Everyone overslept but they still managed to get to my house by 6:30 and we missed the first tram up by mere minutes (I live in OC), so we took the second tram up, stopped at the ranger station (and I grab two extra blank permits just in case no one else had a chance to grab them for next weekends snow creek adventure) and we on our way like rabbits being chased by coyote's. Ellen's pace last week put a boot in my butt and I wanted to see if I could do anything like that pace
There was just under an inch of snow on the trail and we followed the footprints of the hikers that had gotten off the first tram. We made Wellman's Divide in just under an hour, took the obligatory pictures. There was slightly more snow in this area maybe another one half inch at most, melting fast in the sun but staying put in the shade.
After a quick snack we were on our way to Miller Saddle, we made that in another 40 minutes, Scott did not want to scramble up the rocks to Miller Peak so Bryan and I did it and did not waste anytime taking a few pictures and running back down to the saddle as it was blowing just hard enough to make us both very cold (I was in short and T-shirt with light weight wicking shirt under that).
We quickly put our jackets on and they headed up the main trail past the "Snow Hut" while I went up the "Saddle Trail" that stays on top of and to the north of the saddle between Miller and San J. Those two reached the summit just slightly ahead of me as I was playing around with the "Summit blocks" to the north east and tried to make my approach that way but I was wearing my "hiking shoes" not my winter boots and I was paying the price as my legs were getting scratched up as I slid down a few times on the very steep granite boulders that face to the north. I now officially belong to the "Ellen Scratched Legs and Bleeding Club"
Sorry Ellen couldn't resist, you are still the president
I saw tracks in the snow all the way to Miller Saddle but when we reached the summit of San J there were no tracks, so either the first group up went cross country when the reached the saddle or the aliens got another group of hikers
who knows as we did not see then on the summit or any tracks in the snow at the summit or anyone else until the group we had already passed near Wellman's (from the first tram up) come up to the summit of San J after we had been there for 15 minutes. The summit had up to 2 inches of snow, so if anyone had been there it would have been obvious even though it was that real "Whispy" type, nothing solid.
We packed it in and after much debate (ok only a little - I wanted to go bag Foley and then climb back up to Jean) we headed over to Jean Peak. The saddle between San J and Jean was mostly in the shade still so the rocks were covered in a fair amount of snow and all three of us were "Slip Sliding Away" (the more you're closer to your destination, the more you slip sliding away"
) so we had to take our time navigating ways not to go for a ride into the other rocks below. We made it over to Jean by 12 noon speant twenty minutes fueling up, taking pictures and signing the summit log. From there we somewhat retraced our way back towards the saddle separating Jean and San J but worked our way down towards the main trail where it takes the very big turn uphill around the bigger boulders at the north end of Jean's eastern face - regulars will know where I mean It was so steep in some places that everyone of us took some small falls from slipping on the slick snow covered granite (be safe if you go).
We made it back to the Tram Station to catch the 2:45 Tram down and were driving home by 3:15, great day, perfect weather, good company, and still considering doing Snow Creek next week (on the PCT
).
Pictures here - http://s728.photobucket.com/albums/ww285/lilbitmo24/STJ%20Miller%20San%20J%20Jean%2011-14-09/?albumview=slideshow
