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. A double storm has been forecast as a possibility between Monday 28th November and Sunday 4th December. New treefall hazards on major trails have been reported to relevant agencies, and those on Spitler Peak Trail have already been cleared by the Trail Report. Although my original track accurately followed the trail above Little Round Valley, there are now a fair number of alternate shortcut tracks across this slope, so cautious navigation is advised. Just wanted to note your elevation source for 11,490' lists the elevation @ 11,499'. 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. As mentioned above, the focus is on heavy snowfall expected over the next 5-6 days (and potentially again on 28th February-1st March). The Ernie Maxwell Trail is clear of snow. As last week, I was able to ascend barebooting to about 9200 ft before putting on crampons. 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. The finally push to the summit from Sky High trail was relatively easy. 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. . 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. Go right and continue for 4.5 miles to the Falls Recreation Area, past the town of Forest Falls. All trails above about 5500 ft are currently snow-covered. The San Bernardino Mountains are unique in that they have an eastwest orientation, making them transverse to the general northsouth orientation of most of California's coastal mountains. Free day use and overnight permits are required. Estimated Time: 9-12 hours. Trails remain icy due to daily freeze/thaw cycles and compaction from hiker traffic, and spikes are useful throughout the trail system above about 9000 ft (lower in places). I recorded an overly rambling and partly wind affected video report from San Jacinto Peak late morning on Wednesday 18th, available here on YouTube, but it does give a sense for the conditions underfoot at the highest elevations, and for the spectacular vista that day. momyer-open-map. Note however that snow depth is rarely indicative of the challenge (or otherwise) of a given trail. Minor storm overnight on 27th-28th December. February has been more settled than the very eventful January, but temperatures remain on something of a rollercoaster ride. Vehicles not parked in these spaces may be ticketed and/or towed. Snowshoes are recommended everywhere with snow above 4000 ft, potentially lower in places, and spikes are invaluable anywhere that has been cleared or compacted. Did you know? The Thursday system will be significantly warmer, with a freeze level not dropping below about 7000 ft. Precipitation at the elevation of Idyllwild should therefore be rain (0.5-0.7 inch currently forecast), which may therefore largely melt and remove the snow that had fallen earlier in the week at that elevation. The Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail has a well-traveled track to follow throughout its length, snow cover is about 80%. 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. Conditions prior to this storm had been unsettled for several days, with a minor storm overnight on 27th-28th December. The high country added only another couple of inches of snow overnight. My 2022 survey counted 97 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. At the Peak on Monday 12th December 2022 at 0715 the air temperature was 9.7F (-12C), with a windchill temperature of -13.4F (-25C), 100% relative humidity, and a sharp WSW wind sustained at 12 mph gusting to 21.2 mph. Mike, You might want to use this one instead I snowshoed down from San Jacinto Peak via Wellman Divide, Saddle Junction, and Devils Slide Trail. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 4-5 inches (was 12 inches on 9th), Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 4 inches on 24th (was approx. Forecasts for snowfall have varied greatly in both timing and volume, the latter ranging from inches to feet. 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. If there are Road Closed signs further down as was often the case last winter especially at weekends and holiday periods after fresh snowfall then those nine spaces are also unavailable for legal parking. All water crossings easy for anyone. By Lance Pugmire and Janet Wilson Times Staff Writers January 22, 2004 With four Southland hikers dead since New Year's Day and two more missing, authorities on Wednesday closed a popular Mt. Map Information, Forest Headquarters February 2011 recorded 45.5 inches, and there were 45.5 inches in March 2006. As forecast, the storm came in two main waves, with the bulk of the precipitation falling for most of the daylight hours of Sunday 11th, followed by a remarkably calm and clear night, and then a much less intense period of snowfall between about 0800-1300 on Monday 12th. The upper end of this trail offers outstanding views of Yucaipa Ridge and Galena Peak, as well as sweeping panoramic views from the top of Mt. Current expectations are only for 1-2 inches of snow at mid elevations (e.g., Idyllwild) and not much more at higher elevations, perhaps 2-3 inches with each storm. 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. So don't be fooled into thinking you are going for 16 miles. On both days I was able to ascend barebooting to about 8800 ft on 30th and to 9200 ft on 1st, before putting on crampons. San Gorgonio Wilderness Association; Google Search for 'San Gorgonio Wilderness' Lots of useful links. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 14 min to complete. By the afternoon of 15th, melting was already underway below 7000 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. San Gorgonio' taken from Hwy 62 in 29 Palms on March 2, 2023. 805-579-1116 evolverealtyca@gmail.com. Although some treefall hazards from Red Tahquitz to Antsell Rock (PCT Miles 172.5-175) were cleared in June 2021 prior to the rockslide removal work, the situation has badly deteriorated since. All have been reported to US Forest Service. I have typically postholed barebooting to 8900-9200 ft before putting on crampons. ( I hope to provide more information on the high country situation on Sunday 26th, depending on conditions/weather. Currently crampons, always with an ice axe, and advanced knowledge of how to use this equipment, are required. Elevation Gain: 5,449 feet. Type of Hike Day hike. For both storms snow estimates for the highest elevations range from 10-15 inches, with perhaps only an inch of snow in Idyllwild following some rainfall. Snowshoes are not advisable due to the angle of the icy snow. Such unseasonably warm temperatures mean that snow melt will be rapid everywhere while in many areas freeze/thaw cycles will result in icy trails in the early mornings above about 7000 ft. By late morning snow conditions will become poor for hiking (soft, slippery, and even slushy) especially in sun-exposed areas. The icy conditions are the third deadly threat in the mountains, which were ravaged first by fires, then flash floods late last year. I made a concerted effort to put in a track as faithful to the trail routes as conditions permitted, both up and down. Leave your itinerary Make sure you tell someone where you are planning to go and when youll be back. Note that temperatures fluctuating either side of freezing are forecast for both mid and upper elevations. 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. 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. Note that averages are given; due to strong winds and light powder there is extreme drifting. It warmed last night to just above freezing below 6000 ft, with a mixture of rain and sleet falling on top of the prior snow, turning it increasingly to wet slush at mid elevations (we measured about 0.25 inch rain in Idyllwild). Above Saddle there was a layer of fresh powder (from the previous night) on top of a thick layer of ice, itself on top of more snow from prior storms. Altitudes are approximate. Tracks are in place around Skunk Cabbage Meadow, and south from Saddle Junction toward Chinquapin Flat. Every year seems to have its unique challenges, and it is already clear that 2023 will be no exception. This is a summary of conditions following the second significant Pacific storm of winter 2022/23 to impact the San Jacinto mountains. A rapidly warming montane climate, with changes especially striking at high elevation, is exacerbating all of these issues. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 30th January 2023 (unless otherwise indicated) and checked again on 1st February are as follows. Kenneth Smith, 66, of Yucaipa died Jan. 5 while ice climbing in the Forest Falls area, not far from where Barbour is missing now. The PCT on the south-facing slope (Angels Glide) for about 1.0 mile north of Saddle Junction is largely clear of snow (spikes not required). On the morning of Wednesday 15th February I ascended via the east side (Devils Slide, Wellman, Peak, and East Ridge routes), descending the western side via roughly Deer Springs Trail. Free shipping for many products! These concerns may steadily increase over the next few weeks with (eventually) temperatures fluctuating either side of freezing, seasonally stronger insolation, and highly variable snowmelt. 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. Conversely, lower down Devils Slide Trail is a combination of very light snow cover, slush, and multiple stream crossings, with much water flowing down the trail. They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, mixed with slushy and icy patches. On Thursday 15th I ascended San Jacinto Peak via the east side (Devils Slide, Wellman, and Peak trails) and descended the west side via Deer Springs Trail, while on Monday 19th we hiked to the Peak up and down the east side trails. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 6-8 inches (12-14 inches on 12th December), Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 8 inches (10-12 inches on 12th December), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 0-2 inches (7 inches on 12th December), Annies Junction/approx. This is also the parking area for the Big Falls Trailhead. At the Peak on Wednesday 15th February 2023 at 1030 the air temperature was 4.9F (-15C), with a windchill temperature of -26.3F (-32C), 65% relative humidity, and a bitter due North wind sustained at 19 mph gusting to 27.7 mph. On multiple recent ascents of San Jacinto Peak I have generally ascended and descended via the east side (Devils Slide, Wellman, Peak, and East Ridge routes). Yesterday afternoon we checked Devils Slide trailhead at Humber Park, and measured an average snow depth of 26 inches. Between November 2021 and May 2022, 61 downed trees were removed and almost the entire trail thoroughly trimmed and cleared. Remarkably Tropical Storm Kay did not add any new treefall hazards to this trail.
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