Snow covered grueling San Jacinto Winter hike

On February 21 we did the San Jacinto Peak via Marion Mountain trail. There was a recent snow storm two weeks prior which left plenty of snow on the mountain. We arrived at the trailhead at 7am and had already felt the effects of elevation and a precursor for what’s to come. We chose to do this route up to San Jacinto peak because the tram was still closed due to covid. The trail was covered in snow from the start of the trailhead all the way to the peak with some parts being knee to waist deep. We only came across a few people on the way up and took many breaks. After breaking the tree line, we were blasted with the hot Palm Springs sun and rapidly melting snow. We were caught post holing in soft snow up to knee high going up hill. The last 2.5 miles to the peak took us about 3 hours from the exhaustion of the heat and elevation. Once we reached the peak we had a filling lunch and searched around for the summit sign, which was possibly buried under all the snow. On the way down from the peak, the snow had become slushy and we were slipping and sliding down the mountain and in some parts we just gave up and slid down like a kid on a slide. After 10 hours, 13.4 miles, and 4,286ft elevation gain we were finished. This hike was the most challenging hike we’ve ever had.