Spikes are recommended at least for descending upper Deer Springs Trail. Print. This trail has had limited hiker traffic since November 2018, largely because Dark Canyon Road has only been open for a few months since the Great Valentines Day flood of 2019. Park here above the picnic area where there are a handful of parking spots. Hiking San Gorgonio Peak - Vivian Creek Route - christopherkhoitran Spitler Peak Trail (last surveyed 18th November) is clear of snow. Deer Springs Trail has a broken track to follow all the way to San Jacinto Peak. Looking for partner (s) for these tentative scheduled hikes - see my Meetup SoCal Mountain Running & Mountaineering or DM me for more info. At 11,499 feet, San Gorgonio Mountain is the highest peak in California south of the Sierra. Skyline Trail is now largely clear, but has very limited patchy, thin, icy snow above about 7200 ft (the Traverse to Grubbs Notch). Forecasts are inconsistent regarding the amount of snowfall in this next storm, but those that I trust suggest 12+ inches in Idyllwild over the next 24 hours, with 1-2 feet in the high country. Reliable tracks are currently only known to be my posthole tracks from 15th for Devils Slide Trail through to San Jacinto Peak via the Wellman, Peak, and East Ridge trails, and then descending Deer Springs Trail. You don't hike alone. Temperatures have been largely above seasonal in the first week of the month, then following a brief cold spell another period of temperatures well above seasonal is forecast for 8th-10th. The San Gorgonio Mountain maintains the longest recorded line of sight in the contiguous United States it is plainly visible from the summit of Mount Whitney, 190 miles away. Current air temperature at San Jacinto Peak is 17.8F (-8C) with a windchill of -5.6F (-21C) and a steady SW wind sustained at 19 mph gusting to 30.2 mph. PCT Mile 179.9 (8070 ft): 4 inches (storm total 3.5 inches), Devils Slide Trail at Humber Park (6550 ft): 3.5 inches (storm total 3.5 inches). Conditions are currently excellent for avalanches on specific terrain in the San Jacinto high country, as proven below. My blogging throughout the storms gave more day-to-day detail and is available here. Mike, You might want to use this one instead Of those, 27 are in the 0.6 mile section between Willow Creek crossing and the State Park boundary. South Ridge Road remains closed now with only about 35% icy snow cover. Since then Idyllwild had a very light dusting (<0.25 inch) of snow on Friday 20th, but the high country was above the cloud and unaffected. The upper end of this trail offers outstanding views of Yucaipa Ridge and Galena Peak, as well as sweeping . And he said he doesn't have any doubt that his friend is still alive. We removed nine treefall hazards on 18th November and the trail is now completely clear again, bringing to 56 the number of trees we have removed from this trail since mid 2021. A second forecast storm system may bring some light precipitation to the San Jacinto mountains on 2nd December, and possibly again on 4th-5th. Snowshoes are currently not required on the established trail system, which is now too heavily traveled and compacted for snowshoes. Conditions immediately following last weeks snow storm, the second significant Pacific system of winter 2022/23, that impacted the San Jacinto mountains on 11th-12th December were summarized in the previous Report (available here). SGWA lists the elevation gain from momyer creek trailhead to SG summit as 6,062'. San Jacinto Trail Report - Snow, weather, and trail conditions for the At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Tuesday 6th December 2022 at 1530 the air temperature was 19.9F (-7C), with a windchill temperature of 3.8F (-16C), 18% relative humidity, and a sharp due West wind sustained at 7 mph gusting to 13.2 mph. With the light fresh powder the previous evening, accompanied by very strong winds causing extensive drifting, prior tracks, including my own from 13th, had been totally erased everywhere so I was again breaking trail the entire way. A light snowfall on the evening of Tuesday 21st will be accompanied by very strong winds, and is expected to largely or completely eliminate all tracks above about 7000 ft. Seven Pines Trail has not been traveled since the storm in mid December, at least not in its uppermost section, and there is no track to follow through the snow. Reports are that the Vivian Creek Trail to San Gorgonio is basically clear of snow. The lower half of the trail should be largely clear of snow by the weekend. The Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail has a well-traveled track to follow throughout its length, snow cover is about 80%. 8. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway/Long Valley remain open. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock The Ernie Maxwell Trail is clear of snow. As discussed above, multiple additional snowfalls forecast for 14th-18th January will further complicate the trail conditions. In my most recent survey there were at least 82 treefall hazards between PCT Miles 170-175 including 20+ major ones, and about six more on PCT Miles 175-177. A minor storm on the night of Tuesday 21st will include severe cold and severe winds, followed by milder, moderate storm on 22nd-23rd, and then an unusual atmospheric river combined with very cold air again producing heavy snowfall for 23rd-25th February. While many hundreds of hours of time and effort are volunteered every year, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small private donations to help cover modest operating costs. TAKE A MAP. Dutch Flat, at about 5600 ft elevation between Idyllwild and Pine Cove, recorded 0.86 inch of rain by 1300. If the Report is useful to you in any way, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Currently trails above about 7500 ft (lower in places) are largely obscured by moderate to deep snow. Note however that snow depth is rarely indicative of the ease (or otherwise) of hiking a given trail. I was pleased to see that over the weekend some posthole tracks were added on top of my snowshoe track from last week all the way up Deer Springs Trail to San Jacinto Peak. Thank you so much for your support. Multiple mild storm systems are forecast to bring extremely unsettled weather to the San Jacinto mountains starting Tuesday 27th December, lasting well into the first week of January. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-hikers22jan22,1,1003736.story?coll=la-home-local Hikers Warned to Avoid Icy Risks Four are dead and two missing in Southland mountains. Conditions are forecast to remain very unsettled for the first week of January. I descended via Deer Springs Trail, breaking trail snowshoeing through virgin powder all the way down to the Suicide Rock Trail junction. Note that tracks discussed here may become obscured by heavy drifting of snow from strong winds combined with extensive ice fall from trees overhead. Most of the upper half of the trail had 3-4 inches of lovely fluffy powder. Devils Slide Trail has a well traveled and compacted track to Saddle Junction in place already. Snow cover is about 60% from Strawberry Junction north for about 1.0 mile (roughly 8500 ft), and thereafter >90% to San Jacinto Peak. Marion Mountain Trail [updated 15th] has a mix of snowshoe and posthole tracks all the way up to its junction with Deer Springs Trail. All trails above about 6500 ft are currently lightly, or above 7500 ft moderately, snow-covered. They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, potentially mixed with slushy and/or icy patches (depending upon time of day). These icy slopes are notoriously treacherous. Eventually with compaction of the trails caused by increasing hiker traffic and freeze/thaw cycles snowshoes may steadily become less useful, however they will certainly remain valuable for off-trail travel in the high country well into February at least. All trails above about 4500 ft are snow-covered. About 6-10 inches of snow are forecast for the high country on Saturday 14th, with 1-2 inches possible at the elevation of Idyllwild (preceded by 1-2 inches of rain). If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Some general comments on snow/ice conditions. 3 Beds. At the Peak on Wednesday 11th January 2023 at 0915 the air temperature was 24.0F (-4C), with a windchill temperature of 5.8F (-15C), 74% relative humidity, and a bitter NNW wind sustained at 19 mph gusting to 24.5 mph. Both of these storms are expected to be relatively mild at first with rain a possibility up to 9000 ft before freeze levels drop down to 6000 ft. Rainfall may continue at mid elevations potentially for several consecutive days, and the relative warmth of the air masses may produce rain and/or freezing rain as high as San Jacinto Peak, challenging layers of icy or mixed snow/ice conditions at all elevations, and perhaps melting of much preexisting snow below about 8000 ft. Current forecasts for precipitation suggest as much as three inches of rain around the elevation of Idyllwild (5000-6000 ft) between the afternoon of Tuesday 27th December 2022 and Wednesday 4th January 2023. San Gorgonio, also known as "Old Greyback", is the highest mountain in Southern California. Lamentably this latest storm was again very mild, with rain falling as high as the elevation of San Jacinto Peak see photos below all morning on Tuesday 10th, until finally turning to light snow in the early afternoon (at about 1330 in Long Valley). Zelle, Venmo, and PayPal are all options. At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Tuesday 27th December 2022 at 0850 the air temperature was 31.2F (-1C), with a windchill temperature of 15.1F (-9C), 31% relative humidity, and a sharp WSW wind sustained at 17 mph gusting to 26.1 mph. All trails above about 8000 ft are obscured by snow at this time, and cautious navigation is strongly recommended everywhere. Conversely in some places scouring by the wind means the depths are well below the average. but probably light rain and/or about an inch of snow at the elevation of Idyllwild. With compaction of the trails in the second week of January, snowshoes may steadily become less useful, however they will remain valuable for off-trail travel in the high country for the foreseeable future. By comparison, approximately 42 inches were recorded in February 2023 (provisional data). Devils Slide Trail is functionally clear of snow below 7600 ft, about two miles up, and then snow cover is about 60% up to Saddle Junction but becoming almost continuous within 0.2 mile of the junction. San Bernardino National Forest including the San Jacinto Ranger District is closed until at least 16 March 2023. Altitudes are approximate. My blogging throughout the storms gave more day-to-day detail and is available here. Winds decreasing (severe gales from the W on Mon morning, fresh winds from the WNW by Wed night). Generally considered a challenging route. San Bernardino 9 Peaks Traverse. March 4 - San Gorgonio via Dobbs ridge/peak and return same route. These icy slopes are notoriously treacherous. Precipitation turned to occasional light snow in Long Valley at about 1330, with an accumulation by 1550 of just 0.5 inch. February is forecast to be somewhat more settled than the very eventful January. On 2nd, 5th, and 6th we barebooted to San Jacinto Peak on well-traveled and compacted tracks through increasingly patchy light icy snow. At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Wednesday 11th January 2023 at 0915 the air temperature was 24.0F (-4C), with a windchill temperature of 5.8F (-15C), 74% relative humidity, and a bitter NNW wind sustained at 19 mph gusting to 24.5 mph. Spikes at least are required, but preferably crampons, both best used with an ice axe, specifically for the uppermost switchbacks, but traction is useful for descending much lower also. Went out on South Fork/Dry Lake Trails with micro spikes to Dry Lake via winter route. This was tricky for postholing which went through the ice layer. Very cautious navigation is strongly recommended everywhere. Recently I have mentioned the challenges of hard, icy snow underfoot and the value of using spikes (and/or crampons) especially for descending and traversing. Deer Springs Trail is clear from the Highway 243 trailhead to the Suicide Rock trail junction at 7000 ft, and functionally clear from there to Strawberry Junction (8100 ft), with a few icy snow patches increasing in length and frequency as you ascend. San Bernardino, CA 92408 It finally stopped snowing at about 0700, and some blue sky has resulted in spectacular vistas. There is precipitation forecast from Wednesday 28th into the first week of 2023. By my measurements, Idyllwild is up to 51 inches of snow to date for this winter, compared to the average for the thirty year period 1991-2020 of 31 inches. I kept those on for the rest of the ascent, and almost all of the descent, finally removing them most of the way down Devils Slide Trail. Note that averages are given; due to strong winds accompanying storms there is extensive drifting. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 37-42 inches, drifted >50 inches especially on east flank, Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 42-46 inches, heavily drifted, Seven Pines Trail junction with Deer Springs Trail (8700 ft): 35 inches, Annies Junction/PCT Mile 180.8 (9070 ft): 44 inches, Saddle Junction/PCT Mile 179 (8070 ft): 21 inches, Devils Slide trailhead at Humber Park (6550 ft): 0-2 inches. Coldwell Banker. 2,345 Sq. PCTA is aware of the situation, and is hoping to start addressing it soon (weather permitting). My tracks from today (Friday 6th January) from Humber Park to San Jacinto Peak and back will be largely visible but will be somewhat obscured in places. The Vivian Creek Trail is the shortest and the steepest route to the summit of Mt. Snowshoes will remain valuable anywhere off trail above about 8000 ft for the foreseeable future. Currently crampons, always with an ice axe, and thorough knowledge of how to use this equipment, are essential. Altitudes are approximate. There is an excellent snowshoe track to follow on the Wellman Trail and the Peak Trail up to San Jacinto Peak. Melting is expected to be steady and start to accelerate into February, but freeze/thaw cycles, compaction, and refreezing overnight may ultimately combine to produce very icy conditions. Although not required, some hikers will find spikes useful especially for descending. Print/PDF map. On the morning of Monday 12th a further 2.5 inches of snow settled in Idyllwild. The snowfall of this 20th storm of the winter brings the seasonal total here to 71.8 inches of snow, which is 233% of the average water year snowfall for Idyllwild. Trail Conditions Map; Wilderness Trip Planner . Snowshoes are not advisable due to the angle of the icy snow. Indeed there were no other tracks anywhere above Humber Park, not even on lower Devils Slide Trail. Temperatures will climb steadily this week and be well above seasonal for at least 21st-28th December. However there was no sign of that route by 6th, due to drifting snow. 7. Put on snowshoes and went up to the base of San Gorgonio . Currently, and increasingly as snow conditions change, spikes are strongly recommended for the foreseeable future everywhere above about 7000 ft, lower in places. The Ernie Maxwell Trail [surveyed 5th January] has patchy snow along its entire length, however it is largely clear for long sections, and the remaining snow is soft. When you apply for a permit, youll get a link to forms where you can report water info, hazards, and any other info including lost or found items. In addition to snowshoes, and as conditions change, spikes are strongly recommended for the foreseeable future everywhere above about 6000ft. The atmospheric river of moisture from lower latitudes was weaker than the storm in early November, although snowfall was ultimately slightly greater in this storm than in November, perhaps in part due to the colder temperatures. Explore this 19.0-mile out-and-back trail near Forest Falls, California. Early on the morning of Saturday 17th I broke trail back-and-forth across the 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT and Tahquitz Peak which now has a lightly traveled posthole track to follow through the drifted powder. United States. Thielsen to Hwy-58/Willamette Pass, Hwy-58/Willamette Pass to Hwy-242/McKenzie Pass, Hwy-242/McKenzie Pass to Hwy-35/Barlow Pass, Hwy-14/Cascade Locks to Hwy-12/White Pass, Hwy-12/White Pass to I-90/Snoqualmie Pass, I-90/Snoqualmie Pass to Hwy-2/Stevens Pass, Hwy-20/Rainy Pass to Manning Park, Canada, What you should know about fire restrictions, warnings and watches, Honest talk about toilet paper and uncovered feces, The case for carrying a pee rag while hiking, Tips to navigate the start of a thru-hike, Getting to and from the Northern Terminus, Getting to and from the Southern Terminus, Reduce your chance of contracting communicable diseases, Danger from individuals cultivating marijuana, Emergency beacons, lost hikers, trip plans, and search and rescue, Encountering Border Patrol on the Southern Pacific Crest Trail, Bear canister requirements and protecting your food, Stream crossing safety while hiking and backpacking, PCTAs Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, PCTA Saw Training and Certification Program Documents, Columbia Cascades Saw Training and Certification, North Cascades Saw Training and Certification, Southern California Saw Training and Certification Weekend, Wind River Saw Training and Certification Weekend, Leona Divide 50 mile foot race on April 22, 2023, Crowder Canyon Section C by Cajon Pass Rock Fall Conditions, Guidance for Visiting the PCT During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Commercial permits and special-use authorizations, Local permit areas on the Pacific Crest Trail, Non-Discrimination Statement and Resources. Gary Suttle's book lists it as 8.4mi. Icy snow cover is 60% overall, becoming increasingly patchy below about 7000 ft, and again in the sun-exposed areas above 8000 ft. Spikes are useful, especially for descending. Although our perceptions may have been skewed by some extremely dry winters in the past decade, major snowfalls are not as rare as many current residents might think. Be prepared for ice and deep snow, bring crampons and /or snow shoes and above all do not hike past your limits. A strong and bitterly cold NNE wind made conditions interesting, with large parts of the broken tracks filling in overnight with spindrift (and wind blown ice blocks), so I found myself breaking lengthy sections of trail yet again. the snowfall predicted in some forecasts. Potentially dangerous cold is currently forecast for the highest peaks for 14th-23rd January at least. Most major trails now have a track through the snow to follow, details have been updated below. Steady melting is expected with warming temperatures this week, especially at mid elevations and on sun-exposed slopes. The snow quickly turned into semi-melted slush. Note that there are about a dozen stream crossings and sections of the trail with water flowing in them, at times for tens of feet. It was closed Wednesday both because of hazardous conditions and because rescuers did not want hikers disturbing any footprints or other clues that might have been left by Kumm. Note that temperatures fluctuating either side of freezing are forecast for mid to upper elevations (at least >6000 ft) for the foreseeable future. New phone # 909-382-2882If you want a permit for Vivian for a dayhike on the weekend in the summertime, you must get it 3-4 weeks in advance.
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