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My route down to Little Round Valley will not be especially helpful to ascending hikers, as I made the most of conditions to take a direct glissading route. Although I carried snowshoes it would have been risky to try to use them on the icy traverses. As encouraging as that is, it should be noted that snow accumulation at San Jacinto Peak is only at about 65% of the depth in March 2019, and this winter overall remains well below the historical average for snow in the high country, despite recent events. Spikes tend to be especially useful for descending trails. Snow cover is shallow up to about 7000 ft, but relatively heavy above 8000 ft. Melting on sun-exposed slopes is already well underway, e.g., on lower Devils Slide Trail, South Ridge and Deer Springs trails. As described above, crampons (always in conjunction with an ice axe) are currently recommended on certain moderate and higher angle slopes, at a minimum on the Peak Trail above Wellman Divide, the Wellman Trail, and uppermost South Ridge Trail, on both flanks but especially on the north face of Tahquitz Peak. Snowshoes are likely to become useful (even essential in early January), at least above about 9000 ft, if there is significant snowfall during the coming week or so as forecast. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 10-12 inches (12-14 inches on 12th December), Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 9 inches (10-12 inches on 12th December), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 2-4 inches (7 inches on 12th December), Annies Junction/approx. Even experienced hikers should understand that winter ice hiking requires Alpine mountaineering equipment and skills, authorities said. 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. Length 19.0 miElevation gain 5,492 ftRoute type Out & back. Trail Details. The story so far.. A minor storm on the night of Tuesday 21st (sixteenth storm of the winter) produced little snow just an inch in Idyllwild but severe cold and severe winds, erasing all tracks with wild drifting. These icy slopes are notoriously treacherous. Thursday 5th January saw the fifth storm in the past ten days in the San Jacinto mountains. Florian Boyd kindly reported this morning that snow has dusted down to 4500 ft on the lower (open) section of Skyline Trail. "He was alone and had no map. This morning I broke South Ridge Trail to Tahquitz Peak. Above that elevation, icy snow cover is about 60% to Saddle Junction. San Bernardino 9 Peaks Traverse. In addition, there is the possibility of minor snow storms on Thursday 19th and around Sunday 29th January. . Hikers should be prepared for temperatures well below freezing in the high country, and far below freezing when considering wind chill effects (see below for my recent weather observations from San Jacinto Peak). We surveyed the PCT where it crosses Highway 74 (approx. At the Peak on Wednesday 1st February 2023 at 0935 the air temperature was 16.6F (-8C), with a windchill temperature of -8.0F (-22C), 13% relative humidity, and a wild NNE wind sustained at 21 mph gusting to 35.2 mph. On South Ridge Trail spikes at least, but preferably crampons, are required for the uppermost switchbacks. MLS# EV23025164. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 25-27 inches (includes 2.5 inches snow added on 10th January) but very heavily drifted, Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 24 inches (2 inches on 10th January), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 16 inches (1.5 inches snow plus unknown quantity of rain on 10th), Annies Junction/PCT Mile 180.8 (9070 ft): 16 inches (1.5 inches snow plus unknown quantity of rain on 10th), Seven Pines Trail junction with Deer Springs Trail/PCT Mile 184.9 (8700 ft): 13 inches (1 inch snow on 10th), Long Valley (8600 ft): 8 inches (1 inch snow plus 1.5 inches rain on 10th), Strawberry Junction/PCT Mile 183.3 (8100 ft): 6 inches (1 inch snow plus unknown quantity of rain on 10th), Saddle Junction/PCT Mile 179 (8070 ft): 8 inches (1 inch snow plus unknown quantity of rain on 10th), Deer Springs Trail at Suicide Rock Trail junction (6950 ft): 0-1 inch (0.5 inch snow plus >1.0 inch rain on 10th), Devils Slide trailhead at Humber Park (6550 ft): 0.5 inch (0.5 inch snow plus >1.0 inch rain on 10th). If there are Road Closed signs further down at the junction with Forest Drive sometimes the case at weekends and holidays when snow is present then those nine spaces are also unavailable for legal parking. Temperatures will be near or generally below seasonal for the next ten days at least. We talk about his top SoCal mountains, tips & advice for long day hikes and newbie hikers, salsa dancing up Half Dome, redemption on San Gorgonio, disappearing on Ontario Peak, completing the Six Pack of Peaks challenge in one month, Cactus to Clouds vs Iron Mountain, summit cypher, dance origins, and the one hike he would re-live all over again. 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). Total Wages: Total wages reported by the employer from Box 5 of the W-2, with some exceptions, and Elected Officials who received pay reported on IRS Form 1099. The 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT and Tahquitz Peak has no steps to follow through the steeply angled icy snow. While searchers said three of the men who died were experienced hikers, Kumm is better described as an outdoors enthusiast, said Cpl. While expected to be relatively mild at first with rain above 9000 ft, overall this next sequence of storms may prove to be colder than most of the recent systems. Map Information. As always after storms in the San Jacinto range be aware of considerable ice fall from overhead trees. From Laws east to Caramba the route of the original Caramba Trail has been well-cairned by myself and others and can largely be followed with very careful route-finding. The Included in the re-opening were hiking trails outside of the burned area. 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. So we recommend getting your permit in advance! This information will be updated daily over the next week as details are changing significantly with every new forecast. South Ridge Road remains closed now with only about 35% icy snow cover. Temperatures will be below freezing (max 28F on Mon night, min 25F on Wed morning). Devils Slide Trail has a relatively well-traveled and compacted track to Saddle Junction in place already. No tracks had made it as far as Chinquapin from Saddle Junction at that time. The second significant Pacific storm of winter 2022/23 is currently impacting the San Jacinto mountains. 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. The other bonus was an immaculate set of fresh Mountain Lion tracks in the trail (photos below), with sign that the lion had crossed back-and-forth across Devils Slide in multiple locations further up also. I switched to crampons and then finished breaking the Peak Trail through to near Miller Peak (photo below). Currently spikes at a minimum, and ideally crampons, with an ice axe, are strongly recommended. Between November 2021 and May 2022, 61 downed trees were removed and almost the entire trail thoroughly trimmed and cleared. 602 S. Tippecanoe Ave. San Gorgonio Mountain lies at the easternmost extremity of the Transverse Ranges.The mountain is a heavily eroded, partially dissected plateau.. Big Bear Lake, California is the largest city near San Gorgonio, and hosts two major ski resorts; it is also used for summer recreation.. Geology. UPDATE Tuesday 10th January: Another minor and relatively warm storm is passing through our mountains today. A remarkable further 9.5 inches of snow fell in Idyllwild today, bringing the storm total to 19.5 inches, before largely stopping and the cloud cover partly clearing out near dusk. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. It was near-whiteout conditions due to wild spindrift above Wellman Divide, but the new snow was firm and overall made for good snowshoeing conditions. And he said he doesn't have any doubt that his friend is still alive. When plowed Humber will remain very icy for the next few days at least. It does not accurately follow the established trail route in significant sections but is navigable. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Four Hikers On The Summit Of San Gorgonio Mountain 1900-1915 Cali - Old Photo at the best online prices at eBay! He said Kumm had hiked to 6,500 feet a week earlier with his girlfriend. "The vegetation is not strong in burned areas; more rocks are falling than ever before in those areas. Above that elevation, icy snow is largely continuous to Saddle Junction. At the Peak on Monday 19th December 2022 at 0920 the air temperature was 31.3F (0C), with a windchill temperature of 20.7F (-6C), 9% relative humidity, and a gentle WNW wind sustained at 5 mph gusting to 9.9 mph. I just moved to southern california and want to be back out doing what I love. Note that generally the maximum depths so far this winter were immediately following the major storm sequence on 14th-17th January 2023 (details of those depths available here). However the combined effect of the two minor storms, in combination with wild gusty winds pushing spindrift snow all over the high country, had completely erased the few tracks that were in place by the morning of Wednesday 15th. Strong winds expected on 11th-12th February, and again on 14th, will likely obscure many tracks with spindrift. Spikes tend to be most valuable for descending even when not needed for ascending. Phone is 909-382-2882 or you can request a permit via fax at (909) 794-1125. contact San Bernardino National Forest, San Gorgonio Ranger District, 34701 Mill Creek Rd., Mentone, CA 92359 909-382-2882 or fax (909) 794-1125.Current Trail Conditions. So we recommend getting your permit in advance! Other Info. After a relatively benign day, it started snowing gently at 1340, and has become steady with large wet flakes in the past hour or so. It has stopped snowing both in Idyllwild (current storm total 0.75 inch snow plus 1.14 inches of rain) and at San Jacinto Peak (9 inches snow). Only saw one person all day on the way down (started at 5:30 am). Currently trails above about 7500 ft (lower in places) are largely obscured by moderate to deep snow. I recorded a short(ish) video report from San Jacinto Peak late morning on Monday 30th (available here on YouTube) that gives a feel for the conditions in the high country at that time. The strange rollercoaster ride that has been winter 2022/23 so far will continue for the foreseeable future. Indeed the final third of December may be one of the warmest on record for the holiday period. Weather near Middle Fork Jumpoff Last report from Apple Valley, CA 26.7km away Temperature: 18C / 64F Wind: . The fresh snow overnight could have covered any tracks or other signs of a campsite, but "if he's still moving, we'd be able to see his footprints clearly," Amrhein said. The traversing slopes above Wellmans Divide (roughly 9800-10,500 ft) were extremely firm early in the morning and potentially treacherous. Moderate snow has continued for the past few hours at San Jacinto Peak, with a storm total so far of about 7.5 inches. A significant triple storm system had a major impact on 21st-26th February, and those updates are posted below also. The Ernie Maxwell Trail is clear of snow. Hikers should expect to encounter new treefall hazards due to the enormous weight of ice from freezing rain associated with the early November storm, followed by recent Santa Ana winds, and after the passage of Tropical Storm Kay in September. Spikes not required to that elevation. South Ridge Trail has been broken from the top of South Ridge Road to Tahquitz Peak with a simple posthole track. For about one mile north of Saddle Junction, snow cover is only a patchy 30% on the sun exposed slope (Angels Glide) and then averages about 50% on the Wellman Trail, but then icy snow cover is about 95% on the Peak Trail to San Jacinto Peak. Eventually with compaction of the trails caused by increasing hiker traffic and freeze/thaw cycles snowshoes may steadily become less useful, however they will likely remain valuable for off-trail travel in the high country into February. Avalanche risk is currently minimal and is rarely a factor in the San Jacinto mountains with the exception of a couple of traditional locations (notably the north face of San Jacinto Peak). All have been reported to US Forest Service. In Palm Springs, artist Lauren Bon displays The Smallest Sea with the Largest Heart. The average snow depth in this area is only about five inches, but on this slope it is heavily drifted in places at 10-12 inches. By dusk today it had rained 0.68 inch in Idyllwild, and Long Valley had 1.5 inches of fresh snowfall. However excellent well-traveled and compacted tracks are now in place for almost all major trails (details below). Despite warmer temperatures on some days, hikers should be prepared for temperatures near freezing in the high country, and generally below freezing when considering wind chill effects (see below for my recent weather observations from San Jacinto Peak). On 23rd January I saw posthole tracks from Saddle Junction that head down the start of the Caramba Trail, the start of Willow Creek Trail, and following the PCT southbound toward Chinquapin Flat, but I have no further details at this time. Every year seems to have unique challenges and 2022 has been no exception. on official, secure websites. They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, mixed with slushy and icy patches. Snowshoes are dangerous due to the angle of the icy snow. If there are Road Closed signs across Fern Valley Road at its junction with Forest Drive likely the case at least on weekends and holidays when significant snow is present then those nine spaces are also unavailable for legal parking. Many thanks to Florian Boyd for bringing this to my attention. Spikes are not needed yet, but that will change soon with increasing compaction and freeze/thaw cycles. There is already a moderately traveled posthole track on Devils Slide Trail, and I was surprised to find that below 7000 ft some of the trail was already slushy simply due to relatively warm air temperatures as there was no direct sun. These icy slopes are notoriously treacherous. no traction device) to the Peak on a generally well-traveled and compacted track through light icy snow. They are not currently recommended for traversing moderate or higher angle slopes above 9000 ft that have challenging ice underlying powder. Note that average depth is given; due to strong winds accompanying the storm there is extensive drifting, often particularly accumulating in the trails. All water crossings easy for anyone. San Gorgonio Peak via Vivian Creek Trail Directions: SNOW DEPTHS measured (largely) on 21st November 2022 are as follows, with depths from 9th November 2022 in parentheses where known. Share sensitive information only All have been reported to US Forest Service. ( Do not park in the picnic area sites -- please take care to read all signage! His body was found Saturday, nearly 1,000 feet below a spot where a partner thought he had fallen. For water information, please visit the PCT Water Report. DM, The correction has been changed.