Regrettably we are periodically experiencing July-August temperatures in the first half of June. Overnight low temperatures in particular will generally be well above seasonal into late June. Hikers should be prepared for unseasonably warm weather in the high country on most days, with temperatures at or above seasonal at all times of day and at all mountain elevations. Give considerable extra thought to route choice, start times, clothing, sun protection, and hydration requirements.
Prescribed burning actions on Thomas Mountain started on Monday 10th June and are expected to impact access in that area for 7-10 days. Thomas Mountain Road (6S13 to 6S15) and Rouse Ridge Road (5S15) are closed, along with all camping areas on Thomas Mountain. Ramona Trail (3E2) is also closed. Fobes Ranch Road/Quinn Flat is being used for crew staging and as a helicopter base, and may have reduced access.
After years of neglect, there is encouraging news regarding trail maintenance along the PCT on Forest Service lands. An ACE (American Conservation Experience) crew, supported by PCTA, worked last week south from Fobes Saddle, roughly Miles 165-160. Trees were cleared by Forest Service south from Saddle Junction to near Red Tahquitz on 10th-11th June (Miles 179-175), followed by an ACE crew working south from Mile 175 on 12th-18th June down the Desert Divide, the notorious PCT section with 100+ downed trees. The Trail Report cleared several obstructing trees on the PCT section north of Saddle Junction (Miles 179-181) on 10th June, and cut almost all of 35 trees down on Spitler Peak Trail on 14th June.
Snow is gone from the high country trails. Some high elevation areas still hold localized patches (e.g,, north and east flanks of San Jacinto Peak, north side of Jean Peak). Traction devices are no longer required.
Survey hikes every day in the San Jacinto mountains include varied routes to San Jacinto Peak multiple times per week (most recently on 7th, 9th, 10th, and 13th June), Tahquitz Peak and area at least once per week (most recently on 11th June), plus many other trails on intervening days.
All major springs, creeks, and pipes are flowing well at this time. However, flow rates are dropping steadily at upper elevations, many ephemeral water sources are drying, and grassy meadows below 7000 ft are already largely dry. A long, hot summer seems inevitable.
Campgrounds, forest roads, and fire lookouts all opened in time for the Memorial Day weekend, as described in detail in the previous Report (available here).
Be rattlesnake aware. Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus helleri) have been seen on the trail system up to at least 8100 ft elevation already, and may be seen as high as 9300 ft this month. The volume of sightings suggest abundant snake populations this year in the San Jacinto mountains.
WEATHER
Temperatures more typical of midsummer started last week and will persist on some days into mid June (notably on 14th-15th and from 20th onwards). Temperatures will be briefly seasonal (and feel pleasantly cool) on 17th-19th June. As is increasingly the case with a heating climate in the San Jacinto mountains, overnight low temperatures in particular will be above seasonal almost daily into the third week of June. Remaining snow patches will of course disappear rapidly. There is currently no new precipitation in the forecasts.
At San Jacinto Peak (3295m/10,810ft) on Thursday 13th June 2024 at 0750 the air temperature was 46.6°F (8°C), with a windchill temperature of 34.9°F (2°C), 28% relative humidity, and a strong SSW wind sustained at 19 mph gusting to 32.3 mph.
At the Peak on Monday 10th June 2024 at 0800 the air temperature was 54.0°F (12°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 47.3°F (8°C), 18% relative humidity, and a gusty SSE wind sustained at 5 mph gusting to 12.9 mph.
At the Peak on Sunday 9th June 2024 at 0745 the air temperature was 51.3°F (11°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 48.4°F (9°C), 16% relative humidity, and a very light SW breeze sustained at 1 mph gusting to 4.6 mph.
TRAIL CONDITIONS
Trails are clear of snow, with the few tiny remaining patches mentioned below. No notable snow remains below 10,000 ft, and above that elevation only in a handful of less-traveled areas.
South Ridge Trail is clear of snow to Tahquitz Peak. The Trail Report cleared this winter’s accumulated treefall hazards from South Ridge Trail in April and has also undertaken extensive trail trimming in recent months. The notorious 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT Mile 177 and Tahquitz Peak is now completely clear of snow.
The Peak Trail is clear of snow to its junction with Deer Springs Trail. The area immediately around San Jacinto Peak is now almost entirely snow-free. The East Ridge trail route is now only 10% snow-covered, with the track now largely visible and easy to follow. The Round Valley Trail is now clear of snow.
Deer Springs Trail is clear of snow. The remaining snow patches through and above Little Round Valley have gone in the last few days.
Willow Creek Trail is clear of snow. Overall the trail is in reasonable condition, and certainly far more hiker-friendly than this time last year. Whitethorn along the trail has not (yet) grown back significantly, other than a couple of minor areas near Hidden Divide in the State Park section. Sixteen treefall hazards on the trail include 11 on the Forest Service section (two remaining from last year, plus nine new this winter) and five on the State Park side (two large ones from last year, plus three small new ones). Almost all of the downed trees on the USFS section are north of Willow Creek. Unfortunately two of the hazards on the Forest Service section are huge (four-plus feet diameter) and some hikers will find them challenging to cross (see photo in previous Report linked here).
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 an app). An informal use trail to Laws is much more direct, 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 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). Eleven trees down on the King Trail were removed in June-July 2023. The tread of the trail received some damage from Tropical Storm Hilary last year. 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 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 (by its formerly low standards) clear of treefall hazards, with about ten down across the trail, most 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, 70 downed trees have been removed and the trail is thoroughly trimmed and cleared regularly (but not yet in 2024). 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.
The 34 treefall hazards that came down across Spitler Peak Trail during ice storms in February 2024 were almost all cleared by the Trail Report in mid June. The couple that remain pose no problem for hikers. Note that the upper trail in particular is currently heavily overgrown with lush seasonal vegetation.
The Pacific Crest Trail is now clear of snow through the San Jacinto mountains. Treefall hazards remain a problem in many places, most notably between Apache Peak and Red Tahquitz, with at least 110 down in my most recent survey. Large downed trees make for especially slow-going around Miles 172-175 (a section severely burned in the July 2013 Mountain Fire). However as described above, significant work is expected in this area in June 2024. A crew is working this week on the PCT south from Fobes Saddle, roughly Miles 160-165. Trees should be cleared by Forest Service south from Saddle Junction early next week (Miles 179-175) and then another crew will be working south from Mile 175 from 12th-18th June. The Trail Report cleared the section north of Saddle Junction (PCT Miles 179-181) on 10th June of several trees across the trail from this past winter.
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