San Jacinto conditions?

[LoveThisSite]

Hi folks, I'll be arriving in Palm Springs for a vacation this weekend.
I'm very interested in the C2C hike upto the summit of San Jacinto.
I'm an experienced hiker, having done a fair bit of hiking in the Colorado Rockies.

I saw a recent post about not needing any technical equipment for the peak - is that still true? I'll probably carry my microspikes just in case anyway.

Will I still get water at the tram station? What temps can I expect at the summit?

Thanks!

[Hikin_Jim]

Well, first, the Colorado Rockies are generally pretty good training, BUT be aware that C2C is about 11,000' of gain in a day. Have you done anything recently that was about, say 50% of that kind of gain in a day, and how did you do? Not picking on you. There are a lot of experienced hikers that do just fine on C2C and a lot that have trouble. The kind of experience I think matters.

In terms of weather, it's supposed to be a low of 45 tonight (exceptionally warm) but down to 18 by Thursday (quite chilly). I'd keep an eye on the NWS point forecast for the peak.

Microspikes are probably fine for right now, but we're supposed to get snow before the weekend. Doesn't look like a big storm at this point, but again keep you eye on things.

HJ

[LoveThisSite]

Thank you. Yes, I'm aware of the altitude gain, but I have to admit I haven't done a 11,000 ft gain ever. My most recent was 4600 ft in early Oct - Mt. Shavano. Of course this hike starts at roughly 10,000 ft so it's a bit of a different ball game I would think as opposed to climbing from sea level. I'm fairly confident I can make the tram station given my fitness level and especially since I don't have to hike back down I guess I'll evaluate myself at the tram station and see how I feel about the summit.

[Hikin_Jim]

Sounds reasonable.

They're predicting something like 1 to 3 inches of snow by this weekend. Probably not a problem, especially if you're carrying microspikes. Storms sometimes get delayed, but it's supposed to be clear by Friday night.

HJ

[LoveThisSite]

Just wanted to post a quick update for the benefit of others:

Made it up from the Museum to the Tram in about 7 hours on Dec 22. I did get lost a couple of times during the early part of the hike, but was able to regain the trail quickly. Trail was completely clear of snow. I didn't go for the peak - I was pretty tired by the time I reached the Tram.

I'd recommend carrying at least 3 liters of water. For the most part, a T shirt and shorts are fine - perhaps a light fleece jacket on the upper parts of the hike.

It was an amazing hike. My legs are still pretty sore, but in a good kind of way. The last 2000 ft up to the tram are hard - it gets fairly steep. It was a bit weird having O2 to breathe after having climbed several thousand feet - I'm used to panting for breath in colorado

This is definitely now one of my favorite hikes. To top it all, the view of the stars are amazing in Palm Springs!

[Hikin_Jim]

Glad it went well. Take any photos?

[neverwashasbeen]

For those of you thinking about taking advantage of the mild weather on the mountain. Conditions today were as follows:

Weather ideal the views were fantastic, could see the Channel Islands. On the negative side, the warm days and cold nights are causing the freeze thaw cycle to create icy conditions on the trails. From the stream crossing to Wellman's Divide had me wishing I had become a better skater.