Tram to St Jacinto Peak in late October

[yoshe12]

My friends and I are planning on hiking from the Tram to the San Jacinto Peak in late October. I wanted to get some feedback about hiking the trail at that time of year and whether it's a good time to do it and what the weather conditions are usually like at that time. We are all experienced hikers, but we aren't very familiar with the trails and conditions in the area.

[asabat]

Be prepared for anything. A few Octobers ago I took the family on a backpack to Round Valley, where there was several inches of snow on the ground, and the temperatures were below freezing between 4 pm and 8 am. However, we had a great time.

[Hikin_Jim]

October is usually a good time to go. The snows typically haven't set in. I did encounter some ice when I did the peak in Oct '06, but it was just one small patch. It can get cold at night, so be prepared in case you're caught out overnight. You do have to scramble up some rocks for the last 0.25 mile (the trail does not go all the way to the top), but it's not a big deal if you've hiked before.

Just be aware that the days are short (get an early start), get a weather report before you go (don't rely on the tram website's overly optimistic reports), and be prepared for cold (just in case).

Oh, and have fun. It's a great hike with amazing views.