Miracle Marilyn and I started up the San Bernardino Peak Trail about 6:30 am. There were some patches of snow from 8 K to the Johns meadow junction. After passing the sign, we went up and over the ridge rather than traversing around the left side. Once we intersected the trail at the wooden bench, we completely left the trail and headed up the left side of the ridge. After a bit of bushwhacking, we donned snowshoes and traversed up to a saddle that is at 9.3 K -- The same elevation as Limber Pine bench. From there we followed the ridge up to where it meets the San Gorgonio backbone, then went up and to the left to San Bernardino peak.
As we approached the peak after a bit under 5 hours of climbing, I was pleasantly surprised to see my mountain friends Jenny and Terry on the summit -- they were in crampons. Terry and Jenny helped me on my first crampon climb up San Gorgonio via the north chutes in 2011-- they are wonderful people. After s nice chat, they headed down and Marilyn and I ate lunch and enjoyed the beauty around us. Celebrated a lovely day with burgers at the Oaks restaurant.
Equipment notes -- we took microspikes, snowshoes (MSR Lightning Ascents) and ice-axes and used everything but the axes. If we had encountered anything above our skill or equipment level, we would have turned around.
View of my sister San Jacinto from west San Bernardino peak
View of San Gorgonio from west SB peak:
The landmark rock pile at west San Bernardino peak
Drooping back down the ridge, I couldn't resist taking a picture of the "arrowhead." To me, it also looks like a kite complete with tail.
Below manzanita flats on the descent, looking back up at west San Bernardino peak.
Miles of smiles,
Ellen
