $1,000 fundraising minimum that is required in order to be able to participate. A fundraising page will be set up for you so that you can share it with friends and family.

Cactus 2 Clouds

First Cactus to Clouds hike: October 29, 1993, led by Ray Wilson for Coachella Valley Hiking Club.
Cactus to Clouds hike created by Sue Birnbaum and Ray Wilson.
Distance: 16 miles total to summit.
Elevation Gain: 10,310'

More Info

Custom Challenge

Create your own challenge

If the C2C2C hike isn't your cup of tea, then we encourage everyone to sign up and create your own mighty mission. Remember, this doesn't necessarily have to be a physical challenge.

We all have different mountains to climb, and becoming mighty is something that should be personal and powerful to you!

Of course we also want to help and support OAK and CR4TS! So with this option we would love our Mountaineers to fundraise, but there is no minimum fundraising required to participate. A fundraising page will be set up for you so that you can share it with friends and family.

Become a Mighty Mountaineer

The first step in becoming a Mighty Mountaineer is to fill out the application on this page. You will have the option to apply for the Cactus to Clouds to Camp hike that takes place in early October, or you can get creative and come up with your own mighty mission.

We will be accepting applications for the C2C2C hike through July 11th, and we will then notify people if they've been accepted in mid-July.

If you're applying to take on your own mighty mission, whether it is solo or with a team, then applications will stay open through the end of September, which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

We will wrap up our 2022 Mighty Mountaineers Campaign at the end of October, which we lovingly call OAKtober.

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Mighty Mountaineer!