The Seven Summits of San Jacinto -- Trip Report

[Hikin_Jim]

Well, now that the Mountain Fire is 100% contained and hopefully behind us, I thought I'd go ahead and put together my trip report for my recent Seven Summits of San Jacinto peak bagging fest and exploratory trip.

As usual, I've got lots of maps listing things like all the peaks on my route:


Detailed route descriptions and photos:


Great views:


And lovely flora:


Have a read when you get the chance.

Regards,

HJ

[Wildhorse]

What a wonderful hike.

I feel melancholy reading your report, even while these places did not burn. I feel so sad after the fire. But, it is not just that. The exploratory backpacking way you approached this hike, as much as the fire, gives me that feeling because I love these mountains too and I always want to linger in the high country, to see it closely, in detail, and patiently while I am enjoying its physical challenges.

Thank you for bringing back the route information and the photos. I have been to all except Folly, but by different routes. I am particularly interested in following your route to Marion someday and in finding the route you found coming down from Jean towards Wellman's Divide. Several years ago, my wife and I attempted something like that route starting at Wellman's Divide, but never found a nice way through the brush.

[arocknoid]

Thanks for the well-crafted writeup of a marvelous walkabout.

You have captured Essence of Teh Seven with your own perspective and mellow voice in probably one of the last expansive TRs before the fire.

Like so many others, I am anxious to get back up there, and hopeful that the changes won't be too devastating. (additional reports indicate that the fire intensity moderated, and it became less of a crown fire, more of a creeping / understory fire, which bodes well.)

Thanks again for the pics and prose, and taking the time and energy for the writeup. Definitely archival.

kind regards,
arocknoid

[Hikin_Jim]

What a wonderful hike.

Really, it was. This is some great territory. I feel like we all owe it to ourselves to get off the confines of the trails and do some real hiking, that is off trail hiking. There is nothing so liberating as an off trail high country ramble. And the terrain here is particularly suitable.

I am particularly interested in following your route to Marion someday and in finding the route you found coming down from Jean towards Wellman's Divide. Several years ago, my wife and I attempted something like that route starting at Wellman's Divide, but never found a nice way through the brush.

My route to Marion worked surprisingly well. I was quite pleased.

I haven't quite got the route down to Wellman Divide from Jean Peak yet. I need some more work on that one.

I also want to work out the route down from Jean-San Jacinto Saddle to where the old Tamarack Trail comes in.

HJ

[Hikin_Jim]

Thanks for the well-crafted writeup of a marvelous walkabout.

You have captured Essence of Teh Seven with your own perspective and mellow voice in probably one of the last expansive TRs before the fire.

Like so many others, I am anxious to get back up there, and hopeful that the changes won't be too devastating. (additional reports indicate that the fire intensity moderated, and it became less of a crown fire, more of a creeping / understory fire, which bodes well.)

Thanks again for the pics and prose, and taking the time and energy for the writeup. Definitely archival.

kind regards,
arocknoid

Well, thank you. Hopefully the three posts that trip helped contribute to en toto or in part are indeed worth referring to:

Is Marion Mountain "Wrong" on the USGS Topo?
Water Sources of the San Jacinto Mountains -- West Side
The Seven Summits of San Jacinto

HJ

[Ulysses]

Great trip report Jim. Thanks for sharing. Love the Lemon Lily pictures.

I went up Shirley to and Jean from Wellmans Divide a couple of weeks ago (just before the fire). Pretty straight forward and minimal brush.

Which route up Marion would you say has less brush: the route you went up via Deer Springs Trail camp, or from the east via Wellmans Cienega?

Did you go directly from the summit of SJ to get to Folly?

[Hikin_Jim]

Which route up Marion would you say has less brush: the route you went up via Deer Springs Trail camp, or from the east via Wellmans Cienega?

The route up from Deer Springs Crossing/Camp definitely had less brush. Brush was almost non existent.

Did you go directly from the summit of SJ to get to Folly?

Yes, pretty much directly down the west ridge of SJ. In my opinion, the route from SJ to Folly is one of the most fun class 2 routes in Southern California.


HJ

[tekewin]

What a great trip report and photos. First class, Hikin Jim. Well done.

[Hikin_Jim]

Thanks. I had pretty good material to work with.

HJ

[towbradley]

Once again, its awsome to put your trip in my minds eye as i read your trip and photos report. Looking forward to getting back into the mountains tommorrow with my son. We're taking one of my sons friends up to a camp for people with special needs, then we're planning to go up a trail south of bigbear lake to view san gragornio. Never done this, and dont know if theres even a trail for this, but we'll see. If anyone has an idea of such a trail, please share.