For links and details regarding hiking permits, camping restrictions, ranger station access, and the Tramway reopening, please see the previous Report. Air quality had largely returned to normal in the high country, but strong North winds on Monday 26th stirred up all the smoke, ash, and dust again. At the Peak on Monday 30th November 2020 at 0840 the air temperature was 37.1°F (3°C), with a windchill temperature of 32.8°F (0°C), 23% relative humidity, and a light NW breeze sustained at 2 mph gusting to 4.3 mph. weekends always being crowded. [UPDATED 8th November 2020: In Idyllwild and the high country it continued snowing yesterday afternoon. WEATHER Temperatures at all elevations are forecast to average several degrees above seasonal until mid December. I have cleared out the tiny pool on the upslope side of the trail, and there is adequate depth in which to filter water. Find Current Conditions at the National Parks Live Twitter Feed from Rocky Mountain National Park @RockyNPS: Bear Lake Report: Currrent = 28, H = 30, L = 18. With a significant change in the weather imminent, hikers should be prepared for temperatures near or below freezing in the high country (potentially well below freezing when considering windchill effects), especially on 25th-28th October. The closure of the San Jacinto Ranger District of the San Bernardino National Forest, which began on Monday 7th September, has now been extended until at least 30th September (see revised closure order here). For comparison, at the Peak on Wednesday 4th November 2020 at 0600 the air temperature was 42.2°F (6°C), with a windchill temperature of 39.1°F (4°C), 16% relative humidity, and a light ESE wind sustained at 3 mph gusting to 4.3 mph. At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) today, Saturday 7th November 2020 at 1005 the air temperature was 15.4°F (-9°C), with a windchill temperature of -6.6°F (-21°C), 100% relative humidity, and a bitter WNW wind sustained at 15 mph gusting to 23.9 mph. Completed this hike with a four year old, who was able to use snowshoes on the last third towards the summit. San Jacinto Trail Report: available for everyone, funded by readers. As public trails into the Park largely pass through Forest Service land, the Park is functionally inaccessible. The cause was apparently a vehicle problem on Snow Creek Road that led to a vegetation fire. There are tracks to follow through the snow patches where needed, and spikes can be helpful. The Snow Fire, which started on 17th September, was held initially at 6013 acres (see prior posting for discussion). Cautious navigation is strongly recommended everywhere. The Round Valley pipe is flowing again. The unprecedented Forest and Park closures, in place for 31 days, were indicative of the exceptional fire risk and the associated resource challenges. Encouraging news. The air temperature at San Jacinto Peak on the morning of 23rd (59.9°F) was the highest ever recorded at that location in the second half of September. The Forest Service closure of Dark Canyon Road is expected to continue into 2021, so there is currently no vehicular access to Seven Pines trailhead. The only extended section is almost continuous ice cover for 0.25 mile around 9300′ elevation near the crossing of the North Fork of the San Jacinto River. California Trail Corridors form a statewide trail system that links mountain, valley and coastal communities to recreational, cultural and natural resources throughout the state. One unfortunate consequence of this action is that the Black Mountain Fire Lookout is also now closed for the season. By the end of October, temperatures are forecast to be at or above average again, initially driven by strong Santa Ana winds. A couple of cool days will be followed by yet another warming starting 11th. No ice today (11/21) except a very small amount at the overlook and on the trail to the spring. Total spread looks to have been held under 6000 acres and the fire is largely extinguished. Go around the next turn and you will see the trailhead parking area for Slide Mountain. Many trails have treefall hazards from this past winter, passable for hikers but not for stock. Most hikers may find spikes useful, depending upon your comfort level on ice and compacted snow, especially for descending some sections. Useful if hikers are descending the Spitler Peak Trail. Snow is nearly continuous from there to the Fuller Ridge Trail junction. Water conditions – as confirmed by multiple hikes in the high country in the past few days via most major routes – are not significantly different from those described in last week’s Report (available here). The Deer Springs stream crossing at the PCT (approx. Content is subject to change without notice. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is best used from May until October. The creek in Little Round Valley is flowing very weakly, and it dries up at the mouth of the valley. Wild North winds overnight produced a lot of branches down on the trails today (I removed those I found). Melting will continue to be very fast this week. Tahquitz Peak trail from Chinquapin Flat/PCT Mile 178 has steps to follow through the angled icy snow. I will continue to post updated information as it becomes available. For further information contact the State Park or Forest Service as indicated on their websites. Devil’s Slide Trail has a well-traveled track to follow. If you have found this Report useful, please consider visiting the Donate page. This is an update on conditions following the first snow storm of winter 2020/21, with most of the snow falling on Saturday 7th, followed by a little more on Sunday 8th. Most major trails have now been traveled and have reliable compacted snow tracks to follow (of varying quality, depending on hiker traffic volume), which are also clearing rapidly of course lower down. Nevertheless, cautious navigation is still advised. The sights were amazing after the snow the day before! I recorded a rambling video summary at San Jacinto Peak – complete with ice in the beard! Flow has periodically been redirected to the CCC/ACE camp in Long Valley and water pressure can be insufficient to also flow at the pipe (currently there is no maintenance crew camped in Long Valley). The Forest Service closure of Dark Canyon Road will continue into 2021, so there is currently no vehicular access to Seven Pines trailhead. Total accumulation at 6000′ may be several inches, with 8-10″ possible around the highest peaks. UPDATED 18th September @ 1710. This is a brief update on conditions following the first snow storm of winter 2020/21. Currently spikes are recommended. Day hiking permits are available at the Idyllwild and Long Valley ranger stations of the Mount San Jacinto State Park, which are both open. 6/26 - Lower 1/3 of trail has some trees … Snow cover is largely continuous from there to the Peak, other than on sun-exposed sections of trail. All significant tree hazards on Willow Creek Trail have now been removed. Black Mountain Road is now closed (at the gate about 1.7 miles up from Highway 243), likely for the remainder of the year. there is a spot filled (which i believe to be) Betula Ermanii Trees. A cold system is forecast around 15th-16th, with frigid temperatures possible in the high country. Some forest roads may remain closed. [UPDATED 11th December 2020: The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will close again from 12th December for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus crisis.]. USFS day use permits are nevertheless required for the San Jacinto wilderness, and should be available at the self-serve kiosk outside the ranger station. On the summit area of Slide Mountain lies two great viewing areas. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which closed 13th March due to the coronavirus crisis, partially reopened on 9th October. It is also flowing further upstream at its source (known locally as Grethe Spring) where it crosses the PCT (approx. Very easy, non technical hike with some nice view points. At the base of the mountain is the quaint town of Mount Shasta, and this is surrounded by various national forests. South Ridge Trail is largely clear to Old Lookout Flat at 7600′. About eight miles were burned (approx. With a shift from easterly to westerly winds, air quality today was the best in and around the San Jacinto mountains since mid August. With up to four air tankers in the air, including a DC-10 type, there were multiple retardant drops roughly perpendicular to the PCT at or above about 5000ft. With an especially challenging year in 2020, every contribution is invaluable. I wasn’t sure how tough the trail conditions would be, and I knew at least we’d get to the Brothers which offer lots of open rock and great views. Most areas below 7000′ are largely clear, and the snow on sun-exposed slopes all the way to the high peaks, but especially below 10,000′, is melting rapidly. It is the old road formerly used to access the fire tower and was not built as a trail. See the State Park or Forest Service websites for further information. Recent hikes have included four ascents of San Jacinto Peak in the past six days via several routes, plus Tahquitz Peak and a check of water sources in the Tahquitz area meadows. The entire isthmus (between Snow Creek East Fork and Falls Creek) burned overnight to its narrowest point at about 4200ft elevation. PCT Mile 186.2). There continues to be no significant precipitation in the forecast. I used spikes this afternoon to assist with descending from San Jacinto Peak, although they were not essential. Altitudes are approximate. The creek in Little Round Valley is flowing, although at less than half the volume compared to this time last year. Regrettably it will last less than a week, with temperatures rising again to well above average from 12th October onwards. I had a very pleasant day in the high country today, breaking trail from Humber Park to San Jacinto Peak. It can be done without spikes at this point, but I wouldn’t advise it. Many experienced hikers have reported getting lost in this area since summer 2019. WEATHER For the remainder of ths week, every day is forecast to be progressively warmer. It's our mission to promote an inclusive and accessible environment for all guests. Many trails have treefall hazards remaining from last winter, passable for hikers but not for stock. Apache Spring (N 33 43 11, W 116 37 13) Barely trickling. The Snow Fire was held initially at 6013 acres (see prior posting for discussion). USFS has indicated that a permit quota will not be enforced for Devil’s Slide Trail for Labor Day weekend. Consequently spikes are recommended for all trails above about 8000′ elevation, which all have some patches of ice and compacted icy snow, as described in detail below. The viewing area on the eastern side gives an excellent viewing of t… Snow on trails largely persists in traditional areas that are colder and/or less sun-exposed, such as the north face of Tahquitz Peak, in Little Round Valley, on Deer Springs Trail between Marion Mountain and Fuller Ridge trails, either side of Annie’s Junction, at around 10,000′ on the Peak Trail, … The small creek in Tahquitz Valley dried up in early August. PCT Mile 181.8 (9070′): 2.5″ (by 1215), Saddle Junction/approx. Hikers should be prepared for temperatures at or below freezing in the high country, and well below freezing when considering wind chill effects (see below for weather recently recorded at San Jacinto Peak). Tahquitz Peak trail from Chinquapin Flat/PCT Mile 178 has a well-defined track for 0.3 mile to follow through the largely continuous icy snow. At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) today, Monday 9th November 2020 at 1005 the air temperature was 19.0°F (-7°C), with a windchill temperature of 12.3°F (-11°C), 51% relative humidity, and a very light due North breeze sustained at 1.0 mph gusting to 5.3 mph. The National Weather Service has issued an excellent video discussion of the record-breaking heatwave expected over the Labor Day weekend. Notices posted at trailheads such as Humber Park and Ernie Maxwell Trail were amended by hand on 22nd to simply say “extended, see website for details”. WEATHER After temperatures well above seasonal for the first week of October, cooler autumnal weather finally arrived on 7th October. Fire risk remains extreme. Extremely cautious navigation is recommended for those who are not very familiar with hiking this trail. Temperatures in the high country especially remain well above seasonal norms. Total measured is first, followed by time of day and comments in parentheses. Thursday 5th in particular will see very warm temperatures with extremely low relative humidity. Thank you. Black Mountain Road was graded in June through to the Fuller Ridge campground. With temperatures in the high country near or below freezing, and the sun at its lowest potency of the year, melting of ice has slowed and hence overall trail conditions have not significantly changed in recent days. I have continued to average at least three ascents into the San Jacinto high country every week, hiking mid-elevation trails on the intervening days. Although conditions have ameliorated somewhat, please note that fire risk remains extreme. SNOW DEPTHS measured today, 9th November 2020, are as follows. Snow cover is about 70% from there to the Fuller Ridge Trail junction. More of a flat scramble flat scramble route. So if you want to go super light these are both places where you can camp or take shelter … Being the highest mountain in the Catskills and located close to New York City, Slide Mtn. On Devil’s Slide Trail, Middle Spring continues to trickle gently. USFS plans for removal of the rockslide have been delayed due to the coronavirus crisis. A major new treefall hazard just past the second switchback is readily passable for hikers and has been reported to the agencies. Ernie Maxwell Trail is completely clear of snow. San Jacinto Trail Report: available for everyone, funded by readers. We apparently completely bypassed autumn, heading straight from summer-like conditions just two days ago (it was nearly 80°F in Idyllwild on Thursday!) The Pacific Crest Trail at the northern end of the Desert Divide (PCT Miles 172-177) had 43 treefall hazards and three minor landslide hazards (in addition to the major rockslide at Mile 172.5) during my survey on 27th November. This helps with navigation, although postholing will be challenging and snowshoes remain preferable on that section. Cedar Spring (N 33 40 36, W 116 34 35) Flowing well. Indeed all fire lookouts in the San Bernardino National Forest are currently closed, for the protection of the volunteers who operate them and due to scarce resource availability in the event of any emergency. The U.S. Forest Service ranger station in Idyllwild remains closed due to the coronavirus crisis. Icy snow cover averages 30% in Little Round Valley. Hikes every day, including four ascents of San Jacinto Peak in the past five days by different routes, have allowed for a thorough check of water sources and trail conditions. Note that average depth is given; extensive drifting and differential melting has led to uneven depths. 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