Jan 28-29 Troop Palm Spring backpack swnow camp, in planing stage. One night
Ride to the Camp in the Palm Spring Tram Cable Cars to the mountain top, then hike about 2.1 miles to Little Round campground.
Round Valley campground. Elev. 9,100 ft. 2.1 miles one way, 28 campsites, water, pit toilets.
Mountain Station to Round Valley is 4.2 miles round trip with 600-foot elevation gain.
The San Jacinto Mountain range is one of those magical places that lures hikers back year after year. Hikers enjoy the contrasts this range offers—the feeling of hiking in Switzerland while gazing down at the Sahara.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway makes it easy for hikers to enter Mount San Jacinto State Wilderness. Starting in Chino Canyon near Palm Springs, a modern tram takes hikers from 2,643-foot the lower Tramway Terminal - Valley Station to the Mountain Station at, the 8,516-foot, upper tramway terminal at the edge of the wilderness.
From http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25176
Mt. San Jacinto State Park
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Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
Hearty and seasoned campers can enjoy a unique experience if they choose to camp at the top of the Tram. During the winter, the brisk temperatures and the quiet that only snow can bring will offer campers one of those experiences that will long be remembered. A permit is required and can be obtained in person at the Long Valley Ranger Station or in writing. Don't miss this unique opportunity to camp out at the top of the Tram. At an elevation of 8,516 feet snow camping is at its best in the San Jacinto mountains and the view of Palm Springs and all the communities in the Coachella Valley can¹t be beat.
The State Park will charge $5 per person for camping permits. There
is no fee for day hiking permits at this time. For more information please
call (951) 659-2607
Tram Ride info:
http://www.pstramway.com/group-sales.html
Reservations
Two-week advance reservations are required for any group. In order to obtain a group rate, one person must purchase all the tickets at the time the group arrives and the group must all go up together. No group reservations accepted on holidays after 10 a.m. Please call for holiday schedule.
For further information, please call our sales department at
(760) 325-1449 or e-mail groupsales@pstramway.com.
One person Tram Prices (not Group)
Adults $23.95
Children $16.95 (ages 3-12)
Seniors $21.95 (62+)
Method of Payment
The following forms of payment are accepted: cash, credit card, cashier's check or money order. Personal checks are NOT accepted. Company checks are accepted if previous arrangements and requirements are made.
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Wilderness Permit Information Note: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=636
Groups must be limited to 15 people
From http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25176
Mt. San Jacinto State Park
The meadows and High Sierra-like scenery can be glimpsed on a moderate hike to Round Valley; the ascent through the lodgepole pine forest to the top of Mt. San Jacinto is absolutely splendid, as are the views from the peak.
Directions to trailhead: From Interstate 10, exit on California Hwy 111 (the road to Palm Springs). Proceed nine miles to Tramway Road, turn right, and follow the road 3.5 miles to its end at Valley Station. Contact the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway of?ce for information about prices and schedules.
The hike: From Mountain Station, walk down the cement walkway through the Long Valley Picnic Area to the Long Valley Ranger Station. Obtain a day use wilderness permit here.
Continue west on the trail, following the signs to Round Valley. The trail parallels Long Valley Creek through a mixed forest of pine and white ?r, then climbs into lodgepole pine country. Lupine, monkey?ower, scarlet bugler and Indian paintbrush are some of the wild?owers that add seasonal splashes of color.
After passing a junction with a trail leading toward Willow Creek, another 0.3 mile of hiking brings you to Round Valley. There’s a primitive campground and a backcountry ranger station in the valley, and splendid places to picnic near the meadow or among the towering pines.
An alternative to returning the same way is to retrace your steps 0.3 mile back to the junction with the Willow Creek Trail, take this trail a mile through the pines to another signed trail north back to Long Valley Ranger Station. This alternative route adds only about a 0.25 mile to your day hike, and allows you to make a loop.
To Mount San Jacinto Peak: From Round Valley, peak-bound hikers follow the sign for Wellman Divide Junction. From the Divide, a trail leads down to Humber Park. At the divide, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of Tahquitz Peak and Red Tahquitz, as well as the more-distant Toro Peak and Santa Rosa Mountain. You continue toward the peak on some vigorous switchbacks. The lodgepole pines grow sparse among the crumbly granite. At another junction, a half mile from the top, the trail continues to Little Round Valley but you take the summit trail to the peak. Soon you arrive at a stone shelter—an example of Civilian Conservation Corps handiwork during the 1930s—built for mountaineers who have the misfortune to be caught in winter storms. From the stone hut, you boulder-hop to the top of the peak.
The view from the summit—San Gorgonio Pass, the shimmering Paci?c, the Colorado Desert, distant Mexico—has struck some visitors speechless, while other have been unable to control their superlatives. Helen Hunt Jackson’s heroine Ramona found “a remoteness from earth which comes only on mountain heights,” and John Muir found the view “the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth!”