[pct-l] snow on San Jacinto

[Jeff <jeeter@cari.net>]

(apologies if duplicated, second attempt to transmit)
Saturday, March 25

The dirt roads leading to the Fuller Ridge remote campsite and the Black

Mountain camp are still blocked by a locked gate, 5 miles from the
site.  The rangers in Idyllwild are reporting twenty inches of snow
beginning somewhere below the Black Mountain campsite.  Hikers
descending from Saddle Junction yesterday reported that full snow cover
began approximately 1/2 mile below the Junction.  Both of those
elevations indicate a snow level of at least 7200 feet.  (The rangers
were cautious however, because, "nobody from our office has been up
there").

One hiker met descending from an overnighter above Saddle Junction,
related how his intent was to camp at the fire lookout on Tahquitz Pk.
(map B-9, lower center).  He was unable to find his way there without a
visible trail, and spent the night close to the junction.

>From a spot about halfway up the Devil's Slide trail, looking toward
Strawberry Cienaga, it appeared that the snow on south facing slopes was

almost gone, and patchy at best.  (note:  this is an observation from a
distance, and not an onsite, first hand fact.)

I am not a skier, and do not know the terminology, but the snow had
obviously melted and re-frozen enough to become quite granular.  When I
tried to scoop up a handful of snow, my fingers could only dig deep
enough to come up with a 1/4 cup of ice.  About the consistency of a
good snow cone. <g>  People that had attempted to reach the junction in
tennis shoes and soft soled boots had been forced to turn back because
of the slipperiness of the snow.

On the positive side, the surface temperatures had been warm enough that

lizards were out and about, even where there were good sized patches of
snow.

Jeff E

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