Hi folks, I'll be visiting Palm Springs this weekend, and was seriously considering the C2C/San Jacinto hike.
I still have a bit of research to do, but wanted to get a quick feel for the state of the trail:

Snow, Ice? Will I need full technical gear - crampons/ice axe, or will microspikes be sufficient?

Will I still be able to get water near the tram station on the way up?

San Jacinto Peak conditions? Will I need flotation? Any avy danger?

Also, what are the temps at the top of the peak generally?

I have done a fair bit of hiking in the Colorado Rockies. I have never climbed any peaks in California, though, so I'm totally unaware of what to expect, especially in mid Dec.

Lastly, if anyone has GPS tracks for the hike, I'd appreciate it!
Thanks,

Looking at this, I'm not seeing any snow up there at present. That site isn't 100% accurate, but it's generally a pretty good benchmark. I'd bring microspikes, leave the rest unless the area gets any new precip this week. Looks like there's a chance for snowfall in a few days, but fairly minimal accumulation, so if that's the case my recommendation stands.

This should give you a good idea of temps at the summit. Generally, expect 10 degrees of change for every 3000' of elevation gained, same as CO.

Can't really help with the rest. Good luck!

LTS,

I reccomend you check out this site:
http://www.mtsanjacinto.info/viewforum. ... 137da57866

It's all about San Jacinto and there are several friendly, regular locals on this site who will let you know about current conditions and probably answer most of your questions.

Cheers, -Rick