After an autumnal – at times almost wintry – week last week, temperatures have quickly risen to above seasonal at all elevations. Temperatures, especially the overnight lows, are forecast to remain well above average for the time of year into the first week of October. Temperatures from 27th September to 3rd October will be far above average, with possible record hot temperatures expected at mid and upper elevations on Tuesday 1st in particular.
In remarkable contrast, temperatures were around freezing in the high country from Monday 16th to Friday 20th. A cold thunderstorm system moving over the San Jacinto mountains from (unusually) the north-east produced rain, intense hail, and the earliest ever recorded autumnal snow on the afternoon of Friday 20th September. I recorded a short video (linked here) from San Jacinto Peak while enjoying being lightly snowed upon. The typically localized nature of such storms meant that Idyllwild (at 5550 ft) recorded 0.37 inch of rain, but there was only 0.11 inch at Saddle Junction (8100 ft) and 0.05 inch at Wellman’s Cienega (9300 ft). The dusting of snow above 9800 ft (photo below) promptly melted by Saturday 21st.
Despite recent light precipitation, with a failed monsoon season in most of Southern California the fire risk remains severe everywhere. A comprehensive fire ban is in place on Forest Service lands throughout the San Jacinto Ranger District (link to USFS order here) and in all Idyllwild campgrounds. Campfires 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 (e.g., 70 ascents since 1st July 2024), plus a wide variety of other trails on intervening days.
Major springs, creeks, and pipes largely continue to flow adequately at this time (example photos below). Flow rates continue to drop steadily at all elevations and ephemeral water sources are now dry. The Round Valley faucet continued to flow well as of 26th September. In the Tahquitz area meadows, the minor creek in Skunk Cabbage Meadow continues to trickle, but the ephemeral creek in Tahquitz Valley is dry. Tahquitz Creek is flowing steadily at the northern end of Little Tahquitz Meadow, and near its source where it crosses the PCT at Mile 177. Two tiny springs at Strawberry Cienega continue to trickle. Hidden Lake was c.35% full in mid September (by surface area, not volume). Stone Creek is no longer flowing where it crosses Deer Springs Trail at about PCT Mile 183.6, and has dried completely downstream of that point.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway closed on Monday 9th September 2024 for annual maintenance, with a revised, tentative, reopening date of Saturday 12th October.
Be rattlesnake aware. Above about 5000 ft elevation, the venom of Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus [oreganus] helleri) in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans (see my detailed 2020 article linked here for further information). In the past couple of weeks, despite some cooler weather, lower Devil’s Slide Trail has been an especially frequent location for sightings, but rattlesnakes have been recorded up to 9350 ft.
WEATHER
Temperatures were well above seasonal for the first nine days of September, but then fell below seasonal starting Wednesday 11th September, and then cooled even further in a brief but significant cold snap on 16th-20th. A weak but cold system passing to the north produced temperatures more typical of November, including air temperatures near freezing and windchill temperatures below freezing above 10,000 ft elevation on Monday 16th to Friday 20th. As described above, localized precipitation from thunderstorm cells on 20th September included the earliest ever recorded autumn dusting of snow at San Jacinto Peak (<0.25 inch, photo below), and brief but intense hail especially on the south side of the mountain range.
Temperatures have rapidly risen yet again starting Sunday 22nd to above seasonal for the remainder of September and into the first week of October. Temperatures from 30th September to 3rd October, especially the overnight lows, will be far above average, with possible record hot temperatures forecast for Tuesday 1st at both mid and upper elevations.
At San Jacinto Peak (3295m/10,810ft) on Friday 27th September 2024 at 0755 the air temperature was 55.4°F (13°C), with no measurable windchill, 8% relative humidity, and rare calm conditions.
At the Peak on Wednesday 25th September 2024 at 0830 the air temperature was 51.6°F (10°C), with a windchill temperature of 40.6°F (5°C), 38% relative humidity, and a chilly SSE wind sustained at 12 mph gusting to 20.0 mph.
At the Peak on Monday 23rd September 2024 at 0845 the air temperature was 47.9°F (9°C), with a windchill temperature of 38.7°F (4°C), 49% relative humidity, and a fresh ENE wind sustained at 11 mph gusting to 16.0 mph.
At the Peak on Friday 20th September 2024 at 1425 the air temperature was 32.2°F (0°C), with a windchill temperature of 20.8°F (-7°C), 95% relative humidity, and a steady NE wind sustained at 9 mph gusting to 12.7 mph.
TRAIL CONDITIONS
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 recent 2024 surveys between Miles 170.5-175.5. The disinterest of Forest Service and PCTA in maintaining this section of a world-famous trail for the past five years is simply unconscionable. 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). A further 15 smaller trees are down from Miles 168.5-170.5 (Spitler Peak Trail to Zen Center Trail).
On the Fuller Ridge Trail section of the PCT there are 12 trees down on the State Park section of the trail (Miles 185.5-189), which has not been maintained by that agency for many years. Several of these pose quite significant hazards for hikers. On the Forest Service section, the only treefall hazard is the massive double one at about Mile 190.1 that has been present for about three years.
Trees down on the Strawberry Trail section of the PCT (Miles 180.8-183, Annie’s Junction to Strawberry Junction) have remained uncut by the Forest Service for 7-10 years now. About six hazards on this section are all relatively easy for hikers to negotiate.
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 in an earlier Report linked here).
On Willow Creek Trail notable treefall hazards on the Forest Service section were finally cut by 13th August. Several trees remain uncut to fully restore the trail route to its 2020 condition, but regrettably it seems unlikely that this will ever happen. Whitethorn along the trail is starting to grow back rapidly, and had become a problem on both the Forest Service and State Park sections. Forest Service made progress on trail trimming in late August and early September on their section, but there has been no work on the State Park side. Treefall hazards currently on the State Park side include two large ones remaining from last year, plus three small new ones, but none pose major problems for hikers.
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. Note that 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 “adopted” Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work as the trail had a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues in the past decade, and both State Park and Forest Service have shown no interest in maintaining the route for years. Since 2020 we have removed 75 downed trees and the trail is thoroughly trimmed and cleared multiple times 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 close to the PCT junction would need to be removed to fully restore the original route of the trail. Although the condition of the trail is hugely improved, Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail unlike the wider, bare, 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 aware in particular that Seven Pines Trail becomes most obscure in the mile closest to its junction with Deer Springs Trail/PCT.
The Zen Center Trail continues its deterioration that started following 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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