Trail update 7th September 2023

Assessment of almost all trails has been completed since Tropical Storm Hilary passed directly over the San Jacinto mountains on 19th-20th August. Given the intensity of this past winter, and the additional wind and rain of Tropical Storm Hilary, hikers should anticipate encountering treefall hazards, minor washouts and debris on trails, as described in Trail Conditions below.

Daily survey hikes include many different routes to/from San Jacinto Peak multiple times per week, most recently on 1st and 5th September, plus other major trails on intervening days. A sample of my recent weather observations from San Jacinto Peak is given in the Weather section below. The trail system has been clear of snow since mid July.

In summer (and on 8th-11th September in particular) hikers should be prepared for unseasonably hot weather in the high country. Give considerable extra thought to route choice, start times, clothing, sun protection, and hydration requirements.

Water sources such as creeks, pipes, and springs are generally flowing very well (see example photos below). Consequently I am not reporting water details for specific locations at this time. This summer has seen the most water on the mountain since 1998 (following the great El Niño winter of 1997/98), even prior to the additional input from Tropical Storm Hilary.

Be rattlesnake aware. Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes Crotalus (oreganus) helleri have been active on the trail system up to 9300 ft, even on recent cooler days (photos below). Above about 5000 ft, the venom of this rattlesnake species in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my 2020 article here). Devil’s Slide and lower Deer Springs trails, near Strawberry Cienega, and trails around both Suicide Rock and Tahquitz Peak, are common locations for sightings.

Black Mountain Road (4S01) was in its poorest condition for at least a decade this spring. The partial grading undertaken on 17th July improved the situation somewhat, but it remained a bumpy drive, now worsened by the rains of Tropical Storm Hilary. Forest Service roads Dark Canyon Road (4S02) and South Ridge Road (5S11) remain closed to vehicles. Dark Canyon campground and the South Ridge yellow post sites remain closed.

Due to major road work at the uppermost end of Fern Valley Road, Humber Park will be completely closed to all traffic for two weeks starting 1st October 2023 (exact dates tentative at this time). In general be prepared for disruption accessing trailheads near Idyllwild throughout September-October due to resurfacing work on Fern Valley Road and North Circle and South Circle drives.

WEATHER

Temperatures were pleasantly autumnal for the first five days of September, having dropped well below seasonal. They are expected to rise again to well above average from 8th-11th, before then dropping once again to about seasonal for September from Wednesday 13th. There is no significant new precipitation in the forecasts.

At San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft/3295m) on Tuesday 5th September 2023 at 0800 the air temperature was 51.2°F (11°C), with a windchill temperature of 45.0°F (7°C), 14% relative humidity, and a gusty SSW wind sustained at 4 mph gusting to 11.2 mph.

At the Peak on Friday 1st September 2023 at 0755 the air temperature was 47.7°F (9°C), with a windchill temperature of 39.2°F (4°C), 76% relative humidity, and a stiff SSW wind sustained at 12 mph gusting to 17.4 mph.

TRAIL CONDITIONS

The trail system cleared of snow in July. A couple of icy snow patches remaining in the Snow Creek drainage (between 8500-9500 ft) have persisted into September, but others higher up were finally melted by the rains of Tropical Storm Hilary.

Hilary resulted in many minor washouts across the trail system, considerable treefall debris – branches, cones, sticks – in the trails, and water flowing across and in the trails. Damage could have been much worse, and few problems are challenging for hikers. Most trails have one or two new treefall hazards, and only Willow Creek Trail seems to have been more severely impacted.

The route cleared along Willow Creek Trail in early August lasted only two weeks before Tropical Storm Hilary brought down 19 new treefall hazards. Seven of these are on the Forest Service section, including one huge trunk just east of Willow Creek that many hikers may find challenging to pass. Of the 12 on the State Park section, eight have already been cut; there is now a cleared route from Long Valley to Hidden Divide, but four remain uncut between the divide and the Forest Service boundary. The whitethorn trimming is inconsistent and scrappy but overall the trail is more passable than in July. Eight trees – of the 60+ down after last winter – remain to be cut on the USFS section for the original trail route to be fully restored, but that is unlikely to happen soon, if ever.

Deer Springs Trail has about 16 significant treefall hazards remaining from the winter. Water is flowing very well in Little Round Valley and in all of the springs and creeks along the Deer Springs Trail route.

Trails around the Skunk Cabbage and Tahquitz area meadows have some significant treefall hazards throughout remaining from last winter. There are seven across the trails between Little Tahquitz Meadow and Chinquapin Flat and another two on the trail south from Saddle Junction to Chinquapin Flat.

Fourteen treefall hazards from this past winter on South Ridge Trail (above the trailhead at the top of South Ridge Road) were removed by the Trail Report in May, and trail trimming is undertaken regularly. No significant new treefall hazards resulted from Tropical Storm Hilary on this trail. South Ridge Road remains closed to vehicle traffic and is not expected to reopen until graded, possibly not until 2024. Eleven of 13 downed trees were removed from the middle section of South Ridge Trail (between May Valley Road and the top of South Ridge Road) on 15th July.

Marion Mountain Trail has four notable treefall hazards in the State Park (upper) half. One new huge stump came down in Hilary low down on the Forest Service section. The State Park installed new signage near the USFS/State Park boundary on 23rd August.

The Trail Report removed all 38 treefall hazards from Spitler Peak Trail between late May and early June this year, bringing the total removed to 85+ since July 2021. Several minor washouts from this past winter in the upper switchbacks have significantly impacted the tread in places, and were worsened by Hilary; these are not problematic for hikers, but the trail is impassable to stock.

On the PCT treefall hazards remain a problem in many places, most notably between Apache Peak and Red Tahquitz, where I counted 106 between Miles 169-175 in June 2023. This section has not yet been resurveyed since T. S. Hilary. Large downed trees make for especially slow-going around Miles 172-175 (a section severely burned in the July 2013 Mountain Fire).

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 have been abandoned and functionally no longer exist. They are so heavily overgrown with dense whitethorn, which obscures dozens of downed trees, 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, well maintained, and avoids the challenging bushwhacking of the unmaintained trails (local Idyllwild hikers dubbed it the “King Trail” when I established the route in 2019). It leaves Willow Creek Trail exactly 1.0 mile from Saddle Junction, 0.46 mile from the Skunk Cabbage turning (trailhead at lat/long N 33.7796, W 116.6590). The route descends largely following established deer trails for 1.2 miles, meeting Willow Creek about 0.2 mile upstream from the site of the historic Laws Camp (the remains of which were destroyed by the 2013 Mountain Fire and subsequent flood and treefall damage). The 11 trees down on the King Trail after this winter were removed in June-July 2023. The tread of the trail received some minor damage from Tropical Storm Hilary. 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 very careful route-finding. My August 2023 survey counted about 110 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. It is especially obscure for the first 0.3 mile east of the Willow Creek crossing, becoming more obvious (but still subtle) as it descends towards Caramba. Very cautious navigation is advised throughout the area.

Seven Pines Trail is largely clear of treefall hazards. Five new trees came down across the trail in Tropical Storm Hilary, all in the central mile, but they are easily passable for hikers. Be advised that the trail in general becomes more obscure in the mile closest to its junction with the PCT. 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, about 70 downed trees have been removed and the trail is thoroughly trimmed and cleared at least in spring and autumn. 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 considerable experience of hiking this trail.

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