Bob,
Would you mind if I posted this on the San Jacinto message board? I'm sure a few folks over there would be interested in your pictures and story.
Thanks for sharing the back story after the climb.
Snow Creek is still accessible but your approach is no longer possible.
There are several other other big cross-country ways up the mountain on the north side which all have the big gains of starting from the valley floor but avoiding the crowds on Skyline/Cactus to the Clouds, and much harder than that trail. Let me know if you're down south and interested in exploring more of SJ.
