Currently the snow is relatively powdery; this will steadily change over the next few days and weeks. This trail is just under a half mile long and runs from the junction with the San Bernardino Peak Trail 1W07.2 and the Sky High Trail 1W07.2 to the summit box, offering a unique view of the Sand to Snow National Monument. A key feature of this sequence of storms will be the relative warmth of the air masses which will lead to high freeze levels. Deer Springs Trail [updated 15th December] now has an accurate snowshoe track to follow all the way to San Jacinto Peak as I broke trail the entire way down to the Suicide Rock Trail junction on the afternoon of 15th. Complete list of supporters, I-10/San Gorgonio Pass to I-15/Cajon Pass, Hwy-14/Agua Dulce to Hwy-58/Mojave-Tehachapi, Hwy-58/Mojave-Tehachapi to Hwy-178/Walker Pass, Hwy-138/Mt. Recent hikes have included the high peaks (>10,000 ft) 2-4 times per week by various routes, Tahquitz Peak and area 1-2 times per week, South Ridge, Spitler Peak, and Marion Mountain trails, and May Valley Road and Indian Mountain Truck Trail. It continued to drizzle in Idyllwild all day, slowly accumulating to about 0.25 inch of rain. Through and below Little Round Valley, my track almost entirely follows the established trail. For those interested in a detailed statewide discussion of this dramatic weather event, I recommend reading the excellent analysis on Weather West (linked here). Ernie Maxwell Trail has a well traveled track to follow along its entire length, through the increasingly patchy icy snow. Group size limited to 12 people and 8 pack/riding animals per group. Difficulty : Strenuous. Conditions remain very unsettled for the first week of January. The Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail has a well-traveled track to follow throughout, snow cover is 90%. Note that tracks discussed here may become obscured by heavy drifting of snow from strong winds combined with extensive ice fall from trees overhead. A major warming trend will significantly change conditions on the trail system in the next week or two. 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. Forecast models have a higher degree of confidence for the Tuesday storm than the storm next weekend. Some hikers will find spikes are useful at least for descending. On cold mornings the trail will be icy and some hikers will find spikes are useful, however on warmer days and afternoons spikes are not required. Spikes are recommended especially in the morning as the snow is now hard, compacted and very icy in places. While my snowshoe track continues from Saddle Junction through to San Jacinto Peak via Wellman Divide, this was already becoming partially obscured by a combination of ice fall from overhead trees, melting of surface snow, and light drifting of powder in some areas. 2 night trip - SB Peak Trail to Limber Pine, Trail Fork Springs and back. 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. While all time and effort is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report requests small private donations to cover costs. Spikes are currently usefulthroughout the trail system above about 5000 ft, potentially lower in places. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports. connected to the .gov website. Consequently I put on crampons at Wellmans Cienega, keeping them on all day until low down on Deer Springs Trail. The trail design is excellent, with the grade perfectly balanced for ascent and descent. Zelle, Venmo, and PayPal are all options. May 20th is the Erie Zoo Earth Day Celebration and they've invited the Girl Scouts to the party. The State Park Stone Creek campground is also closed. On the morning of Friday 6th January, getting an Alpine start, I broke trail the entire way from Humber Park to San Jacinto Peak via Devils Slide, PCT, Wellman, Peak, and East Ridge trails. Altitudes are approximate. Spikes are recommended but not strictly essential depending upon your comfort level hiking on angled icy snow. The latest Trail Report (linked here) mentions the increasing avalanche risk with recent heavy wind-loaded snowfall on top of the icy pre-existing snow, and how avalanches occur every winter on the north face (contrary to erroneous information in recent local media stories). 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. Spikes can be useful for descending in particular. ft. home is a 2 bed, 3.0 bath property. Spikes are recommended, at least for descending. There are two new treefall hazards to pass on the upper trail. That said, temperatures in the high country are much more typical of December than April! Roads 1n02 / 1n05 that go into Aspen Grove and Fish Creek are closed for the winter. San Gorgonio Climbing notes shared by Mountain-Forecast users. Currently the snow is relatively powdery and benign; this will steadily change over the next few days and weeks. Went out on South Fork/Dry Lake Trails with micro spikes to Dry Lake via winter route. Although not essential in the moderate depth powder, spikes are strongly recommended and many hikers will find them useful especially for descending. Donate via PayPal using the link below, Viewing 15 topics - 1 through 15 (of 533 total), Overnight Whitewater Preserve- 1/28/2023. Deer Springs Trail has an excellent posthole track to follow along its entire length. Altitudes are approximate. There is a very well-traveled track from Saddle Junction to Tahquitz Peak (multiple photos below). Sadly weight of snow has caused the roof of one shop in town to collapse, and I saw one collapsed car port (with cars inside) under the dramatic volume of snow. Vehicles not parked in these spaces may be ticketed and/or towed. Hikers who have an ice axe (and know how to use it) may find it useful in places on this short section of trail. Additional moderate snowfall is tentatively forecast for 28th February-1st March. My tracks from Wednesday 18th January from Humber Park to/from San Jacinto Peak will be largely visible but may become somewhat obscured in places. They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, potentially mixed with slushy and icy patches. Dcouvrez les 9 joyaux cachs visiter et planifiez votre prochaine aventure ds maintenant autour de Yucaipa. Early morning hikes to San Jacinto Peak have generally had icy snow underfoot with sufficient bite for grippy boots, allowing me to bareboot all the way to San Jacinto Peak. 6. 9.1 miles one-way. This forum has 533 topics, 1,821 replies, and was last updated No Topics by. Snowshoes are no longer required on the established trail system, which is now too compacted for snowshoes. San . They will be especially valuable on well-consolidated tracks over the coming days and weeks before they clear of snow (e.g., Devils Slide, Ernie Maxwell, Deer Springs trails, at least), on colder mornings when conditions are icy, and for descending. There is a very well-traveled track on the lowest section of Deer Springs Trail continuing out to Suicide Rock. Spitler Peak Trail has a very visible boot track through light snow to the PCT. Ernie Maxwell Trail has good tracks to follow along its entire length, through the continuous snow cover a few inches deep. Avalanche risk in the high country is currently minimal due to snow depths and conditions, with the exception of the traditionally unstable north face of San Jacinto Peak which avalanches to some extent every winter. The natural traction was superb, and I barebooted all the way to just above Wellman Divide (9700 ft) before finally putting on Kahtoola microspikes, accompanied by an ice axe. I put spikes on at the Peak for the descent and ultimately kept on my Kahtoola microspikes until about 9000 ft, one mile north of Saddle Junction. 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. In addition, there is the possibility of minor snow storms on Thursday 19th and around Sunday 29th January. Altitudes are approximate. 8. In general conditions in the remainder of January will be much more settled than for the first half of the month. Seven Pines Trail has not been traveled since the early November storm, at least not in its uppermost section, and there is no track to follow through the snow. The USGS benchmark on the summit reads 11,501.6 feet and is dated 1989. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 42 inches (45-48 inches), drifted to 60 inches in places, especially on East Ridge. They are not currently recommended for traversing moderate angle slopes above 9000 ft that have challenging ice underlying shallow powder. I have typically postholed barebooting to 8900-9200 ft before putting on crampons. A well-traveled snowshoe track is in place up to Strawberry Junction. There is a very visible boot track through light snow in places in its upper switchbacks to the PCT. The trail was also very clean which was great. There are three designated wilderness campsites on this trail:Vivian Creek Camp at 7,100'(no camping within 200 feet of the trail or creek),Halfway Camp at 8,100' (water is obtained from the creek 200 yards before camp), andHigh Creek Camp at 9,200' (water flows the best in this creek right below the camp). 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. ( Both storms produced more snow than was generally forecast. 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. Although excellent tracks are now in place for almost all major trails cautious navigation remains recommended. I descended via Deer Springs Trail, breaking trail snowshoeing through virgin powder all the way down to the Suicide Rock Trail junction. We are leveraging crowd-sourced info for water availability and other conditions. However the remaining snow patches are icy in the morning. Access to San Gorgonio is regularly limited by use of hiking permits, with 25 to 30 people a day allowed in the area at a time. They are strongly recommended on certain moderate and higher angle slopes, at a minimum on the Peak Trail above Wellman Divide, the Wellman Trail, Deer Springs Trail above Little Round Valley, and uppermost South Ridge Trail, and on both flanks but critically on the north face of Tahquitz Peak. If there are Road Closed signs further down often the case at weekends and holidays when snow is present then those nine spaces are also unavailable for legal parking. Spikes tend to be especially useful for descending trails. A significant triple storm system had a major impact on 21st-26th February, and those updates are posted below also. No campfires allowed. Snowshoes are not required anywhere on the established trail system, where snow is now too shallow, icy and compacted. 0:57. 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. Snow cover is only 50% below 6700 ft, about 95% up to 7200 ft, and continuous thereafter. 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. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 2-4 inches (was 12 inches on 9th November), Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 2-4 inches (was approx. 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. On the morning of Wednesday 11th January, getting an Alpine start, I broke trail the entire way from Humber Park to San Jacinto Peak via Devils Slide, PCT, Wellman, Peak, and East Ridge trails. This was tricky for postholing which went through the ice layer. The Ernie Maxwell Trail is functionally clear of icy snow, although a few minor patches remain, especially close to Humber Park. They tend to be especially useful for descending trails. Dark Canyon Road (4S02, the access to Seven Pines Trail) and Santa Rosa Truck Trail (7S02) closed to vehicle traffic for the season on 7th November 2022. Even when the gate is closed there are nine legal parking spaces below the locked gate (which still require an Adventure Pass or equivalent to be displayed). The peak is one of eleven peaks that are over 10,000 feet in elevation in the southeast portion of the San Bernardino Mountains. This makes for less than perfect snowshoeing conditions, but still preferable to postholing. Given colder temperatures for the foreseeable future, melting is expected to slow (or almost stop in the high country) and spikes will remain recommended well into December at least. Also, Mill Creek RS phone number is now 909-382-2882 and they are closed Tues/Wed. The first number is the current average total snow depth at that location followed in parentheses by the maximum depth where known so far this winter, generally immediately following the major storm sequence on 14th-17th January 2023. . Estimated Time: 9-12 hours. Note that tracks discussed are obscured quickly by heavy drifting of snow from strong winds, sometimes in days or even hours. Every year seems to have its unique challenges, and it is already clear that 2023 will be no exception. Authorities urged all hikers to travel with a companion, tell a friend or family member of their exact hiking path, stick to it if at all possible, know the weather forecast, dress warmly and understand that there are many mountainous pockets where cellphones don't work. San Gorgonio, also known as "Old Greyback", is the highest mountain in Southern California. San Gorgonio Peak via Vivian Creek Trail Quick Facts: Elevation: 11,503 feet. With such mild storms this winter, it is interesting to speculate how much snow would currently be around the high peaks if air temperatures had been just a couple of degrees cooler. Above Little Round Valley there are at least half-a-dozen tracks ascending toward San Jacinto Peak, none of which entirely accurately follow the established trail route. Finally, though not as well endowed as the Vivian Creek route, there is water avialable at a few locations. on official, secure websites. San Bernardino 9 Peaks Traverse. San Gorgonio is the tallest mountain in Southern California, and a rite of passage for serious hikers in the area. Year round. Current forecasts for precipitation suggest as much as three inches of rain around the elevation of Idyllwild (5000-6000 ft) between the evening of Tuesday 27th December 2022 and Friday 6th January 2023. Precipitation turned to occasional light snow in Long Valley at about 1330, with an accumulation by 1550 of just 0.5 inch. Very fine snow fell briefly this evening. Combined with a weak sun at this time of year, snow melt will generally be very slow at upper elevations, and conditions will be ideal for freeze/thaw cycles and hence icy trails. Vehicles not parked in these spaces have been ticketed and/or towed. In Idyllwild (data from 5550 ft) there was 1.14 inches of rain on Sunday 11th which turned to snow that afternoon, settling to 0.5 inch. At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Wednesday 18th January 2023 at 1115 the air temperature was 16.8F (-8C), with a windchill temperature of -3.6F (-20C), 27% relative humidity, and a frigid NNW wind sustained at 10 mph gusting to 25.8 mph. Spikes are currently usefulthroughout the trail system above about 5000 ft, potentially lower in places. South Ridge Road (5S11) remains closed to vehicle traffic. The trail descriptions list this route as being 16 miles round trip. 1629 Sams Cyn , Beaumont, CA 92223-7572 is a single-family home listed for-sale at $699,900. Rain started overnight in Idyllwild, and by late this afternoon (at 1550) totals 1.22 inch. I barebooted to Saddle, and then snowshoed back down to help consolidate the track. Spikes tend to be especially useful for descending trails. Trails above about 7500 ft currently remain lightly covered with patchy icy snow (more continuous above about 9000 ft). He didn't know the area, and he was in ice with [boot spikes] he just got at Christmas," Goodman said. South Ridge Road (5S11) is also currently closed to vehicle traffic. Long Valley added about 4-6 inches of snow overnight, and a little less than that during the day today. Indeed a wild wind in the high country that day was erasing tracks within hours or even minutes (see photos below). Map Information. This is crowdsourced and depends on your contributions. Currently only two major trail routes have been traveled and even those may become partially obscured by drifted snow and fresh icefall. Fresh snow at San Jacinto Peak now measures 3-4 inches, snow in Long Valley (8600 ft) at three inches, and rainfall in Idyllwild since 0700 this morning at 0.6 inch. This will make trail conditions more complicated, and if in any doubt whatsoever carry and use traction devices accordingly (see discussion in introduction above).