4th Leg-Idyllwild to Cabazon, 58 Miles

On this leg, we passed through the San Jacinto Mountain Wilderness. The San Jacintos are a small range in southern California that stretch for about 30 miles. The range features one of the most abrupt changes in altitude in North America, rising 7,000 ft to above 10,000 in elevation in only a few miles. Known to be hazardous in the early hiking season the San Jacintos lived up to their reputation.
Many thru hikers that we met skipped this section completely due to its abrupt changes from prior sections, requiring different gear suitable for snow traverses, often on inclines. Though we were delayed due to the challenges we faced going through the San Jacintos, we are grateful that we passed through them. Here we had our most awe inspiring views, and great training for what lies ahead.

Day 14, Idyllwild to San Jacinto Wilderness, 8.5 Miles

We returned to the trail rested and with new, warmer gear ready for what lies ahead. I finally got a replacement for my sleeping pad, and invested in a 2 oz hiking pillow. Both are truly game changers.
Once back on trail, we immediately began ascending in altitude, starting from 5,000 ft to camping this evening at 6,300 ft. From the terrain we see currently, it is difficult to believe that in a few miles, we will be above 8,000 ft and walking through snow.

Day 15, In the San Jacinto Wilderness to Apache Spring, 10.5 Miles Entirely Uphill

Let me say that the San Jacintos certainly live up to their reputation. I do not think that we took a step today that was not uphill. By the day’s end, we reached 7,500 ft in altitude and snow had begun to accumulate. Due to their unique topography in California, snow often doesn’t melt completely until June in this range.
Typically in March, this snow would be deep, fresh and hard, all good things to pass over it, rather than postholing through it. However, due to climate change, there is no longer a normal snow year. The ranger who gives regular reports on trail conditions noted that though we were in March, snow was melting at a rate more typical of June.

This can be very hazardous, as soft snow doesn’t hold one’s weight and you can slide in such terrain.

Taking note of this, we carried extra gear in this stretch to make these conditions safer. Namely, microspikes and an ice axe. Microspikes attach to the bottoms of your shoes to give additional traction on ice, and an ice axe can save your life if you have a bad fall. The axe allows one to self arrest, or stop a potentially fatal fall by having the axe strike into the snow on the mountain.

Tomorrow, we will be getting up at first light to cross the most historically hazardous portion of this section the Pacific Crest Trail. This section is known as Apache Peak. The trail here is on a steep incline covered in snow. For the safest conditions, we want to hit snow when it is hardest, just after it refreezes overnight and before being softened by the day’s sunlight.

We camped tonight on the side of a mountain near a natural spring. The desert city of Palm Springs glittered in the night below us.

Day 16, Apache Spring to Red Tahquitz, 8 Miles

Waking up, we quickly crossed Apache Peak. The incline and snow here were unsettling. I am very glad that we hit this section as the snow was hardest. This day had several marked hazards, as we also had to cross a section of trail where a rockslide had occurred. Here, a rope and other hikers helped us pass over a very sharp fall.

After this rockslide, it was an additional several miles trekking through soft snow. As we got above 7,000 ft, we were both beginning to feel the altitude along with the strenuous uphill hiking. We camped on a beautiful slope that was free of snow. It was a clear night, and there is nothing like being at high altitude under a blanket of stars.

Day 17, Red Tahquitz to Mt. San Jacinto, 8 Miles

Woke up at our campsite above 8,000 ft, and we both began to feel exhausted by the altitude. After a 2 mile trek through soft snow, I had to take a long break so I could adjust! We had made it to the base of our goal: Mt. San Jacinto. 10,800 ft, the second highest mountain in Southern California and the highest altitude we will reach until the Sierra Nevadas along the John Muir Trail.
Because of the rest we took, we hit the trail to the summit late in the afternoon. Due to this, it was 3 miles up to summit on soft snow. We went on, and it could not have been more than 2000 ft from the summit, and we had to turn back. Every step, we postholed to our waists through the snow. We had to excavate Mary’s shoe 3 times from the deep ice. I assure you, this was the worst archaelogy I have ever done.

We descended the mountain as the sun was setting and, resolved to summit early next morning. Overcome with exhaustion, we settled for our worst campsite yet: an incline on the side of the mountain. At 9,500 ft, it was windy, it was cold, and the ground was soft. It would not be a sound night.

Day 18, Mt. San Jacinto to Idyllwild, 5 Miles

We woke up to both of our tents collapsed from the wind. Mary’s tent had managed to roll 10 ft down the incline by morning, with her in it.
Exhausted, altitude sick, and with one of our tents upside down, we set out to descend the mountain and recuperate in Idyllwild, determined to try again after a rest.

On our way down, we saw Tahquitz Rock, a legendary climbing area. This is where the Yosemite Grade System was codified. My rock climbing friends will recognize this system as something like 5.10c.

Day 19 Idyllwild to Base of Mt. San Jacinto, 4 Miles

Rested and resupplied, we returned to the trail the next day. Ascending back to 9,000 ft, we found a far better campsite and went to sleep before sunset so we can wake up well before sunrise. We would not make the same mistake of hiking on soft snow again.

Day 20, Summiting Mt. San Jacinto to Fuller Ridge Campground, 11 Miles

Waking at 5 am, we began our hike to the summit. This time, the altitude does not hit us until we are near the summit of the mountain, at 10,800 ft. 3 miles in, we reached the top at 9 in the morning on a beautiful clear day and saw everything in the valleys surrounding us. Though it took longer than expected, it was worth it for this view.

After a few minutes withstanding a windchill below freezing and thin air, we rested for a while inside the storm hut present on the mountain. Due to its unique geography, and dramatic topography relative to the areas surrounding, the San Jacintos are known to have spontaneous storms roll through, even in odd times of the year. On our descent, we found our trials in the snow were ending, but definitely not over.

Making it to tonight’s campsite, we had to trek through one of the more infamous sections in the area, which often features deep snow well into June. Our final trial in the cold for this section was 3 miles of deep, soft, slippery snow. I think that I must have fallen on the snow about 50 times in a single day.

Though this was very frustrating, I think that I learned a great deal about traversing snow from my lessons in the San Jacintos.

After those difficult 3 miles, we reached one of our best, and most eerie campsites yet: a large abandoned campground that had not seen use in well over a year. Covid had shut down a great many things, and prevented maintenance of the campsite, as well as the trails surrounding.

Exhausted, we found this site gave us our best night of sleep we have found on the trail. Quite a change from the next day.

Day 21 Fuller Ridge Campground to Cabazon via I-10, 19.5 Miles

Descending from Fuller Ridge, we found ourselves leaving the mountains as quickly as we had entered them, soon reaching our lowest elevation by far. In a single day, we lost 6,000 ft of elevation, finding ourselves at 1,500 ft near the desert town of Cabazon.

This was our first true view of real, low elevation desert. This was a valley surrounded by two rain shadows, the San Jacinto and San Gorgonio mountains. These two ranges comprise the highest elevations found in Southern California.

Due to the intense heat and winds found here, this area featured a solar and wind farm. Consequently to those two factors, we found only a single species of scrub brush could grow in the area. This was truly the driest place I had ever found myself in. Such a dramatic change from our conditions just yesterday.

Having a resupply box waiting for us, we were forced to camp in the worst site I hope we ever find: in a windy, rocky outcropping surrounded by the noise and pollution of a busy corridor along I-10.

Well, at least Cabazon has Chipotle.

Total Miles: 209.5