![]() ![]() South Ridge Road (5S11) was fully graded around 15th October but remains closed to vehicles. Dark Canyon Road (4S02) remains closed indefinitely. The partial grading undertaken on 17th July improved the situation somewhat, but it remained a bumpy drive that deteriorated further following Tropical Storm Hilary. ![]() Sightings are most frequent on Devil’s Slide and lower Deer Springs trails, and near Strawberry Cienega, Suicide Rock, and Tahquitz Peak.īlack Mountain Road (4S01) was in its poorest condition for at least a decade this spring. Above about 5000 ft, the venom of this rattlesnake species in the San Jacinto mountains is predominantly neurotoxic, almost always fatal for dogs and sometimes for humans ( see my 2020 article here). Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes Crotalus (oreganus) helleri may continue to be active on the trail system during warmer weather, such as that forecast up to about 21st October. As I descended upper Marion Mountain Trail at about 8250 ft elevation late morning (0948) on 14th September 2023 I had an excellent sighting, initially in the open at 40-50 metres, of what may have been the same very large (>250lb) dark brown individual with a white chest blaze that I had previously seen on Devil’s Slide Trail in July 2022 and September 2021 (a poor quality video from the latter observation is available here).īe rattlesnake aware. Although rarely reported, up to three Black Bears have been in the San Jacinto mountains since 2017. Given the intensity of last winter, and the additional wind and rain of Tropical Storm Hilary that passed directly over the San Jacinto mountains on 19th-20th August ( as described here), hikers should anticipate encountering treefall hazards, minor washouts and significant debris on trails, as summarized in Trail Conditions below.īe bear aware. The year had already seen the most water on the mountain since at least 1998 (following the great El Niño winter of 1997/98). ![]() Consequently there has been no need to report water details for specific locations this year. Water sources such as creeks, pipes, and springs are generally flowing remarkably well for the time of year, given the intensity of last winter, plus additional inputs from Tropical Storm Hilary in August, and the light rain and snow on 30th September (see example photos below). The minor snowfall on the afternoon of Saturday 30th September completely melted within days. Recent weather observations from San Jacinto Peak are given in the Weather section below. There is a slim possibility of light precipitation on Monday 23rd.ĭaily survey hikes in the San Jacinto mountains include several different routes to/from San Jacinto Peak multiple times per week, most recently on 11th, 17th, and 20th October, plus many other trails on intervening days. Current above average temperatures will continue until Friday 20th, before dropping markedly to near- or below-average next week (23rd-27th October at least). The pattern of temperatures that has characterized this October – fluctuating from a few days of summer-like warmth to almost wintery days and back again – is forecast to continue. ![]()
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