Wow, that trip up Cactus to Clouds to the Palm Springs tram was a hike! It’s always
Hand of San Jacinto
tough but it bad weather it’s even more interesting.
Going up from the desert floor carrying a 45 pound pack meant that I was going to be pushing it the whole way. And for the most part it wasn’t too bad. A couple of salt pill shots (4 in total) to make it to the top of the shelf where the tram is. That’s over 9 hours of hauling hard.
For the first 3,000′, sweat was pouring off of me. The next 3,000′ I was sweaty and rained on. Then the snow started, as expected. And for the rest of the way, it was dark with wind driven snow in the face. Thank goodness for ice axe, crampons and headlamps. Can’t complain!
Once I got to the shelf where the tram is, the snow was blowing horizontal and it was pitch dark. I wasn’t making the peak today. So, I used the backup plan of going over to the tram and catching a ride down. A nice couple befriended me, or I rather them, and they were kind enough to give me a ride down to the museum.
In the end, everything was wet. Either from wet snow, me sweating or a combination of that and rain. Even though eVent material is very good, if I’m soaking my clothing, I don’t think there’s any fabric in the world that will help. My down jacket was half-wet. For this, I needed to use my synthetic pull-overs. Next time!