Conditions on Humber Park to Summit Trail

[Martin Johnson]

Can anyone please give me a report about any or all of this route? I'm also interested in conditions through Skunk Cabbage to Hidden Lake and Round Valley. Thanks.

[Martin Johnson]

Since 74 people were looking for a response to this question, I thought it only right that I reply myself.
I went up yesterday, April 2nd, and here's the report:
Left Humber Park at 6 a.m., the only car in the parking lot. Devil's Slide was markedly dry for this time of year. There was snow on the north slope of Tachquitz Peak and Valley, but nothing on the my trail. As a result, if anyone is going to the lookout tower, you might think about Yak-Tracs or at least being mindful.
From the saddle, it remained dry until the travarse over to Strawberry Junction. There was well-trodden snow on the trail under the trees, but once the trees gave away on the traverse across Marion Mt, it became dry again. And I mean dry. Normally this time of year, this is a wonderful hike through knee-high ferns, but all the ferns were brown and limp on the ground. It felt more like Fall than Spring. There was some water at Wellman's Cienga, but not a lot for this time of year.
The snow began again at the section along the summit trail where the tree cover begins, the dogleg on that long traverse. Here there was enough that the track of the trail was obscured and you just followed the tracks of those who went before. Again, it was no problem and no crampons/Yak-Tracs required.
And that was it for the snow. Patches here and there in the final .03 to the summit, but nothing else. I reached the summit at 9:30, the first one up that day. In fact, I didn't see a soul until I was descending the Devil's Slide. A glorious hike, as always, made even more so by the solitude.

[KathyW]

Thanks a bunch for posting conditions Martin.