Great Outdoors Orange County/Long Beach presents
Mount San Jacinto
Day Hike
June 30, 2019, 8:00 AM
Contact: Lance Whitmier. E-mail: LanceLyleWayne@gmail.com. Phone: 657-250-5466
This is an excellent day hike that gets you away from the Summer heat and turmoil of the Long Beach/Orange County metropolis. We will take the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway from the desert up into the San Jacinto Wilderness.
From the tram station, we will have a steep descent down to reach the trail to the top of the mountain. For about the first two miles, we will hike through a beautiful evergreen forest, passing through Round Valley.
We then begin an ascent to the Wellman Divide, which is a good spot for a rest and snack because of its great views.
We begin a long uphill traverse toward the peak. Although we will still be in the forest, it thins as we ascend. Thus, we will have increasingly great views of the desert beneath us. Just before the summit, we will come to a stone cabin. From there, we have about 100 yards of scrambling to reach the top. After lunch, we will return by the same route.
Plan to meet at the tram ticket counter by 8am! Parking is $8.00 per car. Tickets are $25.95 for adults or $23.95 for 65+ (subject to change). Getting to the tram: From Interstate 10, take the Palm Springs Exit (Highway 111) and drive 9 miles to Tramway road. Turn right and follow the road 3.5 miles to its end at the Tramway parking lot. The tram takes us from Palm Springs to the 8,500 feet of altitude.
The summit is at 10,833 feet, giving us a gain/loss of 2,333 feet. The round trip is about 11 miles of hiking.
You should bring your ten essentials (listed here), a day pack, water (2 liters), trekking poles, sunscreen, hat, trail snacks, lunch, and plan on wearing hiking boots or hiking shoes (preferably waterproof), as well as cold weather clothing. Carpooling is recommended to help reduce gas cost and parking. There is NO FEE for this trip.
