snow creek route

[cynthia23]

Hillbasher and Perry have it right. Snow Creek is not a hike, it is full-blown alpine-mountaineering. No, it's not K2, but I know of a mountaineer who had done a number of big Himalayan mountains, and he was very taken aback (and chagrined, I understand) by how difficult Snow Creek was. I used to think that "someday" I would do Snow Creek, but I've learned enough to know my own limitations. I doubt I will be doing Snow Creek in this lifetime.

One should carefully and objectively evaluate one's conditioning and skill-set before attempting a climb of this difficulty. Death is a definite possibility.

[Cy Kaicener]

Here is a trip report called Cheating Death on Snow Creek
http://home.flash.net/~cfoster2/climbin ... Creek.html
You can get other trip reports by googling Snow Creek to San Jacinto

[phydeux]

I did it in June 1993 (wow, 14 years ago!) with two friends. Its definately a butt-kicker, and you'll want to have ice axe and crampon skills. Most of the steep stuff is in the lower area (up to 7500 ft?), and requires some 4th class rock climbing skills; above that its all steep scampering or climbing on steep snowfields. There might be a number of small waterfalls in Snow Creek Canyon you'll have to navigate around (might not be a problem this year with the low rainfall). You'll also want some snow on the route - that's going be your water source up high.

Took us 2 1/2 days. We got to the top late on the second day and were too exhausted to walk down to the tram, so bivied just north of the summit hut (out of view of the trail). Yeah, thats not allowed, but we thought it was safer than walking down in the dark. We now call that our "Haston-Scott bivy" experience, after the two Brits who bivied near the top of Everest a few years earlier.

Have fun and don't be afraid to abort if it looks bad.

[halhiker]

I'm a bit late to this thread but I haven't been reading the board lately so shame on me. I've done Snow Creek a couple of times, once as an overnighter and once in a day.
Technically, it is illegal to do Snow Creek. The Desert Water Agency used to issue permits to cross their property but no longer do so when you cross their land you are trespassing. It is best to sneak past by going up the stream from below Snow Creek Village. Once you get to the road past the caretakers home there is a trail by the bridge near the caretakers house. You can also climb up a chute on the right of Falls Creek and hit the trail this way. Now, I would never condone breaking the law but I hear that's how it's done.

I've never done it when the snow conditions did not cover the chockstone so I can't really comment on that except to say that friends of mine tell me it sucks when it's not covered.

If doing it in a day, start EARLY. The reason for this is the sun hits the Y at about 6,000 feet or so and the snow gets soft. It's no fun slogging through waist deep snow doing about 500 elevation gain in four hours. Trust me. It sucks.

Watch for snakes!!!!! I've done the whole thing twice but have hiked in Snow Creek numerous times to the waterfalls and I have never failed to see a snake. Never! On my day trip, my buddy actually put his hand on top of one. Thank God it was a cool morning and that rattler was listless. Unfortunately, my buddy's adrenaline went through the roof and it took him hours before his breathing and heart rate got back to normal so we got on the snow late and hence, the slog in the middle of the trip which made our adventure several hours longer than it should have been.

One factoid: If you ever get to the Tram after closes for the night, it is possible (or at least it WAS) to break in by simple putting something between to two doors--an ice axe works great--and lifting the 2X4 that is used to barricade the doors. There is also a search and rescue storage room in the Tram building with a couple of cozy cots in it.

Or so I hear.
Hal

[Perry]

One time, a friend called me from a bar, he was drunk, and said to me, "I'm gonna do the north face tomorrow....no matter what!" I talked him out of it and convinced him to go with somebody. I'm not sure if he even owned crampons and ice axe. It's dangerous enough without being hung-over and sleep-deprived.