Crunching Snow Atop Mount San Jacinto State Park in California
Want to play in the snow without worrying about traffic jams and hassling with snow chains? At this 14,000-acre wilderness bordering Palm Springs, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway whisks you upward from the desert valley to a pristine mountain meadow, high up at an 8,500-foot elevation. A short but steep walkway leads downhill into Mount San Jacinto's deep forest of large pine trees, ringed by nature trails which are easy to hike. Bring your snow toys and prepare to play with kid-like abandon. Be sure to arrive before the excited crowds come up, so you can hear the powder crunching under your boots, and the "whumph" of snow-clumps falling off tree limbs.
Sometimes they fall slowly and silently, as if being careful not to be noticed or heard. Other times the winds will howl and they scatter about, whirling into every crevice and open space. And when the temperature and humidity are right, they'll cluster together into wide flakes and fall straight down. They are snowflakes, crystal six-sided hexagonal patterns of frozen water vapor, turning Mt. San Jacinto State Park into a winter paradise. At 8,500-ft elevation this mountain top towers over the desert lands of Palms Springs. Freezing wind currents and warmer updrafts mix the air patterns together, causing the formations of irregular rosettes, stellar dendrites, simple prisms, split plates, graupel, and large agglomerations. Whatever their structure, they catch the sun's rays and turn fields of snow into sparkling jewelry.
The freshly fallen snow looks solid enough to walk on. You want to walk to the top of that little incline, drop your plastic sled, and zip past everyone else who is trying to do the same. You're bundled up from the brisk cold weather and feel confident in traversing through the snow. Then you take that next step and quickly fall sideways or face first with a "whumph", getting covered with the clean white powder. But instead of being scared, you burst out laughing at yourself along with the other sledders. You're atop Mt. San Jacinto State Park's Mountain Station meadow, elevation 8,500-ft., overlooking Palm Springs. Cross country skiers and snow-shoers glide pass you, staying upright with their poles. But then they miss out on having crusted snow covering their parkas and smiling faces.
Want to play in the snow without worrying about traffic jams and hassling with snow chains? At this 14,000-acre wilderness bordering Palm Springs, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway whisks you upward from the desert valley to a pristine mountain meadow, high up at an 8,500-foot elevation. A short but steep walkway leads downhill into Mount San Jacinto's deep forest of large pine trees, ringed by nature trails which are easy to hike. Bring your snow toys and prepare to play with kid-like abandon. Be sure to arrive before the excited crowds come up, so you can hear the powder crunching under your boots, and the "whumph" of snow-clumps falling off tree limbs.
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