There were no visible hiker tracks on Marion Mountain, Seven Pines, or Fuller Ridge trails, as of 15th February. 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. At the Peak on Thursday 24th November 2022 at 0810 the air temperature was 29.0F (-2C), with a windchill temperature of 5.7F (-15C), 16% relative humidity, and a severe NNW wind sustained at 25 mph gusting to 35.1 mph. Current Trail Conditions The switchbacks up to Tahquitz Peak average only 20% icy snow cover, but the frequency and length of ice patches increases on the uppermost switchbacks. At 11,499 feet, San Gorgonio Mountain is the highest peak in California south of the Sierra. An official website of the Alternatively snowshoes could have been used, depending on personal preference and time of day. Official websites use .gov A .gov These are free and self-issued. Type of Hike Day hike. Some hikers may continue to find spikes useful for some of the minor icy patches but they are no longer required. contact San Bernardino National Forest, San Gorgonio Ranger District, 34701 Mill Creek Rd., Mentone, CA 92359 909-382-2882 or fax (909) 794-1125. ) or https:// means you've safely (130) Good Coverage. The first storm system comes through overnight on Tuesday 27th, with precipitation continuing into the morning of Wednesday 28th. Spikes are not needed yet, but that will change soon with increasing compaction and freeze/thaw cycles. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 36-40 inches (winter max depth 45-48 inches), drifted >50 inches in places, Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 38 inches (45 inches), Annies Junction/PCT Mile 180.8 (9070 ft): 44 inches (48 inches), Long Valley (8600 ft): 20 inches (24 inches), Saddle Junction/PCT Mile 179 (8070 ft): 18 inches (22 inches), Devils Slide trailhead at Humber Park (6550 ft): 0-3 inches, partly melted by afternoon of 6th (6 inches), Idyllwild (at 5550 ft): <1.0 inch, largely melted by afternoon of 6th (4 inches). 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. Consequently the trail conditions and snow depths reported herein will change dramatically over the next few days. There are layers of hard ice and firm icy snow beneath the fresh powder, and crampons are ideal at present everywhere above 9000 ft, lower in places. Baldy and Mt. 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. Altitudes are approximate. On 24th and 28th we barebooted to the Peak on well-traveled and compacted tracks through light icy snow. Summertime tends to be the most crowded but it is a great mountain to climb anythime of year. From there the Peak Trail was easy going, having been well-traveled by hikers coming up the Tram. WATCH: Rare Southern California Avalanche Caught On Camera Surreal scene out of Southern California where an avalanche was captured on video crashing down the north face of the San Jacinto Mountains after a recent storm. 2 brothers found guilty of murdering man at his Chino wedding party Very fine snow fell briefly this evening. In combination with the four inches of rain since Saturday, not to mention the many inches of rain earlier this winter, the mid elevations, including the mountain communities, are now best described as a very soggy and slushy mess. With significant further snowfalls expected in the next week (at least), and moderate to strong winds in the high country expected for many of those days causing some daily drifting of snow, much of the trail system may remain completely or somewhat obscured by snow throughout most or all of January. You can check out the latest hike logs from San Gorgonio here. Reliable tracks are in place (at least) for Devils Slide Trail. Spikes are recommended at least for descending upper Deer Springs Trail. 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). South Ridge Road (5S11) is currently closed to vehicle traffic but is rapidly clearing [checked Saturday 17th] of snow. The Fish Creek Trail is a great route. Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 45 inches, heavily drifted, Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 40 inches (45 inches), Annies Junction/PCT Mile 180.8 (9070 ft): 44 inches (45-48 inches), Tahquitz Peak (8836 ft): 25 inches, heavily drifted to 40 inches in places (measured 20th January), Seven Pines Trail junction with Deer Springs Trail (8700 ft): 36 inches, Strawberry Junction/PCT Mile 183 (8100 ft): 15 inches, Saddle Junction/PCT Mile 179 (8070 ft): 19 inches (21 inches), Suicide Rock Trail junction with Deer Springs Trail (6950 ft): 1-3 inches, Devils Slide trailhead at Humber Park (6550 ft): 2-4 inches (5-6 inches), Idyllwild (at 5550 ft): 0-2 inches (3 inches). On 14th, about 2.0 inches fell in Idyllwild, with an inch all the way down to 3500 ft (and a dusting even lower), but upper elevations received a similar amount, with 2.5 inches in Long Valley (8600 ft) and at Wellman Divide (9700 ft), and no more than three inches at San Jacinto Peak. Currently the snow is relatively powdery and benign; this will steadily change over the next few days and weeks. After some early sleety drizzle it has been snowing in Long Valley (8600 ft) since late morning with 0.75 inch accumulating so far. Hikers should anticipate new treefall hazards in trails we have already found one major new one on the Ernie Maxwell Trail and also that tracks in snow may have been obscured by windblown drifting powder. March 4 - San Gorgonio via Dobbs ridge/peak and return same route. 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. Melting may be slow and largely confined to the most sun-exposed slopes, but freeze/thaw cycles, compaction, and low overnight temperatures may lead to very icy conditions. Authorities were able to locate and rescue two 17-year-old hikers who were lost for several days on the Pacific . Spikes are useful but not strictly required for ascending, but most hikers will continue to find them very useful for descending. At least two further minor storm systems are forecast, overnight into Tuesday 3rd January, and then again all day on Thursday 5th January, as described in more detail in the Weather section below. Devils Slide Trail is functionally clear of icy snow to about 7700 ft (about 1.7 miles up) although some dirty icy patches remain below that. The summit of San Gorgonio (11,499') is 3 miles beyond High Creek. Please report trail conditions. Generally considered a challenging route. My Time: 9 hours 17 minutes (moving), 11 hours 37 minutes total. South Ridge Trail [surveyed 10th Feb] is largely snow free until Old Lookout Flat at 7600 ft (c.15% snow cover). If the Report is useful to you in any way, please consider using this link to the Donate page. The main track is clearest just above LRV and again close to the Peak junction. As mentioned above, crampons with hiking poles and an ice axe, depending on terrain are currently very useful everywhere above about 9000 ft. I descended Deer Springs Trail, again breaking trail the entire way, but again through light snow sitting on top of a very solid, icy snow layer. Snowshoes will remain valuable anywhere off trail above about 8000 ft for the foreseeable future. Girl Scout Daisies will earn the Between Earth and Sky Journey. The snow quickly turned into semi-melted slush. San Gorgonio climbing notes - Mountain-Forecast.com 2-3 inches on 9th), Saddle Junction/approx. The freeze level will initially be above 10,000 ft, ultimately only falling to about 9000 ft, so many of the main access trails to the high country may get no new snowfall. Winter conditions exist in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. From the top of Marion Mountain Trail icy snow cover is about 90% to Little Round Valley, although there are a few lengthy clear areas on sun-exposed sections. The icy conditions are the third deadly threat in the mountains, which were ravaged first by fires, then flash floods late last year. A short video summary of what we found is available here. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 12-14 inches (storm total 10 inches), Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 10-12 inches (storm total 7 inches), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 7 inches (storm total 6 inches), Round Valley (9100 ft): 6 inches (storm total 5 inches) [thanks to Kyle Eubanks for this measurement], Annies Junction/approx. Locations in Pine Cove up to 6500 ft were reporting 3.1 to 3.8 inches of rain by 0500 today. All seasonal and ephemeral streams were running strongly, and the current water conditions are the best for four years, since the great Valentines Day flood event of 2019. That said, the going was extremely easy as the rain layer on top of the snow remaining for earlier storms had completely frozen, so I was only having to break trail through an inch or two of fine powder. However the remaining snow patches are icy in the morning. Forsee Creek, San Bernardino Peak, Momyer, and Vivian Creek trailheads offer a great opportunity to create through hikes that include the popular San Bernardino and San Gorgonio peaks, said Deputy Forest Supervisor John D. Exline. Your contribution keeps the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. Spikes are currently recommended throughout the trail system above about 6500 ft. Every year seems to have its unique challenges, and clearly 2023 will be no exception. Two and three-tenths miles further is High Creek Camp (water available - 9,200'). 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 10 BEST Taipei Hiking Trails (with Photos) - Tripadvisor Forest Service campgrounds at Boulder Basin, Marion Mountain, and Fern Basin are closed for the season. The number given is the current average total snow depth. Precipitation has been steady at mid and upper elevations for the past few hours. Conversely in places scouring by the wind means the depths can be well below the average. Seven Pines Trail has one set of hiker tracks through the snow since the storm in early November 2022. I hope to provide more information on the high country situation on Sunday 26th, depending on conditions/weather. Coldwell Banker. Per "Tarol" 6-21-2011The Vivian Creek route is the most popular, South Fork is #2If you want a permit for Vivian for a dayhike on the weekend in the summertime, you must get it 3-4 weeks in advance. For those that are unclear, the Skyline Trail is the first segment of the C2C (cactus to clouds) from Palm Springs up to Grubbs Notch, the access point to Long Valley. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 2-4 inches (was 12 inches on 9th November), Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 2-4 inches (was approx. Spikes are recommended. They are now invaluable on heavily traveled, compacted, icy tracks (before they clear of snow in the coming weeks) such as Devils Slide, Ernie Maxwell, and Deer Springs trails, at least, especially mornings when conditions tend to be most icy, and for descending. Snow cover is a patchy 20% from Strawberry Junction north for about 1.5 mile (roughly 8600 ft). 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. However, relatively well-traveled tracks are now in place for most major trails (details below). I recorded a short video discussion there (available here on YouTube) which gives a feel for current conditions. Between the dustings of snow yesterday and today, high country tracks are becoming obscured and cautious navigation is strongly advised. Snow depths measured at various locations on the trail system are given at the foot of this posting. However the snow conditions may not be suitable for snowshoeing on certain slopes, depending on the ice conditions below the surface due to multiple freezing rain incidents this winter. Spitler Peak Trail (last surveyed 18th November) is clear of snow. A positive start to the new year, this is a summary of conditions following the fifth Pacific storm (but only the third significant snowfall) of winter 2022/23 to impact the San Jacinto mountains. Three numbers are given: the first number is the current average total snow depth at that location, followed in brackets by the new snow accumulation from the storm on 29th-30th January, and finally in parentheses by the maximum depth where known so far this winter, generally on 18th January following the major storm sequence on 14th-17th January 2023. UPDATE Sunday 1st January 2023: A moderate overnight storm produced 1.53 inches of rain in Idyllwild (at 5550ft). UPDATE Sunday 12th February: back-to-back minor snow storms are forecast for this evening and all day Tuesday 14th. With two further minor snowfalls possible in January, and strong winds in the high country expected on some days causing substantial spindrift, tracks broken through the snow may not last long. PCT Mile 179.9 (8070 ft): 8 inches (8-9 inches), Devils Slide trailhead at Humber Park (6550 ft): 4 inches (total 4 inches). 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. 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. The holiday weekend had temperatures far above seasonal until Tuesday 27th. Donate via PayPal using the link below, Viewing 15 topics - 1 through 15 (of 533 total), Overnight Whitewater Preserve- 1/28/2023. Baldy. I had the pleasure of hiking the Fish Creek Trail on June 22nd. This was discussed in, Minor snow storm in the early hours of Tuesday 3rd January 2023 then turned to rain all day. The peak is one of eleven peaks that are over 10,000 feet in elevation in the southeast portion of the San Bernardino Mountains. Many hikers may find spikes are already useful, and will become increasingly so during and after this weekend with melting and compaction. The second system may be more substantial, with precipitation expected most of the day and night of Saturday 31st December into Sunday 1st January. Spikes are recommended, at least for descending. Further light snow is expected starting this evening, followed by much heavier snow overnight on 28th February-1st March. Map showing recreational areas. Although not essential in the moderate depth powder, spikes are strongly recommended and many hikers will find them useful especially for descending. With compaction of the trails in the second week of January, snowshoes may steadily become less useful, however they will remain valuable for off-trail travel in the high country for the foreseeable future. Spikes could potentially be used to ascend to the highest peaks at this time, although crampons are certainly safer for traversing (e.g., see photo below). It's 7.8 miles (Gary Suttle's book lists it as 8.4 miles) with almost 5,500 feet in elevation gain. 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. Conversely in places scouring by the wind means the depths are well below the average. Note that average depth is given; due to strong winds accompanying storms there has been extensive drifting, often particularly accumulating in the trails. Given cold temperatures for the foreseeable future, melting is expected to slow (or largely stop in the high country). Below is an excellent videograb of an avalanche in the Snow Creek drainage on the north face of San Jacinto Peak that was witnessed by friend of the Trail Report Catherine Peterson yesterday morning at about 0840. San Bernardino Trail and Forsee Creek trails, along with the campsites near those trails, are still closed. Of those, 27 are in the 0.6 mile section between Willow Creek crossing and the State Park boundary. There is a well-traveled track on light icy snow from Long Valley/Tram to Wellman Divide. Day hiked on 12/22/22 - Very nice snow and weather conditions with little wind. Note that data for the high country are dramatically different from those for Idyllwild, and generally sadly lacking, other than meteorological records for Long Valley (8600 ft elevation) since the 1960s. It stopped snowing at about 0800. Roads 1n02 / 1n05 that go into Aspen Grove and Fish Creek are closed for the winter. Donate via PayPal using the link below. Conversely in some places scouring by the wind means the depths are well below the average. Four Hikers On The Summit Of San Gorgonio Mountain 1900-1915 Cali - Old Lamentably this latest storm was again very mild, with rain falling as high as the elevation of San Jacinto Peak see photos below all morning on Tuesday 10th, until finally turning to light snow in the early afternoon (at about 1330 in Long Valley). In addition to snowshoes, and as conditions change, spikes are strongly recommended for the foreseeable future everywhere above about 6000ft. However the snow conditions may not be suitable for snowshoeing on certain slopes, as described above. It's a beautiful hike through pines, cedars . Photos (5,382) Directions. Spikes at least, but preferably crampons, are required for the uppermost switchbacks (see photo below). High freeze levels may mean rain and/or freezing rain at the highest peaks at times, and icy or mixed snow/ice conditions at all elevations. There is a well-traveled track to follow through the very light and patchy 1-3 inches of icy snow. While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small private donations to cover costs. 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. 641 Avenida Vaquero, San Clemente, CA 92673 | Redfin The high country remained above the cloud for this one, with no fresh snowfall above about 8000 ft. The kiosk entrance gate is open during the daytime hours for parking up above at the trailhead. The East Ridge Trail (from near Miller Peak to San Jacinto Peak) has a handful of tracks through the continuous snow, though none (including mine) accurately follow the trail route. Steady melting is expected with warming temperatures this week, especially at mid elevations and on sun-exposed slopes. After we took the Dry Lake trail for about a 1/4 of a mile, we split from the main trail and took the main winter route. From there I put in a direct ascending track roughly following the old East Ridge Trail to the Peak. United States government. RESCUES IN THE WILDERNESS CAN BE AVOIDED. Clearly conditions are expected to continue to change over the next week or two, so this summary is intentionally brief. Started by: jack. San Gorgonio, San Bernardino National Forest - Recreation.gov Hard 4.7 (4326) San Gorgonio Wilderness. Note that tracks are being obscured very quickly by drifting of snow from strong winds, sometimes in hours or even minutes (see photo below). Note that near its junction with Deer Springs Trail, the route was not close to the established trail, so cautious navigation may be needed.