Trip Report Friday, May 30th, Humber Park to SJ Summit

[john m]

Finally were able to do the Humber Park to the San Jacinto summit dayhike today. The big surprise was how much the snow has disappeared. There is almost no snow left on the trail. The trail is obvious and easy to find. Snow exists in the shade here and there but basically, the trail is 98% like a summer hike, finally.

Lots of folks doing the dayhike today and heading up for weekend campsites.

Great weather, views and it's always nice to get to the summit again!

[LeslieL]

Hi John, thanks for sharing this information. I'll be heading up there myself soon and this answers my questions about conditions.
Leslie

[JayO]

Thanks for the trip info, John.

Couple of questions:

Any issues getting a permit at the Idyllwild Ranger Station and did you see a ranger on the trail?

About how long did the hike take you - I've never been to the top from this side and don't quite know what to expect.

Thanks,
Jay

[john m]

JayO

I arrived at the ranger station on Friday morning at about 545am. Since they are not open, you are required to "self register", meaning you fill out a trail permit at the box outside the USFS office, leave a copy in the slot and take a copy with you. I'm not sure what the quotas are, if any for the weekend. I only go on weekdays and there is no problem.

There were no rangers on the trail but do remember it was a Friday. The weekend may be different.

Normal time in the summer for my friend and I is about 4 hours up, 3 hours down with few stops. This time we took more time at the top so it was more like 4 1/2 up, 3 1/4 down. The hike is about 16.2 miles with an elevation change of 4,324'. For comparison, Skyline takes me about 6 1/4 hours.

Start with the Devils Slide trail from the Humber parking lot. You need a parking pass, I have an Annual Pass for $30.

There are other trails to the SJ summit from "this side" such as the Marion Mt (very hard, steep) and Deer Springs (longer than Devils Slide, dusty, few views) but my experience is that the Devils Slide/PCT to the summit is the best for an enjoyable dayhike with plenty of workout and great views.

Enjoy!

[Rob]

I arrived at the ranger station on Friday morning at about 545am. Since they are not open, you are required to "self register", meaning you fill out a trail permit at the box outside the USFS office, leave a copy in the slot and take a copy with you. I'm not sure what the quotas are, if any for the weekend.

I remember self-issuing a permit at the Ranger Station in Idyllwild for a trail campsite, and at that time TC permit applications were pre-stamped and in limited quantities for each camping zone. How does it work for self-issued day hike permits? Are they pre-stamped?

[john m]

Rob:

I don't recall the permit being pre-stamped. I checked my yellow copy which I still had in my wallet and it doesn't show anything on it. In terms of "limited" dayhike permits, I don't think they have a limit because the slot of available self issue permits is always stuffed full. Again, I don't know about the weekend; I've never done a weekend hike, only Fridays. I don't believe the trail is a "quota" trail like Mt Whitney for dayhikes.

Hope this helps.

[asabat]

In the past a quota for day-use has applied to the Devils Slide Trail in the summer months. I would expect the same will apply this year, when that starts I don't know. When the quota is in effect, day hike permits for Devils Slide must be obtained from USFS only.

[Ken7]

I believe between Memorial Day and Labor Day on weekends the USFS limits the number of day-hiking permits for the Devil's Slide Trail and stamps Devil's Slide Trail on them. In addition, I think they limit the number of overnight permits and they stamp the zone on them. For the other trails, hikers fill in the name of the trail. That has been my understanding of the practice in the last few years. The phone for the USFS office in Idyllwild is (909) 382-2921. I generally stop by the office when they open in the morning (8 AM) to get the permit and to get the latest information they have about trail conditions.

[Hikin_Jim]

Thanks for the trip info, John.

Couple of questions:

Any issues getting a permit at the Idyllwild Ranger Station and did you see a ranger on the trail?

About how long did the hike take you - I've never been to the top from this side and don't quite know what to expect.

Thanks,
Jay

Make your own decision of course, but I for one would encourage you to stay within the permit system. Sure, you may not get caught if you go without a permit, but that's not the point. The important point is to preserve the beauty and wildness of the Wilderness. There's a lot of beautiful country up there. Let's keep it that way.

[HikeUp]

Permits? Bah.