Very hot temperatures far above seasonal even for July – close to 100°F (38°C) as high as 6000 ft – are forecast for 3rd-13th, with the hottest days expected to dangerously coincide with the extended holiday weekend. Overnight low temperatures in particular will be at least 15°F above seasonal into mid July. Hikers must be prepared for unseasonably hot weather in the high country, with temperatures well above seasonal at all times of day and at all mountain elevations. Please give considerable extra thought to start times, route choice, clothing, sun protection, and hydration requirements, or indeed whether it is wise to be hiking at all in such conditions.
A comprehensive fire ban is now in place on Forest Service lands throughout the San Jacinto Ranger District (link to USFS order here). Fires are completely prohibited in all camping areas, including those provided with fire rings. Fires are of course always prohibited throughout both the State Park and National Forest wilderness areas.
Survey hikes by the Trail Report every day year-round in the San Jacinto mountains include varied and often circuitous routes to San Jacinto Peak multiple times per week (most recently daily on 1st-5th July), plus many other trails on intervening days.
All major springs, creeks, and pipes are flowing relatively well at this time (example photos below). However flow rates are dropping steadily at upper elevations and most ephemeral water sources are now dry.
Be rattlesnake aware. Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus helleri) have been seen on the trail system up to at least 8800 ft elevation, and may be seen as high as 9300 ft. The volume of early season sightings suggested abundant snake populations this year in the San Jacinto mountains.
Be bear aware. Although rarely reported, up to three Black Bears have been in the San Jacinto mountains since 2017, where I have seen at least one annually for the past six years, most recently on upper Marion Mountain Trail on 14th September 2023. I found fresh prints in snow on 12th February this year at 9000 ft near PCT Mile 180.5 (photo here). Brief videos from Devil’s Slide Trail in September 2021 (available here) and at home in Idyllwild in 2018 (linked here) show two different individuals. There have been no reports of negative interactions with humans at or near campsites.
WEATHER
Above seasonal temperatures started on 21st June and this trend will continue into mid July (at least). Forecast temperatures suggest the first two weeks of July will be very hot and well above average for the month on 2nd-13th at least. There will be little relief in the high country, with near-record temperatures expected even above 10,000 ft elevation on 4th-12th July. As is increasingly the case with a steadily heating climate in the San Jacinto mountains, overnight low temperatures in particular will be well above seasonal into mid July. There is currently no significant precipitation in the forecasts, but a slim chance of light monsoonal rain on 13th-14th most likely around the highest peaks.
The latest video forecast issued on 2nd July by NWS San Diego (linked here) describes in detail the imminent “heat dome” that will impact us in early July, plus expectations for the remainder of the month.
At San Jacinto Peak (3295m/10,810ft) on Friday 5th July 2024 at 0645 the air temperature was 61.6°F (16°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 58.1°F (14°C), 24% relative humidity, and a steady NE wind sustained at 11 mph gusting to 13.5 mph.
At the Peak on Thursday 4th July 2024 at 0750 the air temperature was 64.4°F (18°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 59.8°F (15°C), 33% relative humidity, and a subtle ESE breeze sustained at 2 mph gusting to 4.1 mph.
At the Peak on Wednesday 3rd July 2024 at 0910 the air temperature was 61.4°F (16°C), with a “windchill” temperature of 58.5°F (15°C), 44% relative humidity, and a very light SSE wind sustained at 3 mph gusting to 6.2 mph.
TRAIL CONDITIONS
Snow was gone from the high country trails by mid June.
About 12 treefall hazards on Deer Springs Trail include 8-9 in the upper trail that have been down and reported repeatedly for years but with no action from the State Park. All but one of the treefall hazards down between Strawberry Junction and the top of Marion Mountain Trail (roughly PCT Miles 183-185) were removed by the Trail Report in late June (example photos below).
Willow Creek Trail is in much more hiker-friendly condition than this time last year. Smaller treefall hazards on the Forest Service section were cut in June. The two huge (c.50 inch diameter) hazards remaining on the Forest Service side are being removed in early July. 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. Treefall hazards currently on the State Park side include two large ones remaining from last year, plus three small new ones, but none pose significant problems for hikers.
Treefall hazards remain a major problem along parts of the Pacific Crest Trail, most notably between Antsell Rock and Red Tahquitz, with 132 recorded in my June 2024 survey between Miles 170.5-175.5. The disinterest of Forest Service and PCTA in maintaining this section of trail for the past five years is unconscionable. A further 15 smaller trees are down from Miles 168.5-170.5 (Spitler Peak Trail to Zen Center Trail). Concentrations of large downed trees make for especially slow-going around Miles 170.5-172 (east side of Antsell Rock) and Miles 174-175 (south and east sides of Red Tahquitz).
The Trail Report cleared this winter’s accumulated treefall hazards from South Ridge Trail in April and has also undertaken extensive trail trimming in the first half of this year.
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 on 14th June. The couple of minor stepover branches that remain pose no problem for hikers. This work brings to 120+ the total number of trees removed by the Report from this trail in the past three years. Currently the upper trail in particular is heavily overgrown with lush seasonal vegetation.
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.
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, and it has been functionally abandoned by both the State Park and Forest Service for years. Since 2020 about 75 downed trees have been cut and the trail is thoroughly trimmed and cleared annually. As of July 2024 the trail is largely clear of treefall hazards, with three down across the trail in its upper section, all easily passable for hikers. A further half-a-dozen downed trees near the PCT would need to be removed to fully restore the original route of the trail. Although the condition of the trail is literally many times better than just a few years ago, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail unlike the wider, 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. Be advised that in general Seven Pines Trail becomes most obscure in the mile closest to its junction with the PCT.
The Zen Center Trail continues to deteriorate since the 2013 Mountain Fire, with a combination of vigorous regrowth and treefall hazards further obscuring the route with each passing season. The lower and upper parts of this trail are partially cairned and not too bad for those who are very familiar with the former route, but even the experienced find navigating the central section tricky. Long trousers, scrambling gloves, and an enjoyment of bush-whacking are all strongly recommended.
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