san gorgonio trail conditions

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. Momyer trailhead is now open. As last week, I was able to ascend barebooting to about 9200 ft before putting on crampons. SNOW DEPTHS measured (largely) on 21st November 2022 are as follows, with depths from 9th November 2022 in parentheses where known. Must have crampons/and Alpine boots, trails are iced and very dangerous. 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. While many hundreds of hours of time and effort are volunteered every year, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small private donations to help cover modest operating costs. Donate via PayPal using the link below, Viewing 15 topics - 1 through 15 (of 533 total), Overnight Whitewater Preserve- 1/28/2023. There was thin patchy snow at the trailhead (4900 ft) and then it was largely continuous above 5800 ft. No longer required at all the San Gorgonio Trailheads - only South Fork, Vivian, and Momyer still require it. 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. Many people are lost leaving the San Gorgonio Summit because they miss the trail going back to Vivian. 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!) "US Forest Service officials re-opened portions of the area closed during the Lake Fire today. The northerly wind was bitter at the Peak and got stronger throughout the morning as we descended. Regarding snowfall, the high country may be above the cloud at times, with dustings of snow above about 7000 ft across much of the nine day period, but with the highest probability for a heavy snowfall on Saturday 31st December, totaling 8-15 inches. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Four Hikers On The Summit Of San Gorgonio Mountain 1900-1915 Cali - Old Photo at the best online prices at eBay! 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. Thank you so much for your support. It may be in the 60s and 70s in the valleys, but it's not warm in the mountains. They cleared, repaired, and defined 200 yards of trail tread in various places, removed 4 trees from across the trail, rebuilt a trail tread retaining wall, and cut back 100 feet of brush growing over the trail. All trails above about 5500 ft are currently snow-covered. Locations in Pine Cove up to 6500 ft were reporting 3.1 to 3.8 inches of rain by 0500 today. Winter conditions exist in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. If there are Road Closed signs further down as was often the case last winter at weekends and holidays then those nine spaces are also unavailable for legal parking. UPDATE Tuesday 3rd January 2023: Following another minor overnight snow storm our fourth in the past week Anabel and I briskly broke trail up Devils Slide to Saddle Junction early this morning. Provisional forecasts suggest the later storm systems, around 25th-27th February, could produce much more significant snowfall, potentially 10-12 inches in Idyllwild and 24+ inches at the highest elevations. At the Peak on Wednesday 11th January 2023 at 0915 the air temperature was 24.0F (-4C), with a windchill temperature of 5.8F (-15C), 74% relative humidity, and a bitter NNW wind sustained at 19 mph gusting to 24.5 mph. However the remaining snow patches are icy in the morning. Cactus to Clouds (C2C) - Modern Hiker We hiked to top of San Gorgonio yesterday (8/23/09) via the Vivian Creek trail. no traction device) to 9000 ft on a lightly traveled and lumpy posthole track through thin icy snow. You will enter San Gorgonio Wilderness as the trail begins to gentle down. 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. Although excellent tracks are now in place for almost all major trails cautious navigation remains recommended. Contact the San Bernardino National Forest, San Gorgonio Ranger District, 34701 Mill Creek Rd., Mentone, CA 92359 (909) 794-1123 or fax (909) 794-1125. See closure notice link below for more details. Trail Details. Spikes are recommended at least for descending upper Deer Springs Trail. Hi Tyler, welcome to SoCalHiker.net! I recorded a short video at the Peak late morning on the 13th, available here on YouTube. They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, potentially mixed with slushy and icy patches. Currently there is about 1.5 inches of fresh snow at San Jacinto Peak, on top of the very patchy and icy 2-4 inches remaining from early November. Reports are that the Vivian Creek Trail to San Gorgonio is basically clear of snow. Sites that are currently available: (2) Palm Innovation Academy - 2:05 PM-5:35 PM (2) Three Rings Ranch Elementary - 3:00 PM-6:30 PM (1) Sundance Elementary 2:20 PM- 5:50 PM (2) Summerwind Trails- 2:20 PM-5:50 PM (2) San Gorgonio Middle School- 2:45 PM-6:15 PM (1) Mountain View Middle School- 2:30 PM-6:00 PM Incomplete applications and . San Bernardino National Forest including the San Jacinto Ranger District is closed until at least 16 March 2023. San Gorgonio via Vivian Creek - SoCal Hiker Deer Springs Trail is clear from the Highway 243 trailhead to the Suicide Rock trail junction at 7000 ft, and functionally clear from there to Strawberry Junction (8100 ft), with a few icy snow patches increasing in length and frequency as you ascend. The snow continues unabated, although the pace has slowed somewhat in the past hour. The route does not follow the established trail for the most part, and steepens considerably as it nears Wellman Divide. While the snow was not especially deep, it still took about double the time of a completely dry ascent. Storm number 20, and the last of a stunning first two months of 2023, produced another major snowfall with 10 inches overnight in Idyllwild, and it is still snowing heavily. It's remote trailhead is probibly the only reason it's not as popular as the other routes. Crampons (or perhaps spikes or snowshoes on some days) are recommended. Forest, San Gorgonio Wilderness, San Jacinto Wilderness and State Park. Dark Canyon Road (4S02, the access to Seven Pines Trail), and Santa Rosa Truck Trail (7S02) also closed to vehicle traffic for the season on 7th November 2022. As of the afternoon of Monday 12th, the only tracks that I saw and that are known to be in place are my snowshoe track between Humber Park and San Jacinto Peak (using Devils Slide, Wellman, and Peak trails), and the track of Kyle Eubanks from the previous evening between Long Valley and the Peak via Wellman Divide (which remained surprisingly visible in places about 15-20 hours later, showing how calm the winds were overnight). Kenneth Smith, 66, of Yucaipa died Jan. 5 while ice climbing in the Forest Falls area, not far from where Barbour is missing now. Deer Springs Trail has a broken track to follow all the way to San Jacinto Peak. on official, secure websites. Spikes are currently recommended throughout the trail system above about 7500 ft. 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. They tend to be especially useful for descending trails. All trails above about 4500 ft are snow-covered. Above Little Round Valley there are at least half-a-dozen tracks ascending toward San Jacinto Peak, none of which accurately follow the established trail route. Distance : 17.3 miles. 2-3 inches on 9th), Saddle Junction/approx. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 23rd January 2023 (unless otherwise indicated) are as follows. The next comprehensive update of the Report will likely be in the evening of Wednesday 11th. Steady melting is expected with warming temperatures this week, especially at mid elevations and on sun-exposed slopes. Conversely in places scouring by the wind means the depths can be well below the average. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 15th February 2023 are as follows. A double storm has been forecast as a possibility between Monday 28th November and Sunday 4th December. Due to the difficult nature of the hike, we decided to arrive at the trailhead at 5am to get an early start. 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). Some hikers will find spikes are useful at least for descending. This trail has had limited hiker traffic since November 2018, largely because Dark Canyon Road has only been open for a few months since the Great Valentines Day flood of 2019. In the week since the last storm we have surveyed trails around Tahquitz Peak twice, plus South Ridge, Spitler Peak, and Marion Mountain trails, among others. Precipitation on Sunday 4th into the early hours of Monday 5th is significantly less likely in the latest models. 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. LockA locked padlock Forecasts suggest a further 2-3 inches are possible tonight. The Fish Creek trail is probably the least used and is aprox. Cautious navigation remains required for those who do not have significant experience of hiking this trail. Spikes are recommended at least for descending, and will become increasingly important with increasing compaction and freeze/thaw cycles. Indeed a wild wind in the high country that day was erasing tracks within hours or even minutes (see photos below). Currently spikes at a minimum, and ideally crampons, with an ice axe (and knowledge of how to use it), are strongly recommended. . As always after storms in the San Jacinto range be aware of considerable ice fall from overhead trees. My blogging throughout the storms gave more day-to-day detail and is available here. 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. 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 on light icy snow from Long Valley/Tram to Wellman Divide. After an interesting month of weather, the remainder of January into February is forecast to be somewhat more settled. 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. UPDATE Wednesday 28th December: the overnight rain storm produced 0.73 inch in Idyllwild (measured at 5550 ft) while Long Valley (8600 ft) led San Jacinto mountain locations in rainfall with 1.01 inch. "It's just a sheet of ice up there," said John Amrhein, emergency services coordinator for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Clearly conditions are expected to continue to change over the next week or two, so this summary is intentionally brief. Please report trail conditions. Compacted trails such as Devils Slide, Deer Springs, Marion Mountain, South Ridge are extremely icy between 7400-8900 ft due to the rain yesterday which has now frozen. Ernie Maxwell Trail has a well traveled track to follow along its entire length, through the increasingly patchy icy snow. He had taken ice climbing equipment he'd been given for Christmas, but had never used it before, authorities said. Spikes are currently usefulthroughout the trail system above about 5000 ft, potentially lower in places. Please report trail conditions. 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. At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Sunday 19th February 2023 at 1015 the air temperature was 19.6F (-7C), with a windchill temperature of 4.1F (-16C), 44% relative humidity, and a moderate SSE wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 14 mph. Thank you so much for your support. (16), Additions & Corrections The table also shows that with another few inches, this could be the biggest snow season since the 1940s! Your contribution keeps the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. Whether you're a Girl Scout, a volunteer, or a family member, decide what you'll do next in your Girl Scout experience. The Trail Report has adopted Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work as the trail has had a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues in the past decade. Zelle, Venmo, and PayPal are all options. 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 Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 40-45 inches [2 inches] (45-48 inches), drifted >50 inches in places, Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 45 inches, heavily drifted, measured 23rd January, Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 40 inches [2 inches] (45 inches), Annies Junction/PCT Mile 180.8 (9070 ft): 44 inches [4 inches] (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, measured 23rd January, Long Valley (8600 ft): 22 inches [2 inches] (24 inches), Strawberry Junction/PCT Mile 183 (8100 ft): 15 inches, measured 23rd January, Saddle Junction/PCT Mile 179 (8070 ft): 22 inches [5 inches] (22 inches), Suicide Rock Trail junction with Deer Springs Trail (6950 ft): 3 inches, measured 23rd January, Devils Slide trailhead at Humber Park (6550 ft): 4-5 inches [4 inches] (6 inches) already melting afternoon of 30th, Idyllwild (at 5550 ft): 0-2 inches [3.5 inches] (3-4 inches) rapidly melting afternoon of 30th. Only saw one person all day on the way down (started at 5:30 am). On the north side, a location just south-east of Banning in San Gorgonio Pass recorded a gust of 92 mph. This will make trail conditions more complicated, and if in any doubt whatsoever carry and use traction devices accordingly (see discussion in introduction above). I've climbed it many times during winter and have found myself to be the only soul on the mountain. Fish Creek 10.1 miles 3,342' gain #32 | Salsa Dancing Up Half Dome, Redemption on San Gorgonio - Vurbl Note that averages are given; due to strong winds accompanying storms there is extensive drifting. Coldwell Banker. http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/ap/. South Ridge Road remains closed now with only about 35% icy snow cover. Spikes not required to that elevation. However the high country has been largely above this precipitation, with the sun even trying to peek out at times in Long Valley, and only about another inch of snow was added there this morning. potentially dangerous) windchill temperatures. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. 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. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 18th January 2023 (unless otherwise indicated) are as follows. The best times to visit this trail are May through November. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 22-24 inches (includes 6 inches added on 5th January), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 15 inches (5 inches snow plus unknown quantity of rain on 5th), Annies Junction/PCT Mile 180.8 (9070 ft): 17 inches (5 inches snow plus unknown quantity of rain on 5th), Long Valley (8600 ft): 8 inches (2 inches on 5th), Saddle Junction/PCT Mile 179 (8070 ft): 10 inches (2 inches snow plus unknown quantity of rain on 5th), Devils Slide trailhead at Humber Park (6550 ft): 3-5 inches (1 inch snow plus >1.0 inch rain on 5th). I postholed barebooting to 8900 ft before putting on crampons. Forecasts for snowfall have varied greatly in both timing and volume, the latter ranging from inches to feet. A few minor patches exist close to the top. Two significant further atmospheric river storm systems are forecast, on Tuesday 10th, and then again on Saturday 14th-Sunday 15th. San Gorgonio Mountain - Social Hiker San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 2-4 inches (was 12 inches on 9th November), Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 2-4 inches (was approx. One major treefall hazard is across the trail almost exactly midway between the trailheads at Humber Park and Tahquitz View Drive. Both storms produced more snow than was generally forecast. About six inches of snow fell at San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft) decreasing to 0.5 inch in upper Fern Valley (at c.6000 ft). A fourth and final minor system is expected on 28th February-1st March. Currently only two major trail routes have been traveled and even those may become partially obscured by drifted snow and fresh icefall. There is a decapitated boar head hanging from the fence by its teeth about half a mile south of hikertown on 1/30/23. Snow covered Mt. Forecasts indicate we will get a few more inches of snow overnight on 2nd-3rd January, and again on Thursday 5th January. Caming is allowed. Altitudes are approximate. This started as low as Devils Slide Trail and continued all morning. There are two new treefall hazards to pass on the upper trail. Pack your camera and your taste buds for this delicious adventure to see the sights and explore the food of Southern Italy! 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). Days are short and nights are very cold. Seven Pines Trail has one set of hiker tracks through the snow since the storm in early November 2022. 3; 8; 3 months ago. Four hikers have been found dead in three weeks, none of them novices. However they will remain very valuable for off-trail travel at elevations above about 9000 ft (potentially lower in places) for the next week or two at least. And as a reminder, self-issue permits are only good for that day. 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. "He's a pretty smart dude and a great physical man at 6-2, 240 pounds. March 2 - Marion Mountain to San Jacinto and return same route. They may become increasingly useful if conditions warm sufficiently for snow to become soft above about 9000 ft, especially on sunny slopes and afternoons. 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. San Gorgonio Hike on the Vivian Creek Trail - HikingGuy.com Thank you for taking the time to read this. A minor storm on the night of Tuesday 21st will include severe cold and severe winds, followed by milder, moderate storm on 22nd-23rd, and then an unusual atmospheric river combined with very cold air again producing heavy snowfall for 23rd-25th February. 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). Thank you so much for your support. Because of the 18K+ acre Lake Fire (which is still burning as of 6/24/15), a large section of the San Gorgonio Wilderness including all trails to the summit of San Gorgonio Mountain will be CLOSED until October 1, 2015 Taking the Pacific Coast Highway is one of the best road trips from Los Angeles and the best choice when taking a road trip to mountainous Big Sur. Crunchy layers as high as 9800 ft elevation told me it had rained that high at the start of the storm yesterday, but conversely there was very light snow (<1 inch) down to 5500 ft in Idyllwild. 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. Altitudes are approximate. South Ridge Road itself is now functionally clear of ice and snow. 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. They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, potentially mixed with slushy and icy patches. In my recent experience off-trail snow is now also largely too shallow and/or patchy for snowshoes. My 2022 survey counted 97 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. Unusually for me, I followed the entire route of the established trail down to Little Round Valley. Such warm conditions will soon be a distant memory. 1629 Sams Cyn , Beaumont, CA 92223-7572 is a single-family home listed for-sale at $699,900. Spikes are recommended especially in the morning as the snow is now hard, compacted and very icy in places. Altitudes are approximate. Nevertheless, the snowfall so far in winter 2022/23 in Idyllwild would place it seventh in recorded history (reliable data collection started in 1943). However they remain valuable for off-trail travel at elevations above about 9000 ft (potentially lower in places). These are free and self-issued. I put on my Kahtoola microspikes to descend from the Peak, ultimately leaving them on most of the way down Devils Slide Trail. Three significant trees are now down across the trail, including two major hazards (one new in gale force winds on 26th January) that are not easy to hike around both roughly halfway along the trail. The USGS benchmark on the summit reads 11,501.6 feet and is dated 1989. However a brief frigid interlude on 5th-6th February included a very light overnight snowfall at all elevations above 5000 ft, with 0.75 inch in Idyllwild, increasing to 1.5 inch at San Jacinto Peak. February has been more settled than the very eventful January, but temperatures remain on something of a rollercoaster ride. I measured 15 inches of snow during a check of Devils Slide trailhead (6520 ft) at Humber Park this morning. Hiking Mount San Gorgonio via Vivian Creek Trail is quite the challenge. 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. Conversely in some places scouring by the wind means the depths are well below the average. 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. Cold clouds in the high country produced thick rime on the trees above about 10,200 ft elevation on 1st December (photo from 2nd below) but otherwise no meaningful precipitation.