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Near
the summit of Mt. San Jacinto (10, 804 ft.)
with Mt. San Gorgonio (11,499 ft.) in the distance
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LOCATION:
In
Mount San Jacinto State Park and the San Jacinto Wilderness,
near Palm Springs, Ca.
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| DESCRIPTION
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reported
by Johnathan Behr
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John Muir once remarked
that the view he had from the top of Mount San Jacinto, was "one
of the most sublime spectacles seen anywhere on earth". That's
lavish praise from a man who knew the Sierra's like the back of
his hand and explored and climbed everything from the Tetons'
to Alaska's Brooks Range. The magic of the San Jacinto Mountains
is undeniable. They truly are the premiere alpine wilderness area
in Southern California, a Mecca for outdoor lovers. A fantastic
network of trails lace the range and the amazing Palm Springs
Aerial Tramway offers year-round access to the high country.
Perhaps, the most visually stunning excursion into the
San Jacintos' is to snowshoe to the namesake peak in the dead
of winter. This is an extremely popular trip with Southern California
mountain lovers. On a beautiful weekend just after a storm has
dumped, you can count on the tramway car to be loaded down with
snowshoers, cross-country skiers, backpackers and snowboarders.
Why, you might ask? The Tramway whisks the visitor up the steepest
mountain face in the lower 48 (10,000 feet of elevation gain in
less than 5 aerial miles from I-10 FWY to the summit!) in 15 minutes
and drops you off at the lofty altitude of 8,500 feet at the Mountain
Station with it's restaurant and gift shop.
From here, you get a great head start towards your goal
- a 2,300-foot snowshoe of majestic Mount San Jacinto! Along the
way, your hard work will be re-paid many times over by a variety
of scenic delights, which include the brilliant white expanse
of the Round Valley meadow, and the awe-inspiring 360-degree view
you obtain on the summit! Spreading out below you from the south
to the north going clockwise is the seemingly endless Mojave,
the Salton Sea, Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, the Santa
Rosa mountains, Mount Palomar, the lake dotted coastal plain,
the Pacific Ocean, the Santa Ana mountains, the vast inland empire,
Mount Baldy and the snow-capped San Bernadino mountains comprise
this unparalleled view of the Southern California landscape. |
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