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April 8, 2023
With the amazing snow year we had, I was excited to climb another route on San Jacinto's North Face. This would be my third unique route on the North Face after Folly Ridge and Snow Creek. Kristen's Cleavage, as it's locally known, is a solitary couloir which branches off the left side of Snow Creek and ends below Kristen Peak. This was one of many prominent features I had stared at for years with a note to climb it when conditions were right. We ended up finding great plunge stepping snow in the lower half of the couloir and knee-deep postholing in the upper half. The weather was warm and very comfortable.
Routes climbed
| Name | Grade (YDS) | Max snow angle | Quality (1-5) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kristen's Cleavage | class 4 | 45 degrees | 5 | alpine/snow |
Peaks climbed
| Peak | Elevation | Topographic Prominence | Summit Coordinates (lat/lon) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kristen Peak | 9,204 ft | 40 ft | 33.82494, -116.67092 |
| San Jacinto Peak | 10,804 ft | 8,299 ft | 33.81467, -116.67946 |
Total Stats
10.5 miles
10,750 ft/3,400 ft gain/loss
Jeff, Toshi, and I started off around 4am, parking at a substation along Snow Creek Rd. We made a beeline southeast to the base of Blaidsell Ridge, then ascended steeply up the ridge on sandy terrain up to spot elevation 4340 before traversing south along brushy hillsides towards The Isthmus. There were numerous blooms of purple verbena flowers with their fragrance filling the air.
It was surprisingly easy crossing Falls Creek despite the high snow year. We were easily able to boulder hop across it without getting our feet wet. The usual bushwhacking ensued as we continued southwest up to The Isthmus and then down towards the Snow Creek drainage. We weren't in Snow Creek for long, as soon the narrow canyon which marked the start of Kristen's could be seen branching away to the left (southeast).
The initial several hundred feet of Kristen's was chocked full of waterfalls and steep impasses. It was possible to bypass these to the right (west) by scrambling up a series of dirty class 4 ledges and bushwhacking through scrub oak. In all this took about 20 minutes, and we dubbed it "The Side Boob Bypass."
After the bypass, we easily descended back into the main gully which was now low angle and filled with old dirty snow and avalanche debris. There would thankfully be no more bushwhacking.
It was great to finally get out the ice axes and crampons and start plunge stepping up the snow. From there to Kristen Peak, the route was obvious: just follow the couloir. Compared to Snow Creek, Kristen's was lower angle. I would say the highest angle terrain we encountered was around 40-45 degrees and only a short stretch of it. We passed by many interesting crags and rock formations which looked to be composed of excellent granite. If this area was more accessible, these rocks would likely be filled with great trad routes.
The snow grew deep and powdery as we neared the top of the couloir and up to Kristen Peak. We first postholed up to our calves, and then to our knees in some areas. Thankfully with three of us, we could each take turns being out front breaking trail.
view of parties climbing Snow Creek
From the top of Kristen Peak there was still a decent bit to connect up with San Jacinto Peak further south, especially with the slow going postholing. We plodded along, enjoying the great weather and views despite the soft snow. Looking west, there were many people ascending Snow Creek. It was a popular day on San Jacinto's North Face.
We arrived at the summit of San Jacinto in the late afternoon, meeting up with many of the people who we had seen ascending Snow Creek. It was surprisingly warm at the summit, allow us to hang out up there for a while. 
We made good time descending east down the Sid Davis Route to the tram, following several sets of footprints which headed in many different directions through the snow. This was the most snow I had ever seen on this part of the mountain, with the added benefit that it covered up all of the nasty chinquapin that we would usually have to bushwhack through.
We made it to the tram in good time and enjoyed the ride down, then took a taxi back to our cars on the north side.
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