SoCal December 2027
Looking to do a NoBo hike this summer, but due to school constraints I won’t be able to start until June 15. I have most of December off, and am toying with the idea of knocking out as much of the desert as possible then. I understand that essentially Jacinto to Agua Dulce is considered a no-go in winter, but I am very fit and fairly confident in snow travel (Whitney MR in early spring, Shasta in winter, winter backpacking in lower sierras, etc). Is trucking straight through with winter gear for miles 0-560 a viable strategy, or would I be better off dealing with the headaches of hitchhiking between the lower basins this winter and then the mountains during my hike this summer, rather than just splitting things in two? Thank you for your advice and time.