Current Conditions - Snow Creek

[Rick F]

If you have some information on current conditions for Snow Creek please share. This is not a frequently traveled route but knowing if there is still any snow in the chute, visible from Cabazon Pass would be helpful. A Ranger informed me that there is little water running but he did not know how much snow if any is still remaining.

[guest]

Hi Rick,

If you or others are actually considering climbing the north face,(what some folks refer to as Snow Creek) I probably don't need to tel you, that this is very difficult, and potentially very dangerous route.
If one can't do C2C with little problem, have real experience with ice axe / self-arrest, ability to climb most of the night & all day, (unless overnighting), don't even consider it.
Bluerail is one of the best to consult.
There is a small streak of snow in the chute down to approx. 7,500 ft. at this time, (if I knew how to post a photo, I could).
It could be very icy, there may be potential for slabs to break away, etc.

As you may know, anyone attempting this climb must do several hours of additional climbing to the south to avoid the DWA's property, (smack in the middle of the base of San Jac.

The wind has been blowing hard the last several days, and a small dump of new snow, adding to the unstable conditions on the upper mt.

Be safe, happy climbing,

ss

[Perry]

Since there hasn't been much snow this winter, you would most likely have to climb around waterfalls that don't exist when there's a normal snowpack in the spring time. 4th or 5th class climbing while wearing your heavy backpack full of gear and food/water. Bluerail and Fern have done this in summer time and are familiar with it. Almost nobody else does it when there's not much snow. It may be difficult to find the 4th class routes around the waterfalls unless you talk to them.

Guest and others, to upload a photo directly....below the box that you type into, it says Upload attachment. File size is limited to 1 Megabyte.

Offsite photos can be posted with the Img button above the box that you type into.

[guest]

Very good points Perry, thanks for adding to that, and for the tip on photos, I'll give it a try.

ss

[Cy Kaicener]

Rick - A couple of weeks ago Kurt Wedberg (international guide) climbed Snow Creek to San Jacinto. I read it on facebook. Here is his contact info.
http://sierramountaineering.com/kurt-wedberg/

[Rick F]

Guest & Perry, Thank-you for your concern. I was just hoping maybe someone had some recent beta on Snow Creek. I did find another post from a week prior saying there is still some snow on the north side. Due to deteriorating weather we decided not go up Snow Creek on Saturday but we did a different trip instead. I've been up Snow Creek before and its not a route I want to do with 70+ mph gusts and near white-out conditions.

Cy, thanks for sharing the info about Kurt's trip. I'll get in touch with him. He has given me great beta in the past.

[Rick F]

A friend of mine took this today from the 10 freeway. There is a little more snow than I had expected.

[Hikin_Jim]

We had a storm move through this past weekend. I'm not sure how much the San Jacintos got, but there was 3/8" of new snow on the ground in the San Gorgonio Wilderness when I was hiking there this past Sunday. Up higher, it looked more like 1/2" to 3/4".

HJ

[Rick F]

We postponed our Snow Creek trip. Instead we went up to Tahquitz Peak last Saturday. We got to the top before most of the storm settled in. Seemed like snow level was about 8,000 ft. We went up Devil's Slide and came down via South Ridge and then used Ernie Maxwell to connect back to Humber Park. It rained on us most of the way down.

[Hikin_Jim]

That sounds like about what I experienced across the way in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. When I was out on Sunday, the snow below 9,000 to 9,500' was all but gone. Above 9,500', it was sticking pretty well.

I camped at Dry Lake (elevation approx 9,000') Sunday night, and the ground was 100% clear of new snow; only some old patches were left, and those were few and far between. I posted a report on the San Gorgonio Bulletin Board.

HJ