San Jacinto Summit Hikeable?

[CascadeDave]

Ready to take the tram up and try for the summit. But -- we're wondering if the trail is snow covered, or worse, ice. Are we dreaming? We're in shape, but don't have crampons or ice axes.

Thanks for any help!

[NormaR]

I was up there on 3/2/08, and crampons were necessary. Down low the snow was icy and up higher the snow on that day was very hard. The people I hiked with did not have crampons and it made footing very difficult. We turned around when they felt going down without crampons was becoming too risky. I gave my ice axe to the guy who came without poles.

I will be going back up this weekend and will be bringing ice axe and crampons. I personally wouldn't go up there yet without them.

[NormaR]

I was up on San Jacinto today and will post a TR soon. A family of 5 left the Ranger Staion around 8:45 for a day hike of the summit in sneakers. It appears they hiked to Wellman's Divide, traversed Jean Mountain and gave up a couple bumps before the summit. On their way back their mother fell and hurt her shoulder. We spoke with her son around 2pm as he was leading a group of Ranger's to her for a rescue. He turned around shortly thereafter, and walked back with us since he was physically drained. The Ranger's continued on to the injured woman. He said they were completely unprepared for the conditons and had been slipping and falling all day since their sneakers did not negotiate the snow and steep mountainside well.

We told him about this message board and recommended he visit it prior to planning their next hike of San J.

Please be careful up there!

[CascadeDave]

Wow -thanks for the good information.

We're going somewhere lower!

[cynthia23]

Sneakers???? What were they thinking? Why do people do nutty things like this???

I would love to interview this whole family to see what on earth was in their head.

[magikwalt]

They weren't actually sneakers...they're deck shoes and they work really great when there is little water.