On the mornings of both Wednesday 1st February and Monday 30th January I ascended San Jacinto Peak via the east side (Devils Slide, Wellman, Peak, and East Ridge trails), descending the same way. However they will remain very valuable for off-trail travel at elevations above about 9000 ft (potentially lower in places) for the next week or two at least. but ideal for snowshoes, which I used from Saddle to San Jacinto Peak and back. I would like to ski San Gorgonio. UPDATE Tuesday 13th December 2022: This morning Anabel and I broke trail up South Ridge Road and South Ridge Trail to Old Lookout Flat (7600 ft). The first number is the current average total snow depth at that location, followed in parentheses by the depth of fresh snow added by the latest storm on Tuesday 10th. It's remote trailhead is probibly the only reason it's not as popular as the other routes. Steady melting of snow, especially on sun-exposed slopes, and freeze-thaw cycles will combine to change trail conditions and potentially the preferred equipment for the terrain. While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small private donations to help cover costs. The upper end of this trail offers outstanding views of Yucaipa Ridge and Galena Peak, as well as sweeping . but her friend Joyce Schwartz took some short videos from which this still image is taken. On 24th the road had about 30% patchy ice cover. A major warming trend will significantly change conditions on the trail system in the next week or two. The trail was also very clean which was great. Relatively little snow is therefore expected throughout the mid elevations including Idyllwild. They tend to be especially useful for descending trails. Forecast precipitation is currently only a dusting of 1-2 inches of snow at upper elevations, but combined with strong winds this will be sufficient to complicate route-finding. 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. However subsequent light snow on Sunday 1st improved the depths by another couple of inches. 6. I've backcountry skied in Northern Arizona, Utah, and Southern Colorado. These icy slopes are notoriously treacherous. San Gorgonio Mountain is the highest peak in California south of the Sierra at 11,499 ft. Water source "miller . My tracks from Wednesday 11th January from Humber Park to San Jacinto Peak and down Deer Springs Trail will be largely visible but may be somewhat obscured in places. Ali Aminian, 51, of Newbury Park was an experienced Sierra Club member who went hiking alone in the same area Jan. 11, while Koh was still missing. Forest Service campgrounds at Boulder Basin, Marion Mountain, and Fern Basin are closed for the season. Zelle, Venmo, and PayPal are all options. 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. Heavy cloud cover at higher elevations meant helicopters had to transport rescuers to narrow ravines. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 6th January 2023 are as follows. Similarly, Long Valley (8600ft) added about two inches overnight for a storm total of about seven inches and a current total depth of about 15 inches. Snowshoes are useful in low to moderate angle terrain with adequate snow depth above about 8000 ft, for example the Tahquitz area meadows near Saddle Junction, sections of Deer Springs Trail, and Long Valley/Round Valley. At the Peak on Sunday 1st January 2023 at 0830 the air temperature was 17.9F (-8C), with a windchill temperature of -2.3F (-19C), 100% relative humidity, and a sharp WSW wind sustained at 11 mph gusting to 21.1 mph. Gary Suttle's book lists it as 8.4mi. THE 10 BEST Taipei Hiking Trails (with Photos) - Tripadvisor FOLLOW A FEW SIMPLE RULES, Your contribution helps SGWA protect the Wilderness and educate visitors! The Vivian Creek Trail is the shortest and the steepest route to the summit of Mt. PCT Mile 179.9 (8070 ft): 8 inches (8-9 inches), Devils Slide trailhead at Humber Park (6550 ft): 4 inches (total 4 inches). Some of the storms are expected to be very cold with snow levels below 3000 ft, and, for example, Garner Valley may receive between 6-12 inches of snow by early March. Currently crampons, with an ice axe (and knowledge of how to use both), are strongly recommended. In general conditions in the remainder of January will be much more settled than for the first half of the month. This can't be correct. Trail Conditions. South Ridge Road (5S11), Dark Canyon Road (4S02, the access to Seven Pines Trail), and Santa Rosa Truck Trail (7S02) are currently closed to vehicle traffic, as is Black Mountain Road at the gate 1.7 miles up from Highway 243. I've climbed it many times during winter and have found myself to be the only soul on the mountain. Please allow at least 72 hours for processing of permits.And as a reminder, self-issue permits are only good for that day.In addition to the wilderness permits an Adventure Pass is required for each vehicle. There had been an additional six inches of snow (plus an unknown amount of rain) since my measurement two days earlier, for a current total snow depth of about 21 inches at Saddle Junction. Although the snow is not particularly deep (10-12 inches) it is heavily drifted and steeply angled, and has at least one ice layer underneath the fresh powder. There is a very well-traveled track on the lowest section of Deer Springs Trail continuing out to Suicide Rock. The summit of San Gorgonio (11,499') is 3 miles beyond High Creek. Snow at all elevations will become increasingly firm and icy following multiple freeze-thaw cycles, and compaction by increasing hiker traffic in places, and I cannot overemphasize the importance of having both appropriate equipment and the right skill set for the terrain. The traverse from Old Lookout Flat to the bottom of the switchbacks has about 40% icy snow cover. The first number is the current total snow depth, followed in parentheses by the greatest depth of the winter to date following the latest storm on 11th-12th December. Mount San Gorgonio - Hiking Vivian Creek Trail to the Peak As of this morning, I saw no other broken tracks on the high country trail system. Many locations below 9000 ft had actually experienced a net loss of snow depth, as the (relatively) warm rain had melted and compacted the pre-existing snow, and so little new snow fell subsequently. 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. As discussed above, multiple additional snowfalls forecast for 14th-18th January will further complicate the trail conditions. Again the freeze levels may be relatively high, with little more than an inch or two of snow likely below 6000 ft, a forecast 2-6 inches of fresh snowfall in the high country scattered across two or more days, and roughly 0.5-1.0 inch of rain (perhaps mainly freezing rain) throughout the mid elevations. San G. North Face Chute Climb - Social Hiker Altitudes are approximate. Hikers should be prepared for temperatures below freezing in the high country, and well below freezing when considering wind chill effects (see below for my recent weather observations from San Jacinto Peak). They are not currently recommended for traversing moderate or higher angle slopes above 9000 ft that have challenging ice underlying powder. Snow depths are currently suitable for snowshoeing everywhere above about 8000 ft, potentially lower in places. We hiked to top of San Gorgonio yesterday (8/23/09) via the Vivian Creek trail. The first number is the current average total snow depth at that location followed in parentheses where known by the combined fresh snowfall from the two minor storms on 13th-14th February. Suitable waterproof footwear is strongly recommended. Teen hikers lost on Pacific Crest Trail for several days after Current known total accumulations are 4 inches in Idyllwild, 6 inches at Devils Slide Trailhead, 9 inches at Saddle Junction, and 8 inches at Long Valley. Your contribution keeps the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. We had a Garmin GPS with us and it showed the total round trip mileage from the parking lot where you first start walking, to the top and back, as being a little over 18 miles round trip! Still one of the most scenic trails in San Gorgonio, Now is the time to do this hike before the weather changes. South Fork camps such as Dry and Dollar Lakes are also filling several weeks in advance.If you want to hike during the week, you have a better chance of getting a permit.Self-issue permits aren't always available - they oftentimes run out, or get stolen. Amrhein spoke at the command post at the closed Vivian Creek hiking trailhead, where weary search-and-rescue teams fanned out on a foot of fresh snow atop sheer ice, looking for Eugene Kumm, 25, of Seal Beach, missing since he set out alone for San Gorgonio peak Saturday. The Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail has a well-traveled track to follow throughout, snow cover is 90%. Most of this snow had melted prior to my hike to San Jacinto Peak on 31st December. The route is blessed with views first of Fish Creek Meadows, then the Ten Thousand Foot Ridge and Grinnell Mountain, and then Dry Lake while traversing Lake Peak. 602 S. Tippecanoe Ave. DM, The correction has been changed. The next comprehensive update of the Report will likely be in the evening of Wednesday 11th. The fourteenth and fifteenth storm systems of winter 2022/23 impacted the San Jacinto mountains back-to-back on 13th and 14th February, as discussed in the previous Report available here. Sadly this phenomenon has become much more of a factor in recent years with freezing rainfall (rather than snow) occurring at higher elevations at higher frequency with much warmer weather systems. Be prepared for trails above about 8000 ft (perhaps lower in places) completely or largely obscured by moderate to deep snow. UPDATE Wednesday 14th December 2022: Early this morning Anabel and I broke trail up Spitler Peak Trail to the PCT. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 11th January 2023 are as follows. This was immediately followed by a milder storm on 22nd-23rd that brought heavy snowfall with 13 inches in Idyllwild across a 30 hour period (measured at 5550 ft), and about 18 inches in Long Valley (8600 ft). Bring extra food, flashlight, and warm clothes. Snowshoes are dangerous due to the angle of the icy snow. While snowfall accompanying the first of those storms may be light, perhaps 2-4 inches in Idyllwild and 4-6 inches in the high country, strong winds at the highest peaks are tentatively forecast to produce extremely cold windchill conditions, similar to 15th February (see below). South Ridge Trail has been broken from the top of South Ridge Road to Tahquitz Peak with a simple posthole track. Donate via PayPal using the link below. Forest Service campgrounds at Boulder Basin, Marion Mountain, and Fern Basin are closed for the season. There is a very well-traveled track from Saddle Junction to Tahquitz Peak (multiple photos below). The Fish Creek trail is probably the least used and is aprox. Further strong winds and blowing powder had eliminated much of these tracks again by Wednesday, and I again largely re-broke trail that day too. Back-to-back Pacific storm systems already the tenth and eleventh storms of this winter are forecast for Saturday 14th and then from late Sunday 15th January to the early hours of Tuesday 17th January.