[pct-l] San Jacinto, 111 and the Palm Springs Tram

[jape at nethere.com (Eckert)]

If one were to travel eastward, from LA to the Arizona border at Blythe, 
and on to Phoenix, it would be on Interstate Hwy 10.  If, on the way, 
one wished to see the cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City, La Quinta 
and Indio (and about a half dozen other small towns) all the way down to 
the eastern shores of the Salton Sea, it would become necessary to leave 
the 10 and take state hwy 111.  This juncture occurs within a half mile 
of the 10 off-ramp at Verbenia.  ( 
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/images/dist8.gif )  Verbenia is within 
a quarter mile of the PCT crossing of the 10, just south of the Pink 
Motel.  The side road to the Palm Springs Tram is one of the first along 
the 111, after leaving the 10.

If one desired to reach the tram from the PCT on San Jacinto, pick up 
the trail east to Little Round Valley from the PCT along Fuller Ridge. 
 It's about 2.5 miles to the peak, and from there, another 5 miles to 
the upper tram station.  FWIW, the upper tram station is at an elevation 
of 8500 ft, and the lower at 2400 ft.

I am not aware of any climbing opportunities along the 111 unless it is 
climbing on San Jacinto itself.  Google "Snow Creek Jacinto" and there 
will be several trip reports of Alpine style climbing up that steep 
face.  The 111 itself is a rather tedious piece of asphault that winds 
through one business district after another, rarely reaching speeds 
faster than 50mph.  There are canyons off the highway, and I'm sure 
there would be bouldering possibilities, but nothing I've ever heard of. 
 If you were to follow the 10 eastward, you would pass the southern 
entrance to Joshua Tree and as another poster wrote, there are hundreds 
of published climbs there.


Kraig Mottar wrote:

>I recently went to Palm Desert to see a movie entitled, What the Bleep Do We Know. If you really want to know about the movie, visit www.whatthebleep.com. But the movie isn't the topic of this message. When there, I notice the mountains and rocks off of Hwy 111. And I also noticed messages here about 111. Whereabouts is the PCT thereabouts, and what other trails are there, what what can anyone say of the rockclimbing? Right now I want to find a mediumsized rock, that can be safely freeclimbed.
>  
>