Kris,
One other area Lauren and I were planning to explore was Idylwild. We were looking to combine a drive from Palm Springs, lunch, sightseeing and a short hike. Might be worth considering. Perhaps Kevin R. or someone familiar with Idylwild could add comments.
Here is one link. Google will get you more:
http://www.idyllwildchamber.com/
Marty
I'm not familiar with Idyllwild per se as exploring in that area is a helleva long daytrip when there's so much exploring available further north where I live. Having said that - I have been on San Jacinto a couple of times from the Palm Springs side (rather than Idyllwild), once in winter and once in summer, and it presents some rather different views. Mid-march is probably a bit too early to climb it all the way from Palm Springs (this is one of those epic "Cactus to Clouds" hikes for the insane - something like 11K' of vertical in a day). Here's the deal with San Jacinto - there's a tram that will take you up to 8K, and from there you can hike to the summit at 11K, and it's about an 11 miler, RT. In mid-March you probably won't need snowshoes, but I'd carry some crampons just in case. A permit is required, but they're self-issuing at the Ranger station located just beyond the tram station. Do take a map as the trail(s) are confusing due to the number of tram tourists creating winter trails to nowhere. The tram ticket is about $20, round trip. And yes, it's kinda weird taking a tram up to 8K, then hiking up to 11K, then taking a tram back down from 8K, but this is LaLa Land, the home of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, and you can see their homes on the bus tour. Somehow it seems to fit.
Here's the deal with hiking all the way from the bottom (about 200' elevation) - it's usually done via a well-defined use trail beginning at the Museum in the pre-dawn hours (it's pretty hot there during the day in the lower elevations). However, once the snows begin (and they have) there's usually snow above 7K', and it can get pretty tricky in the 500' below the tram. More than one skilled person has died in that section as there's a steep chute, and if you slip and are not roped in - let's just say it's a Class 5 section in winter. Usually by late April the snow on the "trail" (it's not an officially maintained trail) is gone, and the last bit is simply a steep dirt climb - no big deal. Once people reach the tram they take it back to the bottom (after all, they have climbed 8K') but a few continue on to the summit, then back to tram for the ride down. It's rather unusual for anyone to go from bottom to top and return in a day, but it's been done. And, keep in mind that if you start at the Museum you'll need to hire a taxi from the tram base. On a weekend there are often others doing it so you split the fare.
Certainly not your run-of-the-mill NH White Mtn hike, but hey - this is the place where Sonny Bono was mayor.
. I had big plans for hitting the Santa Rosa Mountains, near La Quinta, CA.
