On a late october night in the San Jacinto Mountains it snowed. I woke up and saw the mountain blanketed. I immediately knew I was going to take the tram up and hike over to Idyllwild. Being a mostly desert hiker I didn't have my winter clothes ready so after searching for all my warm gear I suited up in layers and headed out.
To my amazement the first tram up had few people and to further amazement no one was hiking up the mountain. I had the place to myself. Mine were the only tracks in the fresh snow. I was thrilled.
I didn't have any idea how much snow I would encounter but I was expecting maybe a foot at most. The snow on the ground was very light and with just several inches hiking was a breeze. As I dropped over Wellman's Divide at 9500 feet and continued down the west side a wondrous transformation happened. The snow in the trees was frozen solid. It was a truly magical sight. Every tree was perfectly flocked and as I brushed against the trees the snow stayed in place like plaster. The snow on the ground was still light and fluffy. I was in this wonderland for several miles and couldn't take enough photos.
I suspect this is a once in a lifetime experience and I'm sorry I was alone. The experience would have been accentuated 100 fold if it had been shared. When I look back on these photos I still get a great sense of awe. It was an unforgettable day.
