United States government. Ernie Maxwell Trail has a well traveled track to follow along its entire length, through the increasingly patchy icy snow. Comments Off on Updated El Dorado closure area. 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. Many people are lost leaving the San Gorgonio Summit because they miss the trail going back to Vivian.
San Gorgonio : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost 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. I recorded a brief video at San Jacinto Peak at about 0930 on Friday 6th (available here on YouTube) which discusses conditions at that time. Given the importance of this trail for the safety of northbound PCT hikers in particular, it is one of several trails adopted by the Trail Report. 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. If there are Road Closed signs further down as was often the case last winter then those nine spaces are also unavailable for legal parking. Spitler Peak Trail has a very visible boot track through light snow in its upper switchbacks to the PCT. Snowshoes are not advisable due to the angle of the icy snow. Snowshoes will remain valuable anywhere off trail above about 8000 ft for the foreseeable future. Although snow depths are not generally sufficient to obscure the routes of the major trails, cautious navigation is recommended everywhere for the next few days in particular until tracks through the snow are in place. All have been reported to US Forest Service. However excellent well-traveled and compacted tracks are now in place for almost all major trails (details below). We have surveyed the high country almost daily, with hikes taking in San Jacinto Peak at least twice per week, Tahquitz Peak area once per week, and a variety of other trails on other days (World Cup viewing permitting of course). On 2nd, 5th, and 6th we barebooted to San Jacinto Peak on well-traveled and compacted tracks through increasingly patchy light icy snow. Hikers should be prepared for temperatures below freezing in the high country, and generally far freezing when considering wind chill effects. I barebooted to Saddle, and then snowshoed back down to help consolidate the track. By 1st February there was a somewhat meandering snowshoe track from Round Valley (and presumably Long Valley) up to San Jacinto Peak, ultimately using the East Ridge route from near Miller Peak, that generally followed lower angle terrain and avoided the traversing slopes of the Peak Trail. I recorded a short video at the Peak, available here on YouTube. Deer Springs Trail [updated 22nd December] has an accurate 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 15th December. 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. Two significant further atmospheric river storm systems are forecast, on Tuesday 10th, and then again on Saturday 14th-Sunday 15th. Spikes tend to be especially useful for descending trails. Since the depths given in the previous Report, there has been some melting at higher elevations on sunny days and below 9000 ft caused by the heavy rainfall. Willow Creek Trail remains a relatively slow, messy hike for a couple of miles. Although excellent tracks are now in place for almost all major trails cautious navigation remains recommended. This is the flattest portion of the PCT in the San Jacinto mountains, and snow depth currently averages about 13 inches. Four hikers have been found dead in three weeks, none of them novices. Devils Slide Trail has an excellent compacted track to follow to Saddle Junction. Some hikers will find spikes are useful at least for descending. Only five of these require cutting, and I was able to remove three by hand earlier in February. Generally the San Jacinto mountains have just caught the southern edge of these systems, with nothing like the dramatic precipitation being reported from further north. There is a well-traveled track on light icy snow from Long Valley/Tram to Wellman Divide. 602 S. Tippecanoe Ave.
Another 10+ inches are forecast overnight, which is very possible given current conditions. Temperatures are forecast to remain near or below seasonal averages for at least the next week, with freezing conditions every night above about 4000 ft elevation.
Later that morning at San Jacinto Peak, I measured a windchill temperature of -26.3F (-32C), the fourth lowest temperature I have ever recorded there. Spikes could potentially be used to ascend to the highest peaks at this time, although crampons are certainly safer for traversing. 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. At the Peak on Thursday 17th November 2022 at 0825 the air temperature was 36.3F (2C), with a windchill temperature of 29.5F (-1C), 10% relative humidity, and a cool NW breeze sustained at 3 mph gusting to 6.3 mph. Zelle, Venmo, and PayPal are all options. Snowshoes are useful in lower 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. UPDATE Thursday 29th December: I have uploaded a video from my hike to San Jacinto Peak this morning (available here on YouTube) where I enjoyed a minor snow storm. 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. Spikes are especially valuable for descending even when they are no necessarily needed for ascending. I have typically postholed barebooting to 8900-9200 ft before putting on crampons. However, snowshoes may become increasingly useful if conditions warm sufficiently for snow to become soft above about 9000 ft, especially on sunny slopes and afternoons. Trail Conditions Map; Wilderness Trip Planner . Momyer 13.2 miles, 6,062' gain
UPDATE Thursday 23rd: Idyllwild woke up to about four inches of fresh snow overnight, and it snowed fairly consistently today (averaging 0.75 inch/hour), adding six more inches by late afternoon. In related (but frankly much more positive) news, today I had a long but spectacular day snowshoeing to San Jacinto Peak. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 6th February 2023 are as follows. Reliable tracks are in place (at least) for Devils Slide Trail.
connected to the .gov website. He's a pretty strong-willed guy." Although good tracks are now in place for most major trails (details below), cautious navigation is recommended everywhere. (
It's 7.8 miles (Gary Suttle's book lists it as 8.4 miles) with almost 5,500 feet in elevation gain. Note that tracks discussed are obscured quickly by heavy drifting of snow from strong winds, sometimes in days or even hours. With some melting already underway and compaction caused by freeze-thaw cycles and hiker traffic, conditions will deteriorate for snowshoeing over the next few days, especially on more heavily traveled trails below 9000ft. 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. Terms & Conditions; Advertising; ABOUT US;
A well-traveled snowshoe track is in place up to Strawberry Junction. Conversely in places scouring by the wind means the depths are well below the average. 2nd-3rd December). Be prepared for ice and deep snow, bring crampons and /or snow shoes and above all do not hike past your limits. Although good tracks are now in place for most major trails (details below), cautious navigation is recommended everywhere. The first number is the current total snow depth, followed in parentheses by the storm total for this latest storm 11th-12th December. However there was no sign of that route by 6th, due to drifting snow. Most days will be at least partly cloudy. This makes for less than perfect snowshoeing conditions, but still preferable to postholing. 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. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 23rd January 2023 (unless otherwise indicated) are as follows. Spikes will likely become increasingly useful over the next few days and weeks as established trails become consolidated by hiker traffic and undergo freeze-thaw cycles. Measured snow depths as of late morning/early afternoon today are: San Jacinto Peak (10,810 ft) 38 inches, at least 14 new in this storm; Wellman Divide (9700 ft) 30 inches, with 15 new in this storm; Annies Junction at 9070 ft the highest point of the PCT in Southern California 30 inches, with 14 new in this storm; Saddle Junction (8100ft) 15 inches, about 7-8 new in this storm; Devils Slide Trailhead at Humber Park (6520 ft) 2 inches, all from this storm. Snow cover is about 80% from Strawberry Junction north for about 1.0 mile (roughly 8500 ft), and thereafter essentially continuous to San Jacinto Peak. It leaves the Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction (0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning), descending largely on established deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek just upstream from the old Laws Camp. One major treefall hazard is across the trail almost exactly midway between the trailheads at Humber Park and Tahquitz View Drive. It's a beautiful hike through pines, cedars . I hope to provide a more thorough Report tomorrow. Transporting firewood can move these pests to new locations. Seven Pines Trail has one set of hiker tracks through the snow since the storm in early November 2022. The 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT and Tahquitz Peak has a lightly traveled posthole track to follow through the drifted powder. Section B. Warner Springs to I-10/San Gorgonio Pass. Palm Springs Desert Sun. Even if there is no precipitation, there will be temperatures well below seasonal on those days. 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 ice with overlying deep snow. Please feel free to add this route to the mountain page. Seven Pines Trail has not been traveled since last weeks storm, at least not in its uppermost section, and there is no track to follow through the snow. I postholed barebooting to 8900 ft before putting on crampons. That fair weather in the valleys has fooled too many hikers, Weston said. 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. There's a clear message being sent to those who go into the burn areas to be aware of your footing," said Ruth Wenstrom, a U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman. 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 ice with overlying deep snow. Consequently the trail conditions and snow depths reported herein will change dramatically over the next few days. This is a summary of conditions following the second significant Pacific storm of winter 2022/23 to impact the San Jacinto mountains. According to "tarol" Adventure Passes are now required at only the Vivian, Momyer, and South Fork Trailheads - the other SG Wilderness Trailheads are free. Thursday 5th January saw the fifth storm in the past ten days in the San Jacinto mountains. While these are expected to bring significant precipitation throughout the state, there remains considerable uncertainty regarding timing and precipitation amounts for Southern California. Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 45 inches (30 inches snow in latest storms) but heavily drifted here, Annies Junction/PCT Mile 180.8 (9070 ft): 45-48 inches (about 30-32 inches snow in latest storms), Long Valley (8600 ft): 24 inches (16 inches in latest storms), Saddle Junction/PCT Mile 179 (8070 ft): 21 inches (13 inches snow in latest storms), Devils Slide trailhead at Humber Park (6550 ft): 5-6 inches (all from latest storms, four inches of snow on top of ice).
WATCH: Rare Southern California Avalanche Caught On Camera Overall, melting is proceeding somewhat faster than expected but this holiday weekend trails will remain very icy. Since the depths given in the previous Report, there had been very minor storms on 28th and 29th December, which added a couple of inches at the highest elevations, down to 0.5 inch at 8000 ft. 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. San Gorgonio trail and issued strong warnings to those who choose to hike the region's rugged mountains in treacherous conditions. Above that elevation, icy snow cover is about 60% to Saddle Junction. These icy slopes are notoriously treacherous. For example, although Long Valley currently has about 5 feet of snow, publicly available records for the 1970s show that Long Valley averaged 119 inches (almost 10 feet!) Those systems are summarized here: Conditions will remain very unsettled throughout the second and third weeks of January.
41082 Cheyenne Trail, Beaumont, CA 92223 Property Records At the on Monday 13th February 2023 at 1010 the air temperature was 16.8F (-10C), with a windchill temperature of -1.3F (-19C), 95% relative humidity, and a wintry NNW wind sustained at 7 mph gusting to 13.2 mph. By comparison, approximately 42 inches were recorded in February 2023 (provisional data). It's remote trailhead is probibly the only reason it's not as popular as the other routes. Snowshoes are dangerous due to the angle of the icy snow. Above Little Round Valley in particular my track down from the Peak is very direct, steep, and would be a challenging ascent. Tracks of myself and a couple of others from recent days were largely visible up Devils Slide Trail, and I barebooted to Saddle Junction through thin powder overlying ice. Snowshoes are useful in lower 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. South Ridge Trail [hiked 13th and 17th December] has a well-traveled posthole track through shallow snow as far as Tahquitz Peak. From there to the top of Marion Mountain Trail the route is a lightly-traveled posthole track. At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Thursday 15th December 2022 at 0715 the air temperature was 28.0F (-2C), with a windchill temperature of 13.9F (-10C), 52% relative humidity, and a chilly WNW wind sustained at 9 mph gusting to 14.5 mph. As evident in the video, spikes are currently needed at least, and snowshoes would be ideal especially for sections that have not yet been traveled. Spikes are recommended, at least for descending. The route largely follows the established trail, but hikers coming from Long Valley over the weekend either did not find or follow my broken trail from last week, so in sections the route is unusual. Great snowshoeing in the Winter. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Hikers going above the snow line should carry ice axes and boot spikes and know how to use them. Time of day, temperature, and sun exposure all have significant impacts on the nature of the snow, in turn changing the conditions underfoot, and hence both the hiking difficulty and the preferred traction device (if any). On the north side, a location just south-east of Banning in San Gorgonio Pass recorded a gust of 92 mph. This western side of the mountain was better protected from winds and drifting snow, and this track should largely survive until the weekend. Spikes are currently usefulthroughout the trail system above about 5000 ft, potentially lower in places. Thanks. Snowshoes are not required anywhere on the established trail system, where snow is now too shallow, icy and compacted. When Anabel and I waded out for a modest walk, the snowplows seemed to be struggling to keep up on the streets, but we know they will catch up in due course. Three periods of cold, cloudy days are now expected over the next ten days, but little if any precipitation.]. However it is thinning rapidly everywhere, and will look radically different in a week or so. Thank you so much for your support. At the Peak on Friday 2nd December 2022 at 1620 the air temperature was 26.2F (-3C), with a windchill temperature of 11.8F (-11C), 55% relative humidity, and a fresh WSW wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 15.4 mph. Despite recent sunshine, 'It's just a sheet of ice up there,' a rescue official says. When the gate is closed there are still nine legal parking spaces this side of the locked gate (which still require an Adventure Pass or equivalent to be displayed). on official, secure websites. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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. A San Bernardino County Superior Court jury has found two brothers guilty of killing a man at his 2019 wedding reception in Chino.. Joe Melgoza's widow said she wants justice for her husband's . When plowed Humber will remain very icy for the next few days at least. For those interested in a detailed statewide discussion of this dramatic weather event, I recommend reading the excellent analysis on Weather West (linked here). SNOW DEPTHS measured on or around 28th November 2022 are as follows, with depths after the last significant storm (on 9th November) for comparison in parentheses where known. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 6th January 2023 are as follows. 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. Reliable tracks are in place (at least) for Devils Slide Trail. Temperatures on the morning of 15th were the lowest of this winter, and among the lowest of the past decade. On June 22, 16 SGWA Trail Crew members headed for the Vivian Creek trail. Conditions remain very unsettled for the first week of January. Dcouvrez les 9 joyaux cachs visiter et planifiez votre prochaine aventure ds maintenant autour de Yucaipa.
Four Hikers On The Summit Of San Gorgonio Mountain 1900-1915 Cali - Old South Fork Trail is a popular 5.94-mile hike in the San Gorgonio Wilderness that gains around 4,600 feet of elevation. 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. Underlying the fresh snow is in places a thin layer of ice and/or icy snow remaining from the previous storm in early November. 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. "He was alone and had no map. To the west, along the Pacific Crest Trail, a second team was searching for Ronald Barbour, 69, of La Crescenta, who set out on a combined bike ride and hike Sunday. Trails above about 7500 ft currently remain lightly covered with patchy icy snow (more continuous above about 9000 ft). Expect crowding. The next comprehensive update of the Report will likely be in the evening of Wednesday 11th. 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. Thank you so much for your support. Please take the time after your hike to fill out the form your feedback will help local managers improve services and provide valuable trip planning information for other visitors. I recorded a short video at San Jacinto Peak early on the morning of Monday 12th December (available here) which gives a feel for conditions as the storm was nearing its end. IMPORTANT UPDATE Friday 13th January: back-to-back Pacific storm systems are forecast to impact the San Jacinto mountains this weekend, the first on Saturday 14th, immediately followed by another Sunday 15th-Monday 16th January. This is the third time this century that Idyllwild has surpassed 60 inches of snow in a winter (62.8 inches in 2000/01, and 62.4 inches in 2010/11), so 60+ inch winters might be considered to occur roughly once every decade. Section C/D:
March | 2023 | San Gorgonio Wilderness Association Included in the re-opening were hiking trails outside of the burned area. Deer Springs Trail has an excellent posthole track to follow along its entire length. 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. Spikes are not needed yet, but that will change soon with increasing compaction and freeze/thaw cycles. The top ten snowfall totals by winter for Idyllwild are as follows: While many hundreds of hours of time and labor are volunteered annually, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small private donations to help cover modest operating costs. I snowshoed down from San Jacinto Peak via Wellman Divide, Saddle Junction, and Devils Slide Trail. In Idyllwild (at 5550 ft) additional light rain this morning has added up to 0.1 inch. 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). Trail Conditions. We surveyed the PCT where it crosses Highway 74 (approx. Still one of the most scenic trails in San Gorgonio, Now is the time to do this hike before the weather changes. The 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT and Tahquitz Peak [checked 20th January] has no steps to follow through the steeply angled ice with overlying deep snow. Snowfall in Long Valley (8600 ft) has been steady until largely stopping by 1600, with close to 10 inches added since yesterday for a total accumulation there of nearly three feet.
San Gorgonio Mountain - Wikipedia Thank you for taking the time to read this. The Ernie Maxwell Trail is functionally clear of icy snow, although a few minor patches remain, especially close to Humber Park. You must be logged in to create new topics. However the route is now largely well-traveled and compacted. Special thanks to Florian Boyd, great friend of the Trail Report, for bringing this to my attention (via text when I was snowshoeing at 9000 ft elevation on the PCT early this morning!). The Weather section below is updated. Strong winds expected on 11th-12th February, and again on 14th, will likely obscure many tracks with spindrift. The State Park campground at Stone Creek is also closed. Note that averages are given; due to strong winds and considerable powder there is extreme drifting.