| Peak | San Jacinto |
|---|---|
| Group | N/A |
| Trailhead | Humber Park |
The original purpose of my hike was to train at altitude and temperature in preparation for my Grand Canyon hikes next week. I planned to climb to 9500 ft. The early morning drive from the coast started with intermittent showers that turned into thick fog (really low clouds) as I drove up into Idyllwild. I was prepared with rain gear. Fortunately, the drive up to Humber Park trailhead cleared the clouds The weather above the clouds was cool, clear, with little wind the entire hike – perfect hiking conditions. At ~ 9000 ft intermittent mounds of snow blocked the trail requiring some care in crossing. A hiker coming down from the peak assured me the conditions were no worse all the way to the peak. So at Wellman Divide I decided to climb the additional 800 ft elevation and book my San Jacinto peak now rather than wait until summer. Snow hid the trail under the tree canopies and the last 200 yards to the peak, but previous hiker treks led the way. A pleasant surprise was meeting and talking with 10-15 PCT hikers that were taking the diversion to the peak. A pleasant and rewarding hike.
