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Hiking San J on the 28th - come on out!
#4537 05/25/10 08:31 AM
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Taking my "Team Snail" up San Jacinto on Friday - we're fairly slow paced if you want to get some miles and gain in. We plan on going up the South Ridge trail out of Idyllwild around 0300 or 0330, hitting the tower on Tahquiz Peak and then jumping on the PCT until the climb up San J. We won't push it in the snow (I hear it's as low as 9100 feet), but we will do as much as I feel safe doing. If we get stopped too early we may do some extra miles by heading south on the PCT for awhile.

So - skip work and take a 4 day weekend! Call in sick, quit your job or just tell the boss to shove it! Come on out and let's have a blast at an easy pace.

We have two over 40 (one with limited hiking time), one 21 year old, a 16 year old girl and 13 year old boy. Only the 21 and 13 year old have any Whitney time and we took it pretty slow that day.

PM me if you want in or just show up..................DUG

Re: Hiking San J on the 28th - come on out!
DUG #4571 05/25/10 06:53 PM
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I got the boss to let me off early so I can take her to spend the weekend in June Mtn. We get to stay at the Mansion my daughter married in to. My daughters husband's family has a very nice place in June.Not sure if we are hiking,fishing or skiing.Maybe a little of each. It will definately be a great get away. I am waaaay over due for some time off and in the mountains.

Re: Hiking San J on the 28th - come on out!
DUG #4578 05/26/10 06:31 AM
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DUG...I thought you might find this interesting. This was posted at SoCal Hikers and Peakbaggers within the last 24.

Trail Conditions Update: A friend of mine, who is a volunteer Forest Ranger for the National Forest Service, San Jacinto District, was on this section of trail yesterday. He stated that the spur trail from the PCT going up to Tahquitz Peak is "a big snow & ice field" and "it's not recommended to try to summit the peak yet". So, we may skip this part of the hike. Otherwise, a nice 12.5 mile hike in the forest, around plenty of conifers and an abundant amount of streams sounds good still!

This means from South Ridge you have traverse the ridge to get to the PCT. We did this last year on purpose and there were was few spots with a bit of pucker factor. You might be better served using Deer Springs or Devil's Slide Trails.

Re: Hiking San J on the 28th - come on out!
wbtravis #4579 05/26/10 07:06 AM
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wbtravis -

Thanks. Maybe Ernie Maxwell Trail to Devil's Slide and then up? When is this crap gonna melt??......................DUG

Re: Hiking San J on the 28th - come on out!
DUG #4581 05/26/10 07:52 AM
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Never, I hope. wink

Here's some food for thought. How's about the Middle Fork of Lytle creek up to Commache set up base camp then onto Ontario Peak. There is a lot of snow on the north face of the ridge but it's seen a lot of traffic and it will be slushy come late morning early afternoon. The total gain is ~5,000'. The nice thing about Ontario Ridge there isn't any exposure to speak of along the route of the trail...which I'm fairly certain has been beaten in. Or...

Head in the other direction and do one or two of the Ts. There isn't a bit of snow to Timber and minimal snow on Telegraph. However, once on Timber I'd take the ridge down to the Timber/Telegraph Divide to avoid the snow, which my guess is still there to some degree. On Telegraph, you will have to cut some of the switchbacks to the summit ridge but there is nothing there which would present any problems.

I was up in that area the last two weekends the snow is melting off fast. There was a big difference between 5/15 and 5/22.

Last edited by wbtravis; 05/26/10 07:57 AM.
Re: Hiking San J on the 28th - come on out!
wbtravis #4588 05/26/10 10:15 AM
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I did Baldy last Saturday and went up Devil's Backbone. No (or little) snow on that side. I went down Baldy Bowl and there was snow most of the ways down until about the large rocks before the Ski Hut. Spent a lot of time on my a*&... But, kept the feet nice and fresh as my butt did so much of the hiking. That was before the snow on Saturday night/Sunday.
I have been calling the ranger station at San Jacinto and they just keep saying the trail(s) will be without snow sometime in June. I'm with DUG.....I love the snow to ski on and watch my kids, but I want a couple of weeks in the 80's to melt the last dregs of snow near the summits.


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Re: Hiking San J on the 28th - come on out!
DUG #4595 05/26/10 11:54 AM
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I'm planning for a summit of San Gorgonio this weekend so if the reports from the San Jacinto's are any indication I guess I better bring my crampons!

Re: Hiking San J on the 28th - come on out!
RoguePhotonic #4623 05/26/10 04:44 PM
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You should have crampons and an axe with you for anything on the north faces above 7,500'.

I most likely didn't need them last weekend going to Cucamonga Peak but I went over Bighorn, where I did need them. I did not use them at all on Cucamonga but wasn't on the trail most of the way up or down. I did not use them at all on the way down but I did use my axe the the entire Icehouse Saddle to Icehouse RT.


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