A Visit To Mount San Jacinto

At the moment, it seems that most of the US is covered in snow, with cold, icy conditions. Rather than being a jerk and boasting about the weather here on the desert floor of Palm Springs, I thought I'd take you 10,000 feet above sea level, up to the top of the San Jacinto Mountain. A quick ride up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway brings one to another climate, just overlooking the desert floor. Welcome to Mount San Jacinto State Park.

Here, the temperatures are usually between 30 and 40 degrees cooler than the desert floor below. During the summer months when it is 100 degrees (or more) the tram offers an easy escape to cooler temperatures. During the winter months, the top of the mountain receives a healthy share of snow. Being an east-coaster by birth, at times I miss the snow, so its a real treat to walk in the snow even if just for a short while. Last week while up at the top of the tram, someone in my group (who is a native Southern Californian) had never seen or touched snow before. She was thrilled to make a snowball for the first time.

People don't often associate snow with Palm Springs, but I assure you we have it- several feet in fact. Its just 10,000 feet above where I live everyday. Most of the time I just look at the snow capped mountain from my back yard while I sip my cawfee in the morning. As a side note, this photo (above left) is of the desert floor, looking back down onto Palm Springs while at the top of the mountain.

This photo at left is while up on top of Mount San Jacinto along the hiking trails. Nature offers such beautiful scenery, all we need to do is take the time to appreciate it. People often ask me what I like best about living in Palm Springs. My answer is always the same- the incredible beauty of nature. This is probably not the perspective of Palm Springs one might expect to see here on this blog, but it is very real. It is also my own little way of showing empathy for the rest of the country dealing with the snow. Hang in there! And if you really can't take it anymore and just need a break, come visit us in Palm Springs.
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