Sleeping on the summit?

[2dtrail]

Can I? Should I? Any recomendations or advice? Thanks for the help everybody!

[hiiker]

You can but I think it would be a little hard sleeping on the summit because of the all the large rocks. I don't recall seeing any where one could sleep. It's probably been done though. The emergency hut below the summit might be an option.


hiiker

[phydeux]

No. You're only allowed to camp at designated campgrounds within the San Jacinto Wilderness, and the summit is not one of them. You can camp overnight on the summit of nearby San Gorgonio, but you'd probably want to wait until spring when there's some snow (for water) on top.

(Hopefully there will be plenty of rain this winter )

[2dtrail]

I was hoping to spend the night somewhere i could easily have good views. What would be the best campsite to get my views from. Im hiking from the tram. My plan would be to get my campsite, bring my day pack to the summit, come down and enjoy my evening. Thanks

[phydeux]

Closest campsite to the summit, if you're coming from the Tram, is Round Valley (2.5 miles from the summit). Closer to the summit is Little Round Valley on the WEST side of the mountain (1.5 miles).

The problem at either site might be finding water. Haven't been up either trail since June, so someone else might be able to give you some info on water availability at both campsites. Lugging 1-2 gallons of water all the way from the tram would be a drag, but lugging it up to Little Round Valley from Marion Mountain would be unbearable!

BTW: You might want to get up early to hit the summit before dawn. Sunrises from San Jac (or San G) are pretty spectacular, too. (even better on cold, clear witner mornings!).

[Cobber99]

The spring at Round Valley is flowing fine as of yesterday. Just bring purification tablets or a filter and you are set.

[Hikin_Jim]

Little Round Valley is bone dry.

Since Round Valley still has some water, you might want to camp at Round Valley, get up really early, hike by headlamp, and be on the summit about 30 minutes prior to sunrise. This link, http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.html, will give you accurate sunrise times.

[2dtrail]

Do you all prefer the sunrise to the sunset up there? It sounds like it. My plan was to summit in the evening and pack out in the a.m. before it got to hot. What do you think?

[Hikin_Jim]

Either one is beautiful. I'd rather climb in the dark than descend. Descents are always more dangerous. If you ascend in the AM, it's just going to get lighter. If you descend in the PM, it's just going to get darker. Having said that, I've enjoyed some cool sunsets up there.

It won't be that hot on top. Hot, but tolerable. The top is always 20 - 30 degrees cooler than Palm Springs.

[phydeux]

Do you all prefer the sunrise to the sunset up there? It sounds like it. My plan was to summit in the evening and pack out in the a.m. before it got to hot. What do you think?

You could do both. I've done this in the winter a number of times, camping at Tamarack Valley when there's enough snow and going directly up the east face. Makes a great weekend workout.

Barring any late-afternoon t-storms, you can hike up for a late afternoon at the summit (maybe a picnic dinner, too!), then down for something to eat and a little sleep. Get up early and hike back up for the sunrise. Its all on well established trail, so even the most minimal headlamp should make it easy to follow.

Yeah, you'll be a little tired and sleepy after all this. But who cares about sleep. There's too many peaks to climb to waste time sleeping!