Snow cover is a patchy 20% from Strawberry Junction north for about 1.5 mile (roughly 8600 ft). What does it mean if I have a California Campfire Permit? Snow depths measured at various locations on the trail system are given at the foot of this posting. 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. The snow quickly turned into semi-melted slush. They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, potentially mixed with slushy and/or icy patches (depending upon time of day). All trails above about 5500 ft are currently snow-covered. If camping overnite anywhere within the San Gorgonio Wilderness a permit is required. At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Monday 6th February 2023 at 0930 the air temperature was 11.1F (-12C), with a windchill temperature of -11.0F (-24C), 59% relative humidity, and a frigid NNW wind sustained at 12 mph gusting to 20.2 mph. Currently trails above about 7500 ft (lower in places) are largely obscured by moderate to deep snow. 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. An additional six inches of accumulation today brings the total in Idyllwild since 21st February to 20.5 inches. Get ready to get WILD because Girl Scout Day at the Erie Zoo is almost here! Those systems are summarized here: Conditions will remain very unsettled throughout the second and third weeks of January. May 20th is the Erie Zoo Earth Day Celebration and they've invited the Girl Scouts to the party. Altitudes are approximate. All trails above about 8000 ft are obscured by snow at this time, and cautious navigation is strongly recommended everywhere. Alternatively snowshoes could have been used, depending on personal preference and time of day. I barebooted to Saddle, and then snowshoed back down to help consolidate the 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. The Ernie Maxwell Trail [surveyed 5th January] has patchy snow along its entire length, however it is largely clear for long sections, and the remaining snow is soft. There are other South Fork Trails in Southern California, so make sure you are going to South Fork . The best times to visit this trail are May through November. These icy slopes are notoriously treacherous. Section E. Hwy-14/Agua Dulce to Hwy-58/Mojave-Tehachapi . ( External Links. Often spikes are especially valuable for descending even when they are no necessarily needed for ascending. Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio offers an opportunity for you to make a difference in the lives of girls and young women. . 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. It finally stopped snowing at about 0700, and some blue sky has resulted in spectacular vistas. Map showing recreational areas. 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. The Peak Trail still has about 90% cover of icy snow to San Jacinto Peak. Did you know? ( 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). They are not currently recommended for traversing moderate or higher angle slopes above 9000 ft that have challenging ice underlying powder. I snowshoed down from San Jacinto Peak via Wellman Divide, Saddle Junction, and Devils Slide Trail. The table also shows that with another few inches, this could be the biggest snow season since the 1940s! While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small private donations to cover costs. Coldwell Banker. South Ridge Trail [surveyed 10th Feb] is largely snow free until Old Lookout Flat at 7600 ft (c.15% snow cover). Freeze levels will be well below 3000 ft at times, and for example Garner Valley (4300-4800 ft) could receive as much as 6-12 inches of snow this week. While my snowshoe track continues from Saddle Junctions through to San Jacinto Peak via Wellman Divide, this may rapidly become obscured by additional light snowfall and/or drifting snow from strong winds. Seven Pines Trail has one set of hiker tracks through the snow since the storm in early November 2022. 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. San Bernardino Trail and Forsee Creek trails, along with the campsites near those trails, are still closed. Skyline Trail has a good track to follow through increasingly patchy, very thin, icy snow above about 7000 ft (the Traverse to Grubbs Notch). "He was alone and had no map. 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. Spikes are currently recommended throughout the trail system above about 7500 ft. About 6-10 inches of snow are forecast for the high country on Saturday 14th, with 1-2 inches possible at the elevation of Idyllwild (preceded by 1-2 inches of rain). The San Gorgonio Mountain maintains the longest recorded line of sight in the contiguous United States it is plainly visible from the summit of Mount Whitney, 190 miles away. Of course, this February was notable in that roughly 80% of the total fell all in the last week of the month, with no respite for significant melting. 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. on official, secure websites. shawnsisler. This is crowdsourced and depends on your contributions. The Ernie Maxwell Trail is functionally clear of icy snow, although a few minor patches remain, especially close to Humber Park. Instead they end up miles from where they should be. As I snowshoed down past 9000 ft elevation it was clear from a layer of ice underfoot that after a light snowfall, there had been rain on top of snow, before it started snowing again on top of that Sunday morning. While the snow quantities are forecast to be 1-2 inches at most, they may be much colder systems than have been typical so far this winter, with freeze levels below 5000 ft. San Gorgonio Mountain is the highest peak in California south of the Sierra at 11,499 ft. Terms & Conditions; Advertising; ABOUT US; Group size limited to 12 people and 8 pack/riding animals per group. I measured 1.5 inches of fresh snow at Saddle Junction early this morning, with about one inch at Humber Park, and 0.8 inch of snow (following 0.7 inch of rain) at 5550 ft in Idyllwild. On my hike up to San Jacinto Peak late this morning there was a little drizzle on most of Devils Slide Trail, then an on/off mix of drizzle, freezing rain,, and fine snow in the high country. Snow, weather, and trail conditions for the San Jacinto mountains. The holiday weekend had temperatures far above seasonal until Tuesday 27th. After a 10 mile uphill grind, we summited at 10:45am and it was stunning: beautiful . SNOW DEPTHS measured on 2nd-5th December 2022 are as follows, with depths after the only significant storm of this winter to date (on 9th November) for comparison in parentheses where known. Hiking Trails. Bear in mind that half the winter total, 26 inches, have fallen in the past five days! Snow cover is only 50% below 6700 ft, about 95% up to 7200 ft, and continuous thereafter. The second week of January is expected to be relatively warm and sunny, so extensive melting will start, especially at mid elevations. As last week, I was able to ascend barebooting to about 9200 ft before putting on crampons. South Ridge Trail [hiked 13th and 17th December] has a well-traveled posthole track through shallow snow as far as Tahquitz Peak. 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. Your contribution keeps the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. Your contribution keeps the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. South Ridge Trail (surveyed 26th and 30th November) is now functionally clear of snow to Tahquitz Peak with only 1-2% icy snow cover overall. It is a difficult hike, to say the least, and is recommended only for hikers who have adequate experience. The kiosk entrance gate is open during the daytime hours for parking up above at the trailhead. Snow depths measured at various locations on the trail system are given at the foot of this posting. At the on Monday 5th December 2022 at 0840 the air temperature was 24.1F (-4C), with a windchill temperature of 2.8F (-16C), 20% relative humidity, and a bitter WSW wind sustained at 18 mph gusting to 33.0 mph. UPDATE Thursday 15th December 2022: Early this morning I hiked to San Jacinto Peak from Humber via Devils Slide, Wellman and Peak trails. (21 ), Google Search for 'San Gorgonio Wilderness', http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/ap/, Bear Flat, C2C, Vivian Creek: SoCal Triple Crown, The Hard Way, A Sleepless Winter Night On Top San Gorgonio, Southern California County Highpoints Tour, Cactus to Clouds, 9 Peak Traverse, and Baldy for the SoCal Triple Crown, Ascent of San Gorgonio - snowboarding down, My Personal "San Bernardino Mtns Trail Marathon", Spring Ascent of San Gorgonio's North Face. The State Park has closed the wilderness due to the weather conditions, as described on their website here. There is a well-traveled track to follow through the very light and patchy 1-3 inches of icy snow. San Gorgonio Climbing notes shared by Mountain-Forecast users. This was tricky for postholing which went through the ice layer. I was surprised to find that no one had made it through on the Wellman Trail over the weekend, so I postholed somewhat over my snowshoe tracks from 15th until Wellman Divide. Section C. I-10/San Gorgonio Pass to I-15/Cajon Pass. Otherwise, reliable posthole tracks are in place from Saddle Junctions through to San Jacinto Peak via Wellman Divide, but parts will become obscured by drifting snow. These mileages were all recently revised by the USFS and SGWA: 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. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 42 inches (45-48 inches), drifted to 60 inches in places, especially on East Ridge. Note that averages are given; due to strong winds and light powder there is extreme drifting. The fourteenth and fifteenth storm systems of winter 2022/23, both of them minor but having a significant effect in combination, impacted the San Jacinto mountains back-to-back on 13th and 14th February. The highest probability of precipitation is early morning on Friday 2nd. The first storm system comes through overnight on Tuesday 27th, with precipitation continuing into the morning of Wednesday 28th. the snowfall predicted in some forecasts. In the high country temperatures will be more like April or May, some 10-20F above seasonal, before finally cooling (but still remaining above average) in the last couple of days of the year. . On the morning of Wednesday 11th 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. Sadly it is looking increasingly likely that neither storm will significantly impact the San Jacinto mountains. For locations measured on 23rd January, these measurements are still useful, as the new recent snow depth is roughly offset by melting over the past week. On my hike up to San Jacinto Peak it started snowing gently at 1025 in the high country. They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, potentially mixed with slushy and icy patches. All trails above about 7500 ft remain lightly snow-covered. 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. The USFS gate at Humber Park remains closed. Waterproof or highly water resistant footwear is recommended. Winter conditions Be prepared for all weather conditions. Final precipitation numbers for Idyllwild (measured at 5550 ft elevation) across the three days were 5.06 inches of rain and 6.5 inches of snow, although only about half of the latter remained on the ground as a few inches were removed by (relatively) warm rain between snow storms. I kept those on for the rest of the ascent, and almost all of the descent, finally removing them most of the way down Devils Slide Trail. Note that average depth is given; due to strong winds accompanying the storm there is extensive drifting, often particularly accumulating in the trails. Snowshoes will remain valuable anywhere off trail above about 8000 ft for the foreseeable future. At the Peak on Thursday 8th December 2022 at 0900 the air temperature was 28.4F (-2C), with a windchill temperature of 12.7F (-11C), 11% relative humidity, and a fresh SW wind sustained at 7 mph gusting to 9.3 mph. Although not required, many hikers will find spikes useful especially for descending. San Gorgonio is located 82 miles east of Los Angeles, just south of Big Bear. "Especially on the north-facing slopes, it has remained extremely cold up there," he said. San Gorgonio are popular peaks year-round with Southland hikers, and receive snowfall above roughly 7,000 feet in winter. Use this trailhead address: South Fork Trail 1E04, 40800-40894 Jenks Lake Rd W, Angelus Oaks, CA 92305. 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. I had the pleasure of hiking the Fish Creek Trail on June 22nd. By comparison, approximately 42 inches were recorded in February 2023 (provisional data). In recent days we have also surveyed trails around Tahquitz Peak, South Ridge, Spitler Peak, and Deer Springs, among others. Your contribution keeps the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. The fresh snow overnight could have covered any tracks or other signs of a campsite, but "if he's still moving, we'd be able to see his footprints clearly," Amrhein said. However the snow conditions may not be suitable for snowshoeing on certain slopes, as described above. Black Mountain Road also closed on 7th November to vehicle traffic at the gate 1.7 miles up from Highway 243. Mt. While the snow was not especially deep, it still took about double the time of a completely dry ascent. Deer Springs Trail has a posthole track to follow along its entire length. The freeze level again started very high at >9000 ft, with light rain falling in Long Valley (8600 ft) all morning. Snowshoes are useful in low to moderate 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. The trail descriptions list this route as being 16 miles round trip. February 2011 recorded 45.5 inches, and there were 45.5 inches in March 2006. Spikes are not required. There was a further 0.5 inch dusting of snow above 8000 ft on Thursday 29th (as I describe in this video). 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. 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 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. SNOW DEPTHS measured (largely) on 21st November 2022 are as follows, with depths from 9th November 2022 in parentheses where known. The first couple of days early next week (20th-21st) may warm slightly above seasonal, before promptly dropping well below average again, accompanying another unsettled period of multiple consecutive storm systems on 22nd-28th. They tend to be especially useful for descending trails. Very shallow snow is often icy and potentially perilous, while deeper powder can actually be much safer, albeit slow-going for most hikers. 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. They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, potentially mixed with slushy and/or icy patches (depending upon time of day). As mentioned above, crampons with hiking poles and an ice axe, depending on terrain are currently very useful everywhere above about 9000 ft. Take warm clothing and equipment so you can stay overnight should you have to. The route does not follow the established trail for the most part, and steepens considerably as it nears Wellman Divide. Overnight in Idyllwild we had three inches of snow, the first notable snowfall of this latest storm series, but temperatures actually warmed during the night (presumably with the arrival of the latest atmospheric river) and before dawn it was raining on top of the snow. Some hikers may continue to find spikes useful for some of the minor icy patches but they are no longer required. The Fish Creek Trail is a great route. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): storm total 12 inches (total depth 17-20 inches), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 8 inches (total 9 inches), Annies Junction/approx. Long Valley (8600 ft) has received about 1.0 inch fresh snow this morning. Devils Slide Trail is functionally clear of icy snow to Saddle Junction. You can check out the latest hike logs from San Gorgonio here. Average snow depth around the peak was 24-25 inches, but heavily drifted. SGWA is testing a new interactive trail map! UPDATE Tuesday 10th January: Another minor and relatively warm storm is passing through our mountains today. United States government. Todays rainfall total has passed an inch in Idyllwild, and various locations in Pine Cove (5800-6500 ft) were reporting 1.1 to 1.3 inches two hours ago. South Fork camps such as Dry and Dollar Lakes are also filling several weeks in advance. single family is a 3 bed, 2.0 bath unit. On Monday 13th I also postholed the entire hike, as I was able to ascend barebooting to about 9200 ft before putting on crampons. Such unseasonably warm temperatures led to rapid snow melt everywhere, despite the low sun angle at this time of year, while in many areas freeze/thaw cycles have resulted in icy trails and roads especially in the early mornings. February is forecast to be somewhat more settled than the very eventful January. Share sensitive information only The second system, possible in a broad time window between 2nd and 4th December, may produce significant snow in the high country (forecasts have ranged widely from 0-30 inches above 10,000 ft!) I descended via Deer Springs Trail, breaking trail through virgin powder all the way down to the Suicide Rock Trail junction. Devils Slide Trail has a moderately traveled track to Saddle Junction. Hikers will encounter new treefall hazards due to the enormous weight of ice from freezing rain associated with the early November storm, followed by recent Santa Ana winds, and since the passage of Tropical Storm Kay in September. Trail Conditions. Spitler Peak Trail is now functionally clear of snow. Final totals for Idyllwild for the three day storm event were 6.5 inches of snow, plus an impressive 5.06 inches of rain. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Currently the USFS gate at Humber Park is closed. Dutch Flat, at about 5600 ft elevation between Idyllwild and Pine Cove, recorded 0.86 inch of rain by 1300. At the Peak on Saturday 31st December 2022 at 1650 the air temperature was 24.9F (-4C), with a windchill temperature of 4.8F (-15C), 62% relative humidity, and a bitter WSW wind sustained at 18 mph gusting to 30.1 mph. Hikers should be prepared for temperatures well 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). Snow on this east slope is drifted, and remains up to 12 inches deep in places. He's a pretty strong-willed guy." There is a well-traveled track on light icy snow from Long Valley/Tram to Wellman Divide. As mentioned last week, current trail conditions are oddly reminiscent of spring, with snow distribution and iciness typical of April rather than December. Long Valley (8600 ft) looks to have added about 12 inches since last night. 0:04. Spikes are recommended at least for descending upper Deer Springs Trail. The 20th storm of winter 2022/23, the second of two storms across three days, is currently impacting the San Jacinto mountains. Even when the gate is closed there are nine legal parking spaces below the locked gate (which still require an Adventure Pass or equivalent to be displayed). This is a summary of conditions following the tenth and eleventh Pacific storms of winter 2022/23 to impact the San Jacinto range, that were basically a double atmospheric river event spread across 14th-17th January. Estimated Distance: 17 miles. If you have general comments or questions, they can be submitted via our Contacts page. Official websites use .gov A .gov 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. PCT Mile 179.9 (8070 ft): 3 inches (4 inches on 12th December), Devils Slide Trail at Humber Park (6550 ft): 0-1 inches (3.5 inches on 12th December). Dcouvrez les photos et les conseils d'autres randonneurs et trouvez toutes les promenades autour de Sand To Snow National Monument qui . 2; 2; 1 month, 1 week ago. However a couple more inches of snow are expected this afternoon, and also on 2nd and 5th January. Snowshoes can be used for ascending the highest peaks, but with considerable caution. Snow depths are currently excellent for snowshoeing everywhere above about 8000 ft, potentially lower in places. The Wellman Trail track was disappearing under spindrift as I re-broke it on Monday 23rd. Qu'il s'agisse de randonnes pdestres ou vlo, il y a beaucoup d'endroits voir et visiter autour de Yucaipa. Immediately north of Saddle Junction, snow cover is starting to become somewhat patchy on the sun exposed slope (Angels Glide) but icy snow cover is continuous through the Wellman and Peak trails to San Jacinto Peak. Spikes are generally not required for ascending, but most hikers find them useful at least for descending. Lost Creek Trail via Dry Lake 12.9 miles, 5,182' gain It is clear, based on information on the PCTA website closures page (linked here), that these closures will dramatically and negatively impact early season PCT hikers. Nice postcard view of Dry Lake covered in untouched snow. 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. Spikes are recommended. Two and three-tenths miles further is High Creek Camp (water available - 9,200'). By the afternoon of 15th, melting was already underway below 7000 ft. The Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail has a well-traveled track to follow throughout its length, snow cover is about 80%. 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. Our Council owns and operates Skyland Ranch, a magnificent 192-acre camp property in the San Jacinto Mountains below the town of Idyllwild, and Camp Azalea Trails, a remote camp setting located outside of Idyllwild. Basically, now would be a nice time to go to the beach." There are two new treefall hazards to pass on the upper trail. My track largely followed the established route of the trail, especially below the Fuller Ridge junction, but higher up the track is much more direct in places. Elevation gain : 5,840 ft. I measured an average of about four inches of snow at Old Lookout Flat, although with some deeper drifts in the trail. While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small private donations to cover costs. All trails above about 5000 ft are currently snow-covered. South Ridge Trail is now functionally clear of snow to Tahquitz Peak with only 1-2% icy snow cover overall. The Vivian Creek Trail is definitely more than 7.8mi. For the foreseeable future hikers should be prepared for temperatures below freezing in the high country, and well below freezing when considering wind chill effects (see below for my recent weather observations from San Jacinto Peak). SNOW DEPTHS measured on 1st January 2023 are as follows. South Ridge Trail from the top of South Ridge Road to Tahquitz Peak has a well-traveled track to follow through the very light and patchy 1-3 inches of icy snow. The latest Trail Report (linked here) mentions the increasing avalanche risk with recent heavy wind-loaded snowfall on top of the icy pre-existing snow, and how avalanches occur every winter on the north face (contrary to erroneous information in recent local media stories). Trail crews are back in the wilderness! San Bernardino, CA 92408