san gorgonio trail conditions

Spitler Peak Trail had 10 new treefall hazards, almost all in the upper switchbacks. Note that snow depth itself is rarely indicative of the difficulty (or otherwise) of hiking a particular track or trail. Current forecasts suggest that the moderate storm on 14th-15th January may be cooler than the Tuesday storm, with somewhat more snow at lower elevations. Terms & Conditions; Advertising; ABOUT US; Note that temperatures fluctuating either side of freezing are forecast for both mid and upper elevations for the foreseeable future. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 6th January 2023 are as follows. 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. Often spikes are especially valuable for descending even when they are no necessarily needed for ascending. 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. 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. Forest, San Gorgonio Wilderness, San Jacinto Wilderness and State Park. 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. From near Miller Peak I put in a track up the East Ridge, rather than continuing on the Peak Trail round to Summit Junction, but this track was being partially erased by spindrift within minutes. Forecasts are currently predicting 30-50 inches of snow for the highest peaks of the San Jacinto mountains (>10,000 ft) mainly between 23rd and 25th February, and about 18-30 inches for the Idyllwild area (5000-6000 ft elevations). Snow on this east slope is drifted, and remains 3-8 inches deep in places. Transporting firewood can move these pests to new locations. 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. Altitudes are approximate. Section D. I-15/Cajon Pass to Hwy-14/Agua Dulce. Note that near its junction with Deer Springs Trail, the route was not close to the established trail, so cautious navigation may be needed. Be prepared for ice and deep snow, bring crampons and /or snow shoes and above all do not hike past your limits. On 13th, Idyllwild received 2.75 inches, and I measured five inches at San Jacinto Peak, with 3-4 inches at locations in between. 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). Idyllwild (at 5550 ft): 0-1 inch (0.5 inch hail/sleet plus 1.04 inch rain on 5th). Long Valley (8600 ft) looks to have added about 12 inches since last night. (800) 735-2922 (TDD/TTY), Offices may be closed on select federal holidays, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/sbnf/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=74247&actid=51. Cloud cover started to envelop the mountains early this morning. Momyer and Falls Creek current trail conditions? Length 19.0 miElevation gain 5,492 ftRoute type Out & back. . "He's a pretty smart dude and a great physical man at 6-2, 240 pounds. Spikes are recommended. The high country was above the weather most of the night, and added an inch of fresh snow at most, however there were 2.25 inches in Idyllwild, and also roughly the same fresh snow depth at Humber Park and Saddle Junction. Marion Mountain Trail has a lightly-traveled posthole track to follow, that does not follow the trail route in places. Currently there is less than three feet of snow at San Jacinto Peak; I suspect it would be 5-8 feet had we had fractionally cooler conditions in the past month. Current forecasts suggest that there may be significant snowfall on Sunday 29th-Monday 30th January at all elevations, but some warming and steady snow melt likely on either side of that date. Very light precipitation well before first light this morning included a dusting of snow above 6000 ft, <0.25 inch below 8000 ft and about 0.25 inch above that elevation, plus 0.03 inch of drizzle in Idyllwild. 2-3 inches on 9th November), Saddle Junction/approx. Currently trails above about 7500 ft (lower in places) are largely obscured by moderate to deep snow. Nevertheless Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail unlike the relatively wide, bare, and obvious routes of, for example, Devils Slide or Marion Mountain trails. An additional 5.5 inches of snow fell in Idyllwild overnight, rather more than forecast, meaning we had to dig out yet again this morning. Snow cover is about 60% from Strawberry Junction north for about 1.0 mile (roughly 8500 ft), and thereafter >90% to San Jacinto Peak. Your contribution keeps the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. There is a very well-traveled track from Saddle Junction to Tahquitz Peak. 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. I barebooted to Saddle, and then snowshoed back down to help consolidate the track. Please report trail conditions. This is a summary of conditions following the second significant Pacific storm of winter 2022/23 to impact the San Jacinto mountains. Did you know? San Gorgonio, located in the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area. The main track is clearest just above LRV and again close to the Peak junction. Black Mountain Road also closed on 7th November to vehicle traffic at the gate 1.7 miles up from Highway 243. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 11th January 2023 are as follows. San Gorgonio Mountain is the highest peak in California south of the Sierra at 11,499 ft. Of those, 27 are in the 0.6 mile section between Willow Creek crossing and the State Park boundary. 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. Accumulation so far of about 0.5 inch in Idyllwild, and one inch at Long Valley. You will enter San Gorgonio Wilderness as the trail begins to gentle down. Even when the gate is closed there are nine legal parking spaces this side of the locked gate (near the upper Ernie Maxwell trailhead; these nine space still require an Adventure Pass or equivalent). Rain has continued solidly today in Idyllwild, with another 0.90 inch since 0700 this morning. Details of snow depths measured at various locations on the trail system are given at the foot of this posting. 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. MLS #219090979 2020 San Gorgonio: Type of Hike: Day hike: Trailhead: Vivian Creek Trail: Hiking Companions: Hiked with a partner: Road Conditions: Road suitable for all vehicles: Bug Status: Bugs were not too bad: Snow Conditions: Snow free: Trail Conditions: Trail in good condition: Long day hike, bugs were bearable, trail was dry. They tend to be especially valuable for descending trails. Long Valley (8600 ft) has received about 1.0 inch fresh snow this morning. connected to the .gov website. The upper end of this trail offers outstanding views of Yucaipa Ridge and Galena Peak, as well as sweeping . I would like to ski San Gorgonio. 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. Marion Mountain Trail [updated 22nd December] has a well-defined but lumpy posthole track throughout. Early on the morning of Saturday 17th I broke trail back-and-forth across the 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT and Tahquitz Peak which now has a lightly traveled posthole track to follow through the drifted powder (photo below). That said, it has just started gently snowing in both locations, so storm totals may increase slightly over the next couple of hours. The first number is the current total snow depth, followed in parentheses by the storm total for this latest storm 11th-12th December. 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. PCT Mile 179.9 (8070 ft): 0-1 inch (was 3 inches on 9th November), Devils Slide Trail at Humber Park (6550 ft): 0 inch (was 2.5 inches on 9th November), Idyllwild (at 5550 ft): 0 inch (was <1 inch on 9th November). Note that snow depth itself is rarely indicative of the difficulty (or otherwise) of hiking a particular trail. When the gate is closed there are nine legal parking spaces this side of the locked gate (which still require an Adventure Pass or equivalent to be displayed). For closure information, please visit our official PCT closures page. Spikes are expected to remain extremely useful over the next few weeks given the unpredictable weather. 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. In Palm Springs, artist Lauren Bon displays The Smallest Sea with the Largest Heart. It climbs just fast enough to avoid being frustrating on the ascent, but is gentle enough so as to not be pounding on the descent. 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. Hard to believe being so close to the Los Angeles/Southern California area.Regarding San Gorgonio's elevation:In keeping with the standard (USGS) for determining US elevations, I have posted the height at 11,490 feet. Spikes are recommended at least for descending upper Deer Springs Trail. Lightly cloudy conditions made for a delightful hike on the evening of Monday 21st ascending San Jacinto Peak via Marion Mountain and Deer Spring trails, descending the east side (Devils Slide, Wellman, and Peak trails). The total snow accumulation was ultimately somewhat below prior forecasts, with San Jacinto Peak receiving about 9-10 inches overnight (rather than the 12-16 anticipated). Snow depths are currently excellent for snowshoeing above about 7000 ft, where trails havent been too heavily traveled and compacted. In 1852, the summit of the nearby10,624 - foot San Bernardino Peak provided the initial baseline and meridian from which all land surveys for Southern California originate. 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. 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. Sadly it is looking increasingly likely that neither storm will significantly impact the San Jacinto mountains. 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. Skyline Trail is now largely clear, but has very limited patchy, thin, icy snow above about 7200 ft (the Traverse to Grubbs Notch). After an interesting month of weather, the remainder of January into February is forecast to be somewhat more settled. 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. UPDATE Friday 20th January: Overnight Idyllwild had a very light dusting (<0.25 inch) of snow, but the high country was above the cloud so existing tracks should be unaffected. Snow cover is a patchy 20% from Strawberry Junction north for about 1.5 mile (roughly 8600 ft). Many thanks to Florian Boyd for bringing this to my attention. Some hikers will find spikes preferable. 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. Trip Report. 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. As always after storms in the San Jacinto range be aware of considerable ice fall from overhead trees. 10 inches on 9th), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 0-1 inch (was 4 inches on 9th), Annies Junction/approx. Between November 2021 and May 2022, 61 downed trees were removed and almost the entire trail thoroughly trimmed and cleared. Report An Accident; Traffic Cameras >> Interstate 10 >> California >> North Palm Springs >> News Reports. At this time there is no further significant precipitation forecast prior to mid February. Comments Off on Updated El Dorado closure area. There is a well-traveled track on the lowest section of Deer Springs Trail continuing out to Suicide Rock. "He usually goes with his girlfriend or a buddy," said Hendley, who lives across the street from Kumm. I think some of the switchbacks above High Creek Camp may have been lengthened in recent history to make the route longer. The next, much more substantial, wave of snow arrives later this afternoon. Estimated Distance: 17 miles. There I generally put on Kahtoola microspikes for the descent. Baldy. 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. 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). 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. Monday 5th was the first day since the snow storm in early November that I did not use spikes for descending, as the icy snow in the high country was crisp and grippy in cold, cloudy conditions. Hikers should be prepared for temperatures below freezing in the high country, and far below freezing when considering wind chill effects (see below for my recent weather observations from San Jacinto Peak). While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small private donations to cover costs. UPDATE Wednesday 22nd: the first of four storms expected over the next eight days, the sixteenth storm of this winter, produced a very light snowfall but bitterly cold conditions in the San Jacinto mountains overnight. 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. WEATHER UPDATE Thursday 26th January 2023: Wild Santa Ana (north-east) winds today in the San Jacinto mountains have included gusts of 69 and 73 mph early this morning at automated stations at each end of Bonita Vista Road. Get involved with local programs, from participating in the Cookie Sale and attending Girl Scout camp to registering for in-person and virtual programming on digital storytelling, aviation, and more! The peak is one of eleven peaks that are over 10,000 feet in elevation in the southeast portion of the San Bernardino Mountains. South Ridge Trail is now functionally clear of snow to Tahquitz Peak with only 1-2% icy snow cover overall. Final totals for Idyllwild for the three day storm event were 6.5 inches of snow, plus an impressive 5.06 inches of rain. Such warm conditions will soon be a distant memory. I kept my crampons on for the entire descent, taking advantage of excellent cross-country glissading conditions, and made it from San Jacinto Peak back to Humber Park in just over two hours. Stone Creek campground had also closed, but I saw that it had apparently reopened for Thanksgiving weekend. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 10-12 inches (12-14 inches on 12th December), Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 9 inches (10-12 inches on 12th December), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 2-4 inches (7 inches on 12th December), Annies Junction/approx. 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. 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). At home at 5550 ft in Idyllwild we recorded 10.9F (-12C), the lowest temperature we have recorded there in nine winters. Spikes are currently usefulthroughout the trail system above about 6000 ft, potentially lower in places. These storms are each expected to produce a further 4-6 inches of snow. 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. Spikes tend to be most valuable for descending even when not needed for ascending. The story so far.. A minor storm on the night of Tuesday 21st (sixteenth storm of the winter) produced little snow just an inch in Idyllwild but severe cold and severe winds, erasing all tracks with wild drifting. Note that average depth is given; due to strong winds accompanying storms there is extensive drifting. 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. The significant Pacific storm of the winter that had been forecast over an extended period between about 16th-21st December is no longer thought likely to impact the San Jacinto mountains, although considerable uncertainty persists in the weather models for that period. Even if its warm and sunny at lower elevations, its cold and icy in the wilderness. Snowshoes will remain valuable anywhere off trail above about 8000 ft for the foreseeable future. A significant warming trend is expected for later this week and next weekend at all elevations, with significant melting likely, before cooling slightly Monday 6th February but remaining slightly above seasonal. At the Peak 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. Note that South Ridge Road (5S11) is closed to vehicle traffic. Amounts listed may 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. Vivian Creek Trail to San Gorgonio Peak. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Nevertheless, snowshoes will be valuable anywhere off trail above about 8000ft for the foreseeable future, and on trail where tracks have not yet been broken. PCT Mile 181.8 (9070 ft): 2-3 inches (5.5 inches on 12th December), Marion Mountain Trail at junction with PCT (8700 ft): 3-4 inches (6 inches on 12th December), Long Valley (8600 ft): 1-2 inches (5-6 inches on 12th December), Strawberry Junction (8100 ft): 0-1 inches (4 inches on 12th December), Saddle Junction/approx. Trail Details. Camping Shade Solitude Views / Vista. The first number is the depth of fresh snow from this latest storm, followed in parentheses by the current total snow depth. Black Mountain Road also closed on 7th November to vehicle traffic at the gate 1.7 miles up from Highway 243. 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. 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. "On Mount San Jacinto, the conditions just aren't good for avalanches with the slopes and amount . Details of snow depths measured at various locations on the trail system are given at the foot of this posting. 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. 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. All have been reported to US Forest Service. Even when the gate is closed there are nine legal parking spaces this side of the locked gate (near the upper Ernie Maxwell trailhead). 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. Temperatures will be below freezing (max 28F on Mon night, min 25F on Wed morning). A storm currently predicted for Wednesday 22nd February is tentatively forecast to have near record low (i.e. 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. Forecasts range widely from 6-22 inches of snow for the highest elevations across multiple days, with a mix of rain and several inches of snow at mid elevations. but her friend Joyce Schwartz took some short videos from which this still image is taken. They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, potentially mixed with slushy and icy patches. The State Park boundary is not marked but is near the site of the old Florians Cache, below Flat Rock. The PCT throughout the San Jacinto mountains (roughly Miles 207-151) has a clear track to follow, including Fuller Ridge Trail, which has been traversed by a handful of sobo PCT hikers. . 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. Currently the snow is relatively powdery; this will steadily change over the next few days and weeks. On 19th the cold icy early morning snow had good bite for grippy boots and I barebooted all the way to San Jacinto Peak. At 11,499 feet, San Gorgonio Mountain is the highest peak in California south of the Sierra. It turned to occasional light snow showers at about 1430, with just 0.5 inch settled so far. However the Tuesday storm is forecast to be much colder, with a freeze level dropping to 5000 ft, with several of inches of snow therefore possible at the elevation of Idyllwild. Seven Pines Trail has no sign of any hiker traffic since the snow on 12th. whitebark 300 Hiked May 4, 2008. 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. At the Peak 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. The first storm system comes through overnight on Tuesday 27th, with precipitation continuing into the morning of Wednesday 28th.

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