Sister Sally and I took the 10 AM tram up and left the ranger station about 10:20. The trail to the stream crossing was icy, so we donned microspikes. Headed up the Sid Davis drainage to Tamarack, at which point snow started balling up on the spikes, so we removed them. Our tracks from Saturday were almost erradicated -- the warm temperatures had melted the snow and there was evidence of new snowfall.
We found the old Tamarack trail without too much bushwhacking and followed it up into the forest. At this point, we started sinking almost to our knees in soft snow
I wished that I was carrying snowshoes instead of crampons. Slogged our way up to the main trail, which also had evidence of new snow. Climbing was harder than on Sat due to the new snowfall -- the footing was uneven. At 1:30 PM, we were finally rewarded with incredible views from the summit. The sun was reflecting off the pacific ocean and we could see Catalina. Had lunch on the summit and savoured the surrounding beauty before starting down at 2:30.
Once we passed the Miller switchback, the sun was behind the ridge. We opted to stay on the main trail -- didn't want to be bushwhacking in the dark. The hike down seemed to take forever, though it was only two hours. The cement switchbacks kicked our butts as usual, but at least we didn't have to deal with hordes of tourists. It was blessedly quiet in the tram station as we enjoyed various beverages before heading down. Had an excellent dinner at Las C to celebrate the great day and let the traffic dissipate -- little did we know what awaited us on I-10.
Traffic came to a grinding halt on 111 -- the I-10 was a parking lot
After two and half hours of braking and coasting and one mile before Cabazon, we were all squeezed into one lane to bypass what appeared to be a large traffic accident. It took 3 hours to get to Riverside -- poor Sally had to drive to Temecula. The hike up San J took the same time and felt easier
Bottom line -- snow conditions were much better on Sat when it was cold. Still not enough snow to go cross country up the Miller saddle. I'll wait for more snow before heading back up.
Miles of smiles,
Ellen
Trying to complete a hike before the sun sets is a strong motivator to not dilly dally 
Lucky two you are. Post-holing sucks but i'd bet you agree that it beats working in a cubicle any day! The accident proves we are at greater danger on the highway than on a mountain slope. Be careful out there. 
