Need helpt to plan a 7 day trip for March in California...PL

[Patty]

Hello everybody,

so I am absolutely new to this board but I am hoping to get a heck of a lot info from you all out there.
My girlfriend and I are planning a seven day hike in March 2009 to Mt San Jacinto, and clearly we are
super excited about it.

We are going to take the tram up and then hike a 7 day loop. So here is the deal:

I can't find any average weather conditions online for mt san jacinton in March, so if you guys have any info about that,
personal experiences, web pages, even pictures, that would AWESOME!

Also for those that have been up there during a time that is about equal to the march conditions for a backpacking trip,
let me know i would love to hear the experiences you guys made. Especially what gear you took.

Thanks for all the help,

Patty

[some guy]

absolutely no way to guess what the weather will be like that time of year. Could be sunny and warm, or there could still be winter storms coming through. Here's a shot of the Ernie Maxwell Trail in Idyllwild on Mar 11 2006 (at about 6000ft elevation):


I think we got about 18 inches from that storm in Idyllwild. But conditions like that would probably be about the worst case scenario that you might expect.

[Hikin_Jim]

March is pretty early for a high trip. Normally Jan - Mar is max snow time. I think even April is pretty early for a trip up high. Last year I did some hiking at similiar elevations to San Jacinto in the nearby San Gorgonio Wilderness. There was enough snow that I couldn't find the trail and just wound up going cross country.

If you want to do seven days in the high country of the San Jacintos, you might want to think about May, June, or July. Even in May, some years will have quite a bit of snow.

HJ

[halhiker]

Each year is different but March is generally a month where there is substantial snow in the San Jacinto backcountry. HJ is right about March and April being early for a trip to high elevations. The San Jacintos are one of the toughest areas for PCT through hikers to navigate and they are usually passing in April.

There are many other options in the area for March that might be better choices. Joshua Tree National Park. The Santa Rosa Wilderness. Or the aforementioned PCT might be good choices that time of year. Of course, like I said, every year is different and a cold March storm could dump snow on even some of those lower areas as well.

Of course, if you like snow the San Jacintos are awesome that time of year and the crowds are sure to be non-existent.

(Oh, BTW, the picture of my Jeep was taken in March a couple of years ago at my father in-law's house that is one mile down from the PCT where it crossed Hwy 74 and the elevation is about 5,000 feet).

[Perry]

That sounds really fun, but definitely something for experienced hikers only. March is usually not as cold as January, but there's usually lots of snow on the ground and sometimes snow storms. I would take a 4-season tent or bivy, snowshoes with sharp steel cleats (in case of ice, or crampons if snowshoes have dull aluminum cleats), poles with large powder baskets, ice axe for steep slopes, waterproof topo map, GPS in case of whiteout conditions, compass in case GPS batteries die, winter boots and balaclava, etc. It's hard to predict what can happen, but I really don't think you'll be disappointed. Above 10,000 feet sometimes there's ice that forms on the trees and boulders. Really neat to look at.

[passinthru]

go here:
http://www.mtsanjacinto.info/viewtopic.php?t=12
for pics of snow conditions in May, 2006

[halhiker]

go here:
http://www.mtsanjacinto.info/viewtopic.php?t=12
for pics of snow conditions in May, 2006

Doesn't look too bad that year although I have been on the summit in April before and had the cabin almost completely covered in snow.

[Patty]

ok so thanks for all the replies, I really appreciate that. But you all really scared us, that's for sure. I decided to ditch the whole Mt San Jacinto idea and put it up till summer, even though we are pretty experienced hikers.
So now what. We still want to go hiking during that time, any recommendations?
Where can we go and have less extreme conditions. Would be Mt San Antonio a good choice.
I really want to do a 7 day hiking trip this march, I know that it will be great. Just need an amazing destination, that's all.
Also I have winter gear, like a 4 season Tent, Waterproof clothes and all that....except for snowshoes, since we don't want to go snow shoeing but hiking.

Any help please?

Thanks guys!!!

Patty

[Hikin_Jim]

Well, do keep the San Jacinto Wilderness on your list. It's a beautiful spot, but wait until Memorial Day or thereafter.

The nearby San Gorgonio Wilderness is also a great spot. There are several ways to do longer trips here, but again wait until Memorial Day.

Mt. San Antonio (known locally as "Mt. Baldy") wouldn't be a very good choice for March. It's at 10,000' and will have too much snow. In addition, Mt. Baldy is usually done as a day hike. It would be a bit of a stretch to turn Mt. Baldy into a 7 day trip.

Here are some ideas for winter hiking: http://www.mtsanjacinto.info/viewtopic.php?t=1171

You could also go to Death Valley National Park or to the Los Padres National Forest. Good maps for the Los Padres NF can be purchased here: http://www.bryanconant.com/

[Rumpled]

It can start to get hot in March, but think about the desert. Wildflowers could be in bloom, too.
Anza Borrego and Joshua Tree have some backpacking options; though I don't know about filling 7 days.