The second and third minor storm systems of winter 2023/24 have impacted the San Jacinto mountains in the past week. The more recent of the two, on Saturday 18th November, produced little rain, with 0.31 inch at Saddle Junction (8100 ft) and 0.24 inch in Little Round Valley (9750 ft), but it was cold enough to dust the high country with 0.25 inch of snow everywhere above about 9400 ft (see photo below). The thin snow melted very quickly and no traction devices are required.
The earlier storm on Wednesday 15th produced impressive rainfall totals, with roughly an inch in most mountain locations. Accompanied by relatively mild temperatures and intense thunder and lightning cells, it felt more like a midsummer monsoon than a mid November “winter” storm. Intermittent light rain started at about 1055 in Idyllwild, developing into localized vigorous thunderstorms by late afternoon before tapering off by about 2030 that evening.
With the system coming in from the south-west it was no surprise that the western side of the mountains received more rain than the east. Rainfall totals measured on 16th were (in order of volume): Little Round Valley (9750 ft) 1.30 inches, top of Marion Mountain Trail (8600 ft) 1.25 inches, San Jacinto Peak (10,700 ft) 1.20 inches, Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft) 1.10 inches, Saddle Junction (8100 ft) 0.92 inch, Idyllwild (at 5550 ft) 0.89 inch, and Long Valley (8600 ft) 0.67 inch.
Temperatures did not fall below freezing at San Jacinto Peak until the precipitation had almost stopped, and there was only the lightest dusting of snow – not even measurable as a fraction of an inch – above 10,500 ft.
The lightning did generate at least one small wildfire at roughly 7000 ft in the Snow Creek drainage on the north side of San Jacinto Peak. Thanks to the help of great friends of the Trail Report Florian Boyd and Kyle Eubanks, I was able to get information about this fire to the relevant agencies promptly, and it was encouraging to see a CalFire helicopter working in the area later in the morning.
Our daily hikes in the San Jacinto mountains include various routes to/from San Jacinto Peak multiple times per week, most recently on 16th, 20th, and 23rd November, Tahquitz Peak and area at least weekly, plus many other trails on intervening days. Recent weather observations from San Jacinto Peak are given in the Weather section below.
Water sources such as creeks, pipes, and springs largely continue to flow very well for the time of year, given the intensity of last winter plus Tropical Storm Hilary in August (see multiple example photos below). Consequently there has been no need to report water details for specific locations this year. Many ephemeral water sources have finally dried, but campers and hikers will still generally find water wherever they are expecting it.
Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, at least three Black Bears have been in the San Jacinto mountains since 2017, and I have had 1-2 sightings annually for the past six years. As I descended upper Marion Mountain Trail at about 8250 ft elevation mid morning on 14th September 2023 I had an excellent observation, initially in the open at 40-50 metres, of what may have been the same very large (>250lb) dark brown individual with a white chest blaze that I had previously seen on Devil’s Slide Trail in July 2022 and September 2021 (a poor quality video from the latter observation is available here).
South Ridge Road (5S11) was fully graded on 15th October and reopened in mid November. May Valley Road (5S21) was fully graded in October, and is now much more user-friendly for both hikers and bikers. Dark Canyon Road (4S02) remains closed indefinitely, although the dirt section was partly graded in early October.
Black Mountain Road (4S01) was in its poorest condition for at least a decade by June this year. The partial grading undertaken on 17th July improved the situation somewhat, but it remains a bumpy drive. Boulder Basin Campground closed early for the season on 23rd October. Marion Mountain and Fern Basin campgrounds closed in early November. Black Mountain Fire Lookout closed for the season on Sunday 12th and Tahquitz Peak Fire Lookout on Monday 13th November.
WEATHER
The mild, minor rain storms that impacted the San Jacinto mountains on 16th and 18th November are described in detail above. Temperatures briefly rise to above seasonal before rapidly dropping back to near or even below average from Friday 24th November into December. On 21st-22nd in particular temperatures around the highest peaks – forecast to be as high as 40-46°F (5-8°C) – will be well above seasonal for late November. Two Santa Ana events – winds predominantly from the north-east – are expected, the first on 20th-21st November, and then again on 25th-27th.
Some forecasts are tentatively suggesting the possibility of a snow storm around 1st-2nd December. As with the storms in mid November however it is proving hard to accurately predict what if any impacts the system will have locally, with high country snow estimates ranging from 0-12 inches at this time.
Air temperatures above 10,000 ft elevation are now generally in the upper 20s-lower 30s Fahrenheit (-5 to +3°C), with windchill temperatures well below freezing, the latter depending on wind speed (note temperatures will average warmer on 21st-22nd November as described above).
At San Jacinto Peak (3295m/10,810ft) on Thursday 23rd November 2023 at 0810 the air temperature was 32.7°F (0°C), with a windchill temperature of 17.2°F (-8°C), 26% relative humidity, and a blustery due West wind sustained at 18 mph gusting to 31.7 mph.
At the Peak on Monday 20th November 2023 at 0810 the air temperature was 34.6°F (1°C), with a windchill temperature of 13.6°F (-10°C), 7% relative humidity, and a wild due North wind sustained at 20 mph gusting to 45.9 mph.
At the Peak on Thursday 16th November 2023 at 0810 the air temperature was 34.2°F (1°C), with a windchill temperature of 24.3°F (-4°C), 17% relative humidity, and a cool WSW wind sustained at 6 mph gusting to 11.4 mph.
TRAIL CONDITIONS
Tropical Storm Hilary in late August 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 and Fuller Ridge trails were more significantly impacted.
The rough route cleared along Willow Creek Trail in early August remarkably lasted only two weeks before Tropical Storm Hilary brought down 19 new treefall hazards. Of the seven that came down on the Forest Service section, five were removed in early November. One huge trunk remains just east of Willow Creek that most hikers will find challenging to pass. Of the 12 on the State Park section, eight were cut in late August, and there is 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 as recently as 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 will not happen this year, if ever.
Fuller Ridge Trail (PCT Miles 185.5-190.5) has 11 treefall hazards, several of which are large and challenging to pass. The Forest Service section (Miles 189-190.5) was largely cleared and thoroughly raked in September, and is in its best condition for a decade. However the huge double treefall just 0.35 mile from the campground remains. Sadly the State Park section (Miles 185.5-189) remains a mess, with considerable debris remaining from the winter and recent storms, including nine significant treefall hazards.
Deer Springs Trail has had some treefall hazards removed by the State Park in the past month, but at least seven significant problems remain below the Fuller Ridge Trail junction dating back to last winter. Almost all of the 12 downed trees above Fuller Ridge on upper Deer Springs Trail date back some 6-10 years and have been reported to the State Park multiple times to no avail.
Trails around the Skunk Cabbage and Tahquitz area meadows have some significant treefall hazards remaining from last winter (resurveyed early November 2023). There are six on the PCT section north from near Mile 177 (the crossing of Tahquitz Creek) to Saddle Junction (roughly Mile 179.3), three on each side of Chinquapin Flat. There are four significant treefalls, including a couple that are not easy to pass, on the Little Tahquitz Meadow trail between the Caramba Trail and the PCT junction.
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 has been undertaken regularly. No significant new treefall hazards resulted from Tropical Storm Hilary on this trail. The middle section of South Ridge Trail – between May Valley Road and the top of South Ridge Road – is now clear following removal of 20 trees in two sessions this season (15th July and 30th October).
Marion Mountain Trail has five notable treefall hazards in the State Park (upper) half. One new large stump came down in Hilary low down on the Forest Service section, but it is easy to pass.
Of seven new treefall hazards on Spitler Peak Trail caused by Tropical Storm Hilary, the Trail Report removed five in early October (the couple that remain are at about head height and can be easily passed under). This brings to 90 the number of trees removed from this trail since July 2021 by the Trail Report. 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.
Elsewhere 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 summer 2023. Large downed trees make for especially slow-going around Miles 172-175 (a section severely impacted by 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 N 33.7796, W-116.6590). The route descends largely following long-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 plus subsequent flood and treefall damage). The 11 trees down on the King Trail after last winter were removed in June, and the five trees brought down by Hilary were removed or diverted around in November 2023. The tread of the trail received some 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 readily 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, more than 70 downed trees have been removed and the trail is thoroughly trimmed and cleared several times per year. 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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