With relatively little snow remaining – and what’s left now being very patchy – I am no longer reporting snow depths. However there is snow remaining in the high country, in places enough to be potentially hazardous. Trails above about 9700 ft (west side) and 9900 ft (east side) remain partly or mostly obscured by drifted icy snow. Trails as low as about 8900 ft elevation (on both flanks) have more limited patchy snow cover, mainly in sheltered areas that traditionally melt late. Cautious navigation remains valuable everywhere.
For readers interested in the maximum snow depths recorded at various locations in the San Jacinto mountains this past winter, they are listed in a recent past Report (available here). Images of this past winter’s snow at its most impressive are available in various prior Reports (perhaps best at the beginning and end of March 2023, linked here and here, respectively).
In keeping with the theme of 2023 to date, temperatures in June have been pleasantly cool and generally well below seasonal. They are finally forecast to rise, quite abruptly, to about seasonal for the month from Sunday 25th onwards, and then to well above average by the end of the month. Melting of remaining snow will accelerate markedly.
Our daily hikes include various routes to San Jacinto Peak multiple times per week, plus many other trails on intervening days. With the snow rapidly disappearing, increasingly the focus of some volunteers, including myself, is on trail clearance and maintenance work.
Spikes are no longer required for ascending San Jacinto Peak via the main east and west side routes, nor for other high country peaks. On Sunday 18th June for example, barebooting was relatively straightforward up to the Peak via Marion Mountain and upper Deer Springs trails, descending the Peak, Wellman, and Devil’s Slide trails back to Idyllwild (photos below). Some hikers will find that spikes remain useful in certain high country areas, notably through Little Round Valley and on East Ridge, mainly for descending, but that they are no longer required.
Currently all possible seasonal and perennial waters, pipes, springs, etc. are flowing well. I have not seen so much water on the mountain since 1998, following the great El Niño winter of 1997/98.
With so much snowmelt, there is a great deal of water in (and under) the trails, and this has also created some tricky stream and river crossings. Sections of Deer Springs Trail in particular will likely remain ephemeral streams for the next month or so. Appropriate footwear that is at least highly water resistant is strongly recommended. Be cautious of the few remaining fragile snow bridges over water.
Given the intensity of this past winter, hikers should anticipate encountering new treefall hazards on trails, along with considerable amounts of debris, branches, cones, etc. Trails are steadily being cleared by volunteers. The Trail Report has cleared South Ridge and Spitler Peak trails (14 and 38 trees, respectively), the PCT between Saddle and Annie’s junctions (approx. Miles 179-181, eight trees), and largely cleared Seven Pines Trail and the use trail to Laws, in recent weeks. Forest Service volunteers cut trees from the Ernie Maxwell and Devil’s Slide trails in late May. Kevin Cadieux led a PCTA crew that cleared 24 trees south from Fobes Saddle along the PCT in late May. Twenty small trees – from a total of about 68 – were cut from Willow Creek Trail on 8th June, not yet significantly improving the condition of that especially challenging trail, but progress is being made.
Be rattlesnake aware. Despite comments in this Report regarding snow and cool temperatures, Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus helleri) have been seen on the trail system up to at least 7500 ft elevation since late May. The lower two-thirds of Devil’s Slide Trail, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around Tahquitz Peak are three common locations for sightings, but rattlesnakes are possible anywhere up to at least 9300 ft. Rattlesnakes will get much more active with warmer weather expected in late June.
Tahquitz Peak fire lookout reopened for the season on Sunday 4th June. Safe access is now possible via South Ridge Trail from both directions, the PCT/Chinquapin Flat to the north (crossing a couple of tiny snow patches), or South Ridge Road (5S11) to the south, but note the latter remains closed to vehicle traffic. Black Mountain fire lookout will not reopen until the road is graded, which is not expected until July.
Black Mountain Road (4S01) is in its poorest condition for at least a decade and until the road is graded 4WD and/or high clearance are recommended. Forest Service roads Dark Canyon Road (4S02) and South Ridge Road (5S11) remain closed to vehicles. Other than Dark Canyon, all other Forest and State campgrounds have now reopened.
The annual maintenance closure of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is scheduled for 7th-31st August 2023, a month earlier than usual.
WEATHER
With only one or two exceptions, daily daytime high temperatures have been 5-20°F below seasonal averages in the first three weeks of June, while overnight lows have been closer to, but still generally below, seasonal. This cool trend remains for much of this week, with temperatures finally rising to about seasonal for June from Sunday 25th, and then continuing to rise to above average at all elevations – to hot summer temperatures for the first time this year – for the final couple of days of the month. There is no significant new precipitation in the forecasts.
At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Sunday 18th June 2023 at 0645 the air temperature was 41.6°F (5°C), with a windchill temperature of 28.2°F (-2°C), 52% relative humidity, and a stiff WSW wind sustained at 17 mph gusting to 28.4 mph.
At the Peak on Monday 12th June 2023 at 0825 the air temperature was 46.0°F (8°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 43.8°F (7°C), 48% relative humidity, and effectively calm conditions with the lightest WSW breeze gusting to 1.2 mph.
At the Peak on Saturday 10th June 2023 at 0655 the air temperature was 40.5°F (5°C), with a windchill temperature of 30.9°F (-1°C), 19% relative humidity, and a moderate SSW wind sustained at 8 mph gusting to 14.4 mph.
TRAIL CONDITIONS
Trails remain partly or largely snow-covered above about 9800 ft. Trails below about 9800 ft are now generally clear of snow, but elevations between 8800-9800 ft locally retain some snow cover depending on aspect, drifting, and tree cover, but typically only 10-20% snow cover.
Both the Ernie Maxwell Trail and Devil’s Slide Trail are completely clear of snow.
Trails around the Skunk Cabbage and Tahquitz area meadows are functionally clear of snow, with just a few patches remaining in the most sheltered locations, but with significant treefall hazards throughout. There are seven treefall hazards across the trails between Little Tahquitz Meadow and Chinquapin Flat, four major trees down across Willow Creek Trail between Saddle Junction and the Skunk Cabbage Meadow junction, and another four down on the trail south from Saddle Junction to Chinquapin Flat.
The Wellman Trail has 30% snow cover on its southernmost 0.4 mile north from Annie’s Junction, but is clear thereafter. Note there is considerable flowing water in the trail in several places for a few tenths of a mile around Wellman’s Cienega.
The Peak Trail has very limited patchy snow. The initial traverse north from Wellman Divide to 9900 ft is functionally clear and the track largely follows the trail route. For about 0.6 mile between 9900-10,100 ft snow cover is about 40% and the boot track only partly follows the trail. The ascending switchbacks above 10,100 ft average only 10% snow cover and are clearing rapidly. The predominant boot track now follows the normal trail route around to Summit Junction. The East Ridge boot track remains obvious but goes over almost continuous and very lumpy snow.
Deer Springs Trail is clear of snow from the Highway 243 trailhead to near the Marion Mountain Trail junction. From there snow cover averages only about 10% up to Little Round Valley, with many lengthy clear sections. Snow cover remains 60% and heavily drifted through Little Round Valley, and there is no predominant boot track that accurately follows the trail route. Most of the designated camping areas are now largely clear. Above Little Round Valley snow cover averages about 40%, but with an extended central portion under 50% snow cover, and conversely the uppermost exposed switchbacks now less than 20% snow covered. Following the actual trail route is becoming easier. Cautious navigation is required on Deer Springs Trail, especially through and above Little Round Valley. Spikes can be useful (but are no longer required), especially for descending.
South Ridge Trail is clear of snow to Tahquitz Peak on the southern approach from South Ridge Road, and functionally clear of snow on the northern approach from Chinquapin Flat/PCT. The latter 0.4 mile section has two tiny snow patches remaining, but with excellent tracks with easy steps to follow through the snow and do not require spikes. Fourteen recent treefall hazards on the trail were removed by the Trail Report in May, and trail trimming is undertaken regularly. South Ridge Road remains closed to vehicle traffic and should reopen once graded, expected in the next month.
Willow Creek Trail is frankly a slow, messy hike for a couple of miles. At least 48 treefall hazards remain across the trail, most of which are large and some are challenging to hike around (or over) [multiple surveys in June 2023]. There are four large trees down between Saddle Junction and the Skunk Cabbage Meadow junction, and then a further 38 trees down on the next 1.5 mile Forest Service section until the State Park boundary. At least another six trees are down on the State Park section of trail up to Hidden Divide. Some of the trail with the most trees down – between Willow Creek and the State Park boundary – is also disappearing under thick whitethorn. The huge amount of work that Bill Rhoads and I undertook to clear whitethorn along this trail in 2020 was not completely in vain and parts of the trail would have largely disappeared by now otherwise, but the whitethorn does make some treefall hazards more complicated to negotiate.
Marion Mountain Trail is clear of snow to the PCT/Deer Springs Trail. There is significant water flowing in the trail in its uppermost mile, and there are half-a-dozen notable treefall hazards.
The Trail Report removed all 38 treefall hazards from Spitler Peak Trail in late May and early June this year, bringing the total removed to at least 85 since July 2021. Several minor washouts from this past winter in the upper switchbacks have significantly impacted the tread in places; these are not problematic for hikers, but the trail is impassable to stock.
Black Mountain Trail is clear of both snow and treefall hazards.
Seven Pines Trail is clear of snow to 8500 ft elevation (about three miles up from the trailhead). The crossing of the very swollen North Fork of the San Jacinto River at 1.5 miles (just after the State Park boundary) is currently perilous and not recommended for most hikers. This will remain a tricky crossing into July. Patchy snow cover between 8500 ft and the junction with Deer Springs Trail/PCT (at about 8700 ft) averages about 10%. 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. Since November 2021, 67 downed trees have been removed and almost the entire trail thoroughly trimmed and cleared. Nevertheless Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail unlike the relatively wide, bare, and obvious routes of, for example, Devil’s Slide or Marion Mountain trails. Cautious navigation remains essential for those without significant experience of hiking this trail.
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 euphemistically described by the Forest Service as “not maintained”. In reality both trails no longer exist and are so heavily overgrown with dense whitethorn that I strongly advise hikers do not attempt to follow them (regardless of how much you may trust a certain app). An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, relatively well maintained, and avoids all of the very challenging bushwhacking of the unmaintained trails (some local hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). 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. Of ten trees down on the King Trail [surveyed 11th June 2023], three have been removed, but none of the remaining seven are significant hazards. From Laws east to Caramba the route of the original Caramba Trail has been well-cairned by myself and others and can largely be followed with careful route-finding. My autumn 2022 survey counted 97 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. It is especially obscure 0.1-0.3 mile east of the Willow Creek crossing, becoming more obvious near Caramba. Very cautious navigation is advised throughout the area.
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