San Jacinto- Hey, Its Winter

Southern California in the winter- what a beautiful place warm perfect weather. I had been up the western side of San Jacinto before. Summer was pretty sweet. In winter, just follow tracks in the firm snow and it couldn't be easier. So the plan was to hike up on Saturday, camp out somewhere along the way and continue to the summit, then home. It was going to be a light hike. With snowshoes, water, and all my winter clothes, my pack was only 34 pounds. It would be a breeze.

I left my home in San Diego early Saturday and drove to the Marion Mountain Campground Trailhead. The western approach to San Jacinto up the Marion Mtn. and Deer Springs Trail is short and steep. Trees shelter it for most of the way and it is really a pleasant hike. The access road to the trailhead at Marion Campground had been closed at the road to Dark Canyon and I parked there. It had snowed the previous Monday but there were plenty of tracks at the parking area leading up the road to Marion Campground. It was a go.

I decided to carry the snowshoes until the snow got deep figuring it's easier to carry them than wear them when not needed. I followed tracks all the way through the campground and up to the beginning of the trail. The snowshoe tracks made an abrupt turn where they met the trail and headed downhill. Wrong way. Now which way do I go? Time to break trail and find the way.

On to the adventure.

I continued up the trail and began to posthole in places. It took me another 500 feet of vertical before I decided to put on the shoes. Traveling became much easier. I was able to stay with the trail all the way to 8200 ft. At that point I lost the trail and began relying on my map and compass. I stayed on a mostly easterly heading missing the PCT coming in from the south, the Seven Pines Trail coming in from the north, and the PCT leaving to the north. Lots of snow, and who is following the trail anyway?

I found the manzanita covered switchback slope at 9000 ft. and began climbing straight up. The snow was very deep and unconsolidated. I began post-holing up to my knees with the snowshoes on. It would have been impossible without them.

After two hundred or so feet, I was able to make out what seemed to be the switchback trail by depressions in the snow covered manzanita. It was the Deer Springs Trail. Oh, boy, no more wandering. I was able to follow the depression up to the top of the slope where it enters a traverse at 9200 ft. By setting my compass to 70 deg. I followed widely spaced tree blazes across to the drainage below the trail to Little Round Valley.

Then at a setting of 30 deg., I made my way up into Little Round Valley. I happened to find tree blazes again in Little Round Valley continuing on the same heading and passed the outhouse with snow half way up it. No need, I went at home.

I continued till 9800 ft. and went east directly toward the summit, climbing straight up the slope ahead. I made it to 10,100 ft. and decided to find a campsite on the slope.

A tree had fallen across the slope and made a little snow platform. I took a snowshoe and began digging and flattening out a site for my bivy. It's southern California, so why bring a tent? I got a nice little spot fixed, got out the stove to begin melting snow, and cooked dinner.

Dinner would be instant rice with a Trader Joe's lentil pouch. Along with a warm drink and tea, I heated two water bottles and put them into my sleeping bag. It was nice and cozy in the bag. The bottles made a nice heater. So I got ready and zipped into my bag under a clear starry night.

All of a sudden, there was an annoying feeling on my face. What was this? It was snowing! Hey, it's winter out here. I had taken way too long to pull the bivy bag over my sleeping bag. An hour or so later, the top of my down bag was a little wet, but it was a still a warm night. I woke to a new fallen four or five inches of snow and buried cooking pots and stove. They were right by my head and I didn't have to get out of the bag to get the stove fired and a warm drink in my hand.

As I ate breakfast, the weather changed and a front was coming in. Billowing white clouds were blowing in from the west and partially obscured my surrounding view. I dressed my upper body, still half in the sleeping bag, and got to my snow covered boots. They had frozen during the night and I had to slam them on. It became a morning of chilly feet.

I packed for the summit and headed up. The morning was cold with the minimal clothes I had. I wiggled my fingers and toes to get them warm. Southern California? Hey, its winter.

As I neared the summit of San Jacinto the scene changed to snow plastered rocks and trees. It was a frosty scene as the sun had not yet shown through the clouds and ice hung on the exposed features.

I didn't spend much time on the summit (10,804 ft.). Clouds were coming in. A very dark cloud was now moving toward me from the Hemet valley. It seemed the time to get out of there before the force of a storm arrived.

The way down was quick and easy, as I followed my tracks of the morning. I packed up my gear at the bivy site and left for the descent back to the trailhead.

Mt. San Jacinto makes an excellent winter hike from the west side up the Marion Mtn. Trail. Just keep an eye on the compass and map, and it is straightforward cross-country travel. If you are looking for a more protected site for a tent, Little Round Valley is a good overnight stop.

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