May 29, 2021 Tom Boylan, Mike Harris, and I started out in Idyllwild at 5,400 feet and made the challenging hike to the top of Mt. San Jacinto at 10,834 feet, then back to Idyllwild as a 19.4 mile day hike.
The Deer Springs Trail we took typically requires 4 liters of water. Moving all 4 liters (8.8 lbs) to a couple of water belts around the waist is much easier than having the weight of 4 liters in a backpack. Each water belt can carry 2 liters. They are worn one facing forward and one facing backward. The hips and legs have to carry all the weight anyway, might as well eliminate 8.8 lbs from pressure on the spine in the backpack and put the weight directly on hips. We came across a stone cabin located near the top. The cabin is always open as a rescue shelter for unexpected winter storms. Just a tourist attraction in the summer.
View at the top is spectacular! On a clear day a hiker can see the top of Mt. Charleston near Las Vegas, look down at Palm Springs, and out over the Pacific Ocean.
Naturalist John Muir wrote of San Jacinto Peak, "The view from San Jacinto is the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth!"
The account of Muir visiting Mt. San Jacinto appeared first in Frederick, K. P. (1926) Legends and History of the San Jacinto Mountains. Long Beach, CA.
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Scenic views from the Deer Springs Trail |
| Scenic views from the Deer Springs Trail |  |
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Mileage, direction sign and patches of snow. 9.2 miles up from the Deer Springs Trail Head |
| Winter stone cabin for emergency shelter |  |
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At the top of Mt. San Jacinto 10,834 ft |
