Snow Treks

3/25/21  A quick trip up Ski Hut in the snow, trying to get up and down before a storm rolled-in. The forecast said wind advisory with 45-50mph winds on the summit and temperatures dropping to 5deg F. And the forecast was correct!

2/4/21  Part way up Bear Canyon the week after a big snow storm. Beautiful weather, but it was waist deep postholing by 9,000', and I had to turnaround early. Brutal workout! Next time I'll bring the snowshoes.

4/15/20  Part way up the Vivian Creek trail on San Gorgonio the week after a heavy snow. Tough snow conditions on an otherwise beautiful day, made for a grueling adventure. Thigh-high postholing at 9,000' eventually forced my turnaround.

11/22/19  Another trip up Bear Canyon, this time with my Dad shortly after the first snow of the season. Perfect weather, great views, and just the right amount of snow to make for a nice, relaxing snow trek.

2/11/19  Finally, a wet winter! Which made for a rare chance to see over 4 feet of snow on the Bear Canyon trail. It was a beautifully clear day with tons of fresh powder and just enough humans to break the trail for me. I made it up to about 8,500' feet, and then back down in time to get the kids.

3/5/17  A quick trip part of the way up Mt. Baldy via the Baldy (Bear Canyon) trail. It was howling winds with sub zero temps and everything from rain to sleet to snow to horizontal blasting hail. A perfect snow day!

2/2/16  A rare snow storm amidst a few years of drought meant a chance for snow trekking that I couldn't pass-up. This time a quick San Jacinto summit from Long Valley. A fun, but cold, day.

3/27/12  Another Spring storm meant one last chance to head for the snow in what had otherwise been a very dry season. This time my Dad joined me a couple days after the storm for a return trip to Long Valley.

3/18/12  An unusually cold mid-March snow storm meant record low snow levels for this time of year and great snow conditions. So I decided to take the tram up to Long Valley and do some snowshoeing towards the San Jacinto summit.

3/13/11  After a successful exploratory trip a month earlier, it was time to summit Mt. San Gorgonio by myself in the snow. About 17 miles and over 6000' of gain up the Vivian Creek trail with some amazing views from the top.

2/13/11  Having summitted San Jacinto and Mt. Baldy in the snow in 2010, I had made it a goal to solo summit San Gorgonio in the snow during the winter of 2011. This was an exploratory trip as the first step towards reaching that goal.

4/2/10  Third time is a charm! On the third attempt, I'm finally able to summit Mt. Baldy in the snow. Over 15 hours of trekking, 3 hours in complete darkness, 18 miles total, over 7200' elevation gain, -4 degrees Fahrenheit on top, and not done until after 10:30pm. What a day.

2/27/10  Back to Icehouse Canyon, only this time with company. My Dad joined me for 2700' of elevation gain in about 8 miles, in rain then heavy snow, with temperatures down to 19 degrees. Another fun day!

2/14/10  Another brutally tough, but fun, day in the snow. This time on the front-side of Mt. Baldy. Almost 14 miles and over 5000' of elevation gain. This time I actually saw a human though.

1/31/10  Another full day in the snow without seeing a single human being, only this time on snowshoes! Almost 14 miles, 5200' elevation gain, in 5 feet of fresh powder. Unquestionably one of the hardest workouts I have ever done.

12/19/09  19 miles, 6000ft. elevation gain, 80% of the trail covered in snow and ice, the last couple miles in complete darkness, not a single human. Another fun day!

11/28/09  A snowy hike to the top of Pine Mtn below Mt. Baldy. 14 miles, 5000' elevation gain, 18 degrees Fahrenheit, low visibility, heavy snow, the only human around. Awesome!