Skiing E. Fork Snow Creek, Mt. San Jacinto

[Se7ev_Summits]

I'm looking for a partner interested in skiing the North face of San Jacinto. Its a pretty ambitious trek for meager snow, but should be a fun adventure. Start below sea level in the desert, summit out just shy of 11,000'. I'm thinking the East fork of Snow Creek via falls creek east shoulder. This avoids any conflict with the DWC closure of quadrant 33 without adding too much time. Axe, crampons and possibly harness necessary so I'm looking for a strong backcountry skier with good Avy skills. There is a decent route description on SummitPost if you're interested, or if anyone has any beta or recent condition reports please feel free to share as well.

-Phil

[Cy Kaicener]

Here is a report from someone that did it in better conditions
http://www.sierradescents.com/skiing/sa ... creek.html

[Ed]

I suspect that under current conditions you are more likely to collide with a rock or tree than have an avalanche. But after another good storm, layering soft snow over this base, avalanche danger will probably be very high on Snow Creek. And a high percentage of avalanches are started by the victim or his companions, as you probably know.

Have you done the Snow Creek route? I did, in April 1977. The route had avalanched after a recent storm, so we naively thought it was safe. There was avalanche debris on the sides, and the surface of the snow was scoured. Several hundred feet short of the ridge we discovered the avalanche had started there, not at the top. We found ourselves swimming in snow up to our thighs, with the worst signs of avalanche danger, snow sliding down in both balls and rivulets. One of the worst situations I've ever been in, and one of several bone-chilling avalanche situations. I remember thinking, this won't do, being killed by an avalanche in sight of Palm Springs. If it had avalanched, no amount of avalanche skills or equipment would have saved us.

The following winter I was somewhere above Tamarack Valley when the snow began making the tell-tale whumpf!whumpf! sound. That was a no-brainer for me, with the avalanche experiences I had, we turned around and headed for the tram station, with our tails between our legs but no sense of shame.

[Cy Kaicener]

. There is supposed to be a lot more snow coming the next two months because of El Nino

[Ed]

I have never done Snow Creek.

Cy,

I was addressing Phil, not you. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Ed