We took an unplanned zero in Idyllwild to wait out a snowstorm. The mountain got a few inches of snow up high, but it didn’t cause too many problems. A small patch of snow around mile 170, and a bit of snow just before dropping down into Cabazon and I-10. San Jacinto was pretty cold – camping at 9000 feet with snow surrounding the only clear spot was a cold night. Sunfish, one of my trail family had a smart idea to pack out a few hand warmers from Idyllwild. One of them in the sleeping bag made a big difference.
The trail also has begun to seem more crowded. Some tent sites are filling up early around 4 pm, and some folks that roll in late have to keep on pushing on, even if they don’t want to. We try to make room where we can, but when the tent sites in a saddle or on the side of the mountain, sometimes there’s no other options. It’s been a big change from the PNT, where solo camping is the norm.
On one hand, I want to keep using the “established” tent sites to concentrate the camping impact – but on the other hand, there’s just so many people up there that choosing a site less traveled is a lot nicer.
The wind has also been rough to deal with at times. Some days are calm, but others blow so hard it can be hard to walk. Choosing a camp and sleeping site can be tricky when the wind is blowing hard. If we’re lucky, it’ll die down as the night falls.
Going from Cabazon to Big Bear was pretty nice, except for the wind and heat the first day. Water was excellent and abundant going up mission creek, and the the terrain was mellower than going up and over San Jacinto. I’m also starting to feel like I’m getting my trail legs, which is a great feeling.
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