From mile 2416 to 2429 going Sobo there’s no trail anymore. The erosion and land slides makes it hard to navigate through what there is left of this section. On the last 5 or 6 miles you’ll have to cross mission creek countless times to finally make it back to the trail.
There are at least 3 severe trail washouts between miles 195 and about 198. I did not take note of the exact mileage.
If you’re planning on skipping the northbound section from Highway74 and want to go directly go into the town of Idyllwild please read the following. Highway 74 and 243, beyond Herkey Creek Campground are extremely unsafe roads for hikers!
Either find a ride from Paradise Corner Cafe or start your re- route at Herkey Creek Campground, past Lake Hemet on Highway 74. At the back of the campground is an old roadbed the follows the creek, continue on the trail and you will see it go up towards the left. After another mile, it will bring you to May Valley Road which is dirt. Stay to the left in the fork of the road and continue approximately 3.5 miles until it brings you to Saunders Meadow Road. Go right on Saunders Meadow which will bring you into the town of Idyllwild.
There is steep, dangerous snow along the PCT on Mount San Jacinto, and in the mountains further north all the way to Canada.
If you don’t have previous steep snow experience, please seriously consider whether it’s a good idea for you to hike where snow is on the ground. Hikers in the past have died, and more have been seriously injured. There are many close calls on the trail in the area every year before the snow melts.
In 2020, Trevor Laher died after falling on snow during his thru-hike. Please read his father’s call for safety.
The specific snow and ice conditions change frequently. And people’s skill levels, equipment, fitness and risk tolerance also varies. Just because someone else did it, doesn’t mean you’ll be fine. Some PCT hikers are skilled mountaineers, some are beginner wilderness travelers.
Think conservatively and make sure you will be hiking in conditions comfortable for you.
Excerpt from our “When to hike the PCT” page:
“Don’t be fooled by “the desert.” The PCT often crosses high, seasonally snow-covered mountains in Southern California. You’ll pass ski resorts. Between each mountain range, the trail drops to low elevations and is usually snow-free. Higher elevations typically become snow-covered in the winter, possibly by late October or November, but sometimes not until January. Snow can remain an obstacle into early May, and new snow has been known to fall on Memorial Day weekend. Winter snow is usually deepest in the San Jacinto mountains above Idyllwild (widely, but especially Apache Peak, Antsell Rock, and Fuller Ridge), the San Bernardino mountains above Big Bear (especially south of Coon Creek Jumpoff), and the San Gabriel mountains along the Angeles Crest Highway near Wrightwood (especially on Mount Baden-Powell). At the southern end, Mount Laguna above San Diego gets periodic winter snow. On the northern end, the Piute Mountains between Tehachapi and Walker Pass can regularly be snow covered.”
A rockslide has been cleared from near mile 172.5 but the trail is still very narrow and equestrians should avoid this section.
Northbound travelers can exit via the Spitler Trail near mile 168.5 and take that west down the mountain to the trailhead and then walk Apple Canyon Road to the highway in order to exit. Equestrians and cautious hikers who are heading northbound should consider exiting the PCT via the Cedar Spring Trail (~mile 162.5) down to Morris Ranch Road.
For more, check with the San Jacinto Ranger District of San Bernardino National Forest.
Lots of fallen trees in this stretch of trail, including a particularly huge one just north of the boulder blast site from last summer.