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So Cal Hikers – San Jacinto Update
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Jan 23, 2010 at 10:24 am #1254402
5 feet of fresh powder this week at the tram station. Clear skies until Wednesday. Tram station weather for today (01-23-2010): H = 24F; L = 16F. Keep in mind that with all the storms, wind could be a factor. There was probably 2 feet of snow already on the ground at the tram. Deeper as you gain altitude.
Picture from my house this morning.Unfortunately I have to repair a couple leaks in our roof this weekend (4.5" of rain this week vs 5" annual average). Last year we only had 1.95" of rain.
Next week I will be in my corporate office in Warren, MI so it will be another couple weeks or so before I can get out.
Jan 23, 2010 at 1:14 pm #1565571Thanks for the update, Nick. I'm probably going to head north to Mt. Pinos for a little snowshoeing tomorrow A.M.
HJ
Jan 23, 2010 at 1:44 pm #1565583I am heading for San Bernardino Peak tomorrow morning from the Angelus Oaks trail head. Can't wait.
Jan 23, 2010 at 1:51 pm #1565585The three potential companions for a snowshoe trek yesterday had life get in the way, so I bailed as well.
Tomorrow my 9 year old daughter and I are going to do some snowshoeing near Mt. Baldy. Trying to figure out how early we need to arrive to get a parking spot and not get stuck in a traffic jam.
Photos from yesterday indicate about 4 feet of fresh snow where we only saw 4 inches last month.
Jan 25, 2010 at 7:01 am #1566039everytime i've showed up to mt baldy around 6am, Ive been able to find parking near the trailhead, this was during fall and summer hours though, so you can probably show up even later, as winter draws less visitors
Jan 25, 2010 at 8:15 am #1566056Since this was LA's biggest snowfall in 20 years, and since Angeles Crest and all roads to Big Bear were closed- lots of folks headed up to Baldy yesterday.
We left Long Beach at 7:00 and hit slow traffic a couple times. Once at the Mt. Baldy/Mountain junction where CHP was directing traffic and letting people know that chains are needed ahead. Then again in the village where it got icy and the moronic driving public decided to apply their tire chains in very middle of the road.
Once we got past that it was smooth sailing for Subaru #3. We found plenty of parking near the Falls Road trailhead. Temp in the shade seemed to be around 20F, but once we got into the sunshine it quickly warmed up to baselayers only.
Lots of fun in good deep snow. 9 year old daughter got her first taste of "real" snowshoeing. Between switchbacks on the fire road we practiced traversing, descending, and ascending some very steep slopes! Found a little instability as the top 6" was easy to knock loose.
We only made it a mile up Falls Road to the Ski Hut junction, but I think that's pretty good for a kid!
Jan 25, 2010 at 10:52 am #1566092Cal Trans had route 38 closed to all but residents this weekend. I am driving a full sized 4wd truck and I have chains and even with this they would not let me in. Easy solution though… Myy friend from Angeles Oaks came down with his wife. She jumped in with us in my truck so we could get through with her ID.
We were just going to Angelus Oaks so I can't comment on the road conditions past there but there was virtually no snow on the road up to that point. I think it is just another case where our government thinks they need to take care of us.
With all the delay it was past noon when we hit the trail. We got in about 3 miles and maybe a 1500 ft climb. The snow was ridiculous. I was sinking in 8 inches even with the snow shoes on. A great day had by all though.
Jan 25, 2010 at 11:28 am #1566104It's the north-facing hill down from Angeles Oaks that they were probably reacting to. Based on the yahoos on the road to Mt. Baldy yesterday I don't think it's possible to over-react to the idiocy of LA drivers in the snow.
If the predicted storm blows in tomorrow and drops some more snow I'm sorely tempted to take a vacation day Wednesday or Thursday. My AT skis haven't seen the light of day in 15 years but isn't it like riding a bike?
Jan 25, 2010 at 4:14 pm #1566184Looks like rain up till 7,000 ft. plus. This will put a damper on the new snow. I'm still waiting to use my season pass at Mt. Waterman. Still be best of the locals but the Station Fire has really messed the back country. No access.
Jan 25, 2010 at 4:23 pm #1566189>Cal Trans had route 38 closed to all but residents this weekend.
Similar story in the Mt. Pinos area yesterday (near Frazier Park, just off the "grapevine" portion of I-5), BUT the CHP doesn't normally start shutting down the roads until about 8:30 or 9:00 A.M. If you can get there before 8:30, you typically don't get turned away. I had a great day yesterday on Frazier Peak. Maybe I'll post a few photos later …
HJ
P.S. Excellent trick on the Angeles Oaks thing!
Jan 26, 2010 at 11:02 am #1566401Hi Jim,
Thanks for the tip. Next time I'll get out there at the crack of dawn. I understand keeping people out of the danger areas who don't have the proper driving equip. but why stop someone with a 4wd full size truck and chains?
Larry
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