Estimated Distance: 17 miles. The USFS gate at Humber Park remains closed. Conversely in places scouring by the wind means the depths are well below the average. The forecasts remain wildly inconsistent for the potential storms next week but it is looking increasingly likely that the systems will miss us to the north.]. Long Valley (8600 ft) has added about two inches, where it continues to snow gently this morning. Snow cover is shallow up to about 7000 ft, but relatively heavy above 8000 ft. Melting on sun-exposed slopes is already well underway, e.g., on lower Devils Slide Trail, South Ridge and lower Deer Springs trails. My tracks from Wednesday 18th January from Humber Park to/from San Jacinto Peak will be largely visible but may become somewhat obscured in places. On both days I was able to ascend barebooting to about 8800 ft on 30th and to 9200 ft on 1st, before putting on crampons. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Schedule a showing for 251 Broadriver Trail in Beaumont, CA. 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. 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. For day use a permit is required on any of the trails in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 42 inches (45-48 inches), drifted to 60 inches in places, especially on East Ridge. These icy slopes are notoriously treacherous. Very shallow snow is often icy and potentially perilous, while deeper powder can actually be much safer, albeit slow-going for most hikers. Although our perceptions may have been skewed by some extremely dry winters in the past decade, major snowfalls are not as rare as many current residents might think. Day hiked on 12/22/22 - Very nice snow and weather conditions with little wind. 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. PCT Mile 179.9 (8070 ft): 4 inches (storm total 3.5 inches), Devils Slide Trail at Humber Park (6550 ft): 3.5 inches (storm total 3.5 inches). Long Valley added about 4-6 inches of snow overnight, and a little less than that during the day today. Donate via PayPal using the link below, Viewing 15 topics - 1 through 15 (of 533 total), Overnight Whitewater Preserve- 1/28/2023. 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. Currently, and increasingly as snow conditions change, spikes are strongly recommended for the foreseeable future everywhere above about 7000 ft, lower in places. On cold mornings the trail will be icy and some hikers will find spikes are useful, however on warmer days and afternoons spikes are not required. 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. With storms accompanied by strong west winds, the slopes above about 9500 ft on the east flanks of San Jacinto and Jean peaks may develop a snow structure with minor to moderate avalanche risk by the weekend of 25th-26th (as last seen on these slopes in early 2017). As mentioned last week, current trail conditions are oddly reminiscent of spring, with snow distribution and iciness typical of April rather than December. San G. North Face Chute Climb - Social Hiker At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) 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. Currently, and increasingly as snow conditions change, spikes are strongly recommended for the foreseeable future everywhere above about 6000 ft, lower in places. UPDATE Thursday 15th December 2022: Early this morning I hiked to San Jacinto Peak from Humber via Devils Slide, Wellman and Peak trails. 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. 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. Reliable tracks are in place (at least) for Devils Slide Trail through to San Jacinto Peak via Wellman Divide, and for the entire Deer Springs Trail. Community Volunteer Day at Camp Redwing 04-23-23 The week from 21st-26th December may be among the warmest on record for the year-end holiday period. Take a look here . Three significant trees are now down across the trail, including two major hazards that are not easy to hike around both roughly halfway along the trail. Most of the upper half of the trail had 3-4 inches of lovely fluffy powder. Trip Report. First look at Desert X 2023: preview the Coachella Valley art Precipitation turned to occasional light snow in Long Valley at about 1330, with an accumulation by 1550 of just 0.5 inch. The traversing slopes above Wellmans Divide (roughly 9800-10,500 ft) were extremely firm early in the morning and potentially treacherous. Started by: MikeH. Although the snow is not currently particularly deep (10-12 inches) it is heavily drifted and has an ice layer underneath the fresh powder. It does not accurately follow the established trail route in significant sections but is navigable. Jeff H. Keymaster. 18632 Deer Trail Road, Banning, CA 92220 Property Records However, relatively well-traveled tracks are now in place for most major trails (details below). Momyer 13.2 miles, 6,062' gain Cautious navigation is strongly recommended everywhere. 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. Willow Creek Trail remains a relatively slow, messy hike for a couple of miles. The snowfall of this 20th storm of the winter brings the seasonal total here to 71.8 inches of snow, which is 233% of the average water year snowfall for Idyllwild. Accumulation so far of about 0.5 inch in Idyllwild, and one inch at Long Valley. It warmed last night to just above freezing below 6000 ft, with a mixture of rain and sleet falling on top of the prior snow, turning it increasingly to wet slush at mid elevations (we measured about 0.25 inch rain in Idyllwild). 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. Spikes tend to be especially useful for descending trails. It stopped snowing at about 0800. http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/photos/CABDF/2015-06-17-1915-Lake-Fire/picts/2015_06_24-16.53.57.084-CDT.pdf, As of July 16th 2015: However excellent well-traveled and compacted tracks are now in place for most of the major trails (details below). 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). As mentioned above, crampons (always in conjunction with an ice axe) are currently recommended on certain moderate and higher angle slopes, notably the Peak Trail above Wellman Divide, and uppermost South Ridge Trail, especially on the north face of Tahquitz Peak. 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. 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. However the route is now largely well-traveled and compacted. 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). February has been more settled than the very eventful January, but temperatures remain on something of a rollercoaster ride. But I'm worried about him." 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). On the afternoon of 18th I saw posthole tracks that head down the start of the Caramba Trail, and following the PCT southbound toward Chinquapin Flat, but I have no further details at this time. In addition, there is the possibility of minor snow storms on Thursday 19th and around Sunday 29th January. It was closed Wednesday both because of hazardous conditions and because rescuers did not want hikers disturbing any footprints or other clues that might have been left by Kumm. There's a clear message being sent to those who go into the burn areas to be aware of your footing," said Ruth Wenstrom, a U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman. There I generally put on Kahtoola microspikes for the descent. Forecast models have a higher degree of confidence for the Tuesday storm than the storm next weekend. Skyline Trail has a good track to follow through increasingly patchy, very thin, icy snow above about 7000 ft (the Traverse to Grubbs Notch). Hikers who have an ice axe (and know how to use it) may find it useful in places on this short section of trail. Trails above about 7500 ft currently remain lightly covered with patchy icy snow (more continuous above about 9000 ft). Spitler Peak Trail is now functionally clear of snow. South Ridge Road itself is now functionally clear of ice and snow. Seven Pines Trail has no sign of any hiker traffic since the snow on 12th. San Bernardino 9 Peaks Traverse. I snowshoed down from San Jacinto Peak via Wellman Divide, Saddle Junction, and Devils Slide Trail. Note that temperatures fluctuating either side of freezing are forecast for both mid and upper elevations for the foreseeable future. I just moved to southern california and want to be back out doing what I love. Two and three-tenths miles further is High Creek Camp (water available - 9,200'). Spitler Peak Trail (surveyed 18th November) is clear of snow. It's nearly 20 miles, a 5,600 foot elevation gain and it reaches 11,503 feet! Be prepared for ice and deep snow, bring crampons and /or snow shoes and above all do not hike past your limits. All have been reported to US Forest Service. UPDATE Wednesday 14th December 2022: Early this morning Anabel and I broke trail up Spitler Peak Trail to the PCT. View 41082 Cheyenne Trl, Beaumont, CA 92223 property records for FREE including property ownership, deeds, mortgages, titles & sales history, current & historic tax assessments, legal, parcel & structure description, land use, zoning & more. The Caramba Trail from near Reeds Meadow through Laws Camp and on to Caramba, and the Cedar Trail from Willow Creek Trail to Laws, are described by the Forest Service as not maintained. Print/PDF map. The second storm on 15th-16th is expected to be colder with a lower freeze level which may result in 1-2 inches of snow down to 5000 ft or possibly even lower. 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. Snow depths measured at many locations on the trail system on 11th January are given at the foot of this posting. 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. Coldwell Banker. 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. The powder was lovely and soft, and overlying a firm icy layer (from all the freezing rain). It was near-whiteout conditions due to wild spindrift above Wellman Divide, but the new snow was firm and overall made for good snowshoeing conditions. Most of this snow had melted prior to my hike to San Jacinto Peak on 31st December. All in all, I found the Fish Creek Trail to be a great way to go. Snow cover is only 50% below 6700 ft, about 95% up to 7200 ft, and continuous thereafter. View details, map and photos of this single family property with 2 bedrooms and 2 total baths. The forecast for the last ten days of December differs radically from what was predicted just a week ago, and a major warming trend is expected rather than another cold Pacific storm. 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. 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. Caming is allowed. They may become increasingly useful if conditions warm sufficiently for snow to become soft above about 9000 ft, especially on sunny slopes and afternoons. Share sensitive information only San Bernardino National Forest Near Angelus Oaks, California. The 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT and Tahquitz Peak [checked 9th January] has no steps to follow through the steeply angled icy snow. Recent hikes have included the high peaks (>10,000 ft) 2-4 times per week by various routes, Tahquitz Peak and area 1-2 times per week, South Ridge, Spitler Peak, and Marion Mountain trails, and May Valley Road and Indian Mountain Truck Trail. Altitudes are approximate. We are leveraging crowd-sourced info for water availability and other conditions. The system was cooler in the early hours of Friday morning, with a dusting of snow to 6000 ft and a covering of icy sleet below that in Idyllwild. All trails above about 5500 ft are currently lightly (or above 8500 ft, moderately) snow-covered. 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. Turn right onto San Bernardino Peak Trail and finally gain the San Gorgonio summit. You don't hike alone. Emergency-Closure-Forest-Order-No.-05-12-00-23-02-SIGNED-1. 805-579-1116 evolverealtyca@gmail.com. In general temperatures are expected to warm to above average into next month at all elevations, especially at the highest elevations in the first week of February. Snow depths are currently excellent for snowshoeing everywhere above about 8000 ft, potentially lower in places. All have been reported to US Forest Service. Currently, and increasingly as snow conditions change, spikes are strongly recommended for the foreseeable future everywhere above about 7000 ft, lower in places. . Leave your itinerary Make sure you tell someone where you are planning to go and when youll be back. Zelle, Venmo, and PayPal are all now options. 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. Put on snowshoes and went up to the base of San Gorgonio . (one-way mileages to the top of San G) "Especially on the north-facing slopes, it has remained extremely cold up there," he said. Map Information, Forest Headquarters These storms are each expected to produce a further 4-6 inches of snow. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 45-48 inches (includes about 24 inches snow in latest storms), heavily drifted to 60 inches in places, especially on the East Ridge. Currently crampons, always with an ice axe, and thorough knowledge of how to use this equipment, are essential. So rather than being a once-in-a-generation event, this may prove to be a once-in-a-lifetime event for most Idyllwild residents. One major treefall hazard is across the trail almost exactly midway between the trailheads at Humber Park and Tahquitz View Drive. On the mountaintop, the ice continues to stay, and if hikers continue going up there, we're going to continue to have problems." They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, potentially mixed with slushy and icy patches. If this lower lot is full or you do not have your Forest Adventure Pass with you, park in the smaller gravel lot to the left. With a rapidly changing climate in the region in recent years, it has become increasingly common for there to be little or no difference in snow quantities at mid and higher elevations, often because the high country remains above the cloud, and this system was no exception. All trails above about 4500 ft are snow-covered. This Residential listing has 2 Beds, 2 Full Baths. He didn't know the area, and he was in ice with [boot spikes] he just got at Christmas," Goodman said. LockA locked padlock Great snowshoeing in the Winter. It's remote trailhead is probibly the only reason it's not as popular as the other routes. Spikes tend to be especially useful for descending trails. At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Monday 28th November 2022 at 0855 the air temperature was 26.2F (-3C), with a windchill temperature of 8.8F (-13C), 11% relative humidity, and a sharp due West wind sustained at 17 mph gusting to 24.6 mph. San Gorgonio is located 82 miles east of Los Angeles, just south of Big Bear. Spikes are recommended at least for descending upper Deer Springs Trail. There are two new treefall hazards to pass on the upper trail. Snow cover is about 60% from Strawberry Junction north for about 1.0 mile (roughly 8500 ft), and thereafter >90% to San Jacinto Peak. In several places the trail itself was buried by up to 5 feet of snow making it very slow-going. Spikes not required to that elevation. 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. Dans ce guide, nous avons slectionn les 6 meilleurs chemins le long de votre balade autour de Sand To Snow National Monument. Even Devils Slide Trail was largely obscured in deep drifted powder (photo below). The first number is the current average total snow depth at that location, followed in parentheses where known by the maximum depth so far this winter immediately following the latest storm sequence on 14th-17th January 2023. The Old fire, which started in San Bernardino, and the deadly flood that ravaged a campground in Devore were blamed for establishing the brittle ground that gave way when Jones fell to his death. 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!) The Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail is largely clear of icy snow, with a few patches remaining, mostly close to Humber Park. Spikes are recommended at least for descending upper Deer Springs Trail. but probably light rain and/or about an inch of snow at the elevation of Idyllwild. The strange rollercoaster ride that has been winter 2022/23 so far will continue for the foreseeable future. This can't be correct. Snowshoes are not required anywhere, as recent experience has shown that off-trail snow is now too shallow and/or patchy for snowshoes. There was no evidence of hiker tracks on Fuller Ridge Trail or Seven Pines Trail as of Monday 23rd January. Nevertheless, the snowfall so far in winter 2022/23 in Idyllwild would place it seventh in recorded history (reliable data collection started in 1943). Although not required, some hikers will find spikes useful especially for descending. Idyllwild (at 5550 ft): 0-1 inch (0.5 inch hail/sleet plus 1.04 inch rain on 5th). "On Mount San Jacinto, the conditions just aren't good for avalanches with the slopes and amount . These positions are for the after-school program. For those interested in a detailed statewide discussion of this dramatic weather event, I recommend reading the excellent analysis on Weather West (linked here). 71729 San Gorgonio Road, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 for Sale MLS# 219090979 They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, potentially mixed with slushy and icy patches. This will continue to be the case for at least a week, given fresh snowfall expected. These concerns may steadily increase over the next few weeks with (eventually) temperatures fluctuating either side of freezing, seasonally stronger insolation, and highly variable snowmelt. If there are Road Closed signs further down at the junction with Forest Drive sometimes the case at weekends and holidays when snow is present then those nine spaces are also unavailable for legal parking. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Broadly speaking it is clear that snowfall has become much more variable in the past decade, ranging from extremely dry (<10 inches) to, obviously, very snowy.