[pct-l] water report 9/12-19/09

[Janet Grossman]

I hiked NOBO from CA Hwy 58 to Kennedy Meadows, CA Section F and part of G, from 9/12 to 9/19. Hot, dry, beautiful, and saw no other people other than 2 men on an OHV (on McIvers Rd.) on 9/15. I was glad I saw them, as I had no cell phone coverage the whole time, and they agreed to call my partner that night and confirm I was ok. Barney Hope started out doing the same section on 9/10, but we didn't meet each other until KM. However, he got cell coverage places I didn't, and was able to have his friend call and let me know there actually was water at the first spring, Golden Oaks, so that I was able to drink/dump 3 liters of water from my pack. What a relief!

F4, 583.4, Golden Oaks Spring, Water from pipe feeding trough, took 5 minutes to fill 2 liters. Didn't find water below trail. 9/13/09

F6, 602.2, Robin Bird Spring, Good flow from pipe, filled 3 liters in 2 minutes. No water in trough. So much cow poop I wouldn't camp there. No gate to be found, but a down tree was holding down the fence so it could be climbed over in the upper right. 9/13/09

F7, 604.4, Cottonwood Creed branch, no water 9/14/09

F7, 605.9, Concrete dam of spring uphill from PCT, Same as Al H. reported on 6/3: Decent but very diffuse drip off rocks, wide-mouth container best for catching. (There was one lying there.) It would take a long time to catch a usable amount of water. 9/14/09

F7, 607.3, Landers Creek, Dry 9/14/09

F7, 608.9, Landers Camp fire tank, didn't go there 9/14/09

609.0, small flowing creek at first Paiute Mt. Rd. crossing, stepped across on a plank.

F9, 616.0, Kelso Valley Rd. cache by Mary & Bill Barcik of Welden, Many gallons of wonderful water in extremely hot and arid section. Ahhhh. Thank you, Mary & Bill! 9/14/09

F9, 618.1, Butterbredt Canyon Rd., didn't go off-trail to spring, 9/14/09

F10, 622.2, Willow Spring, Could see pond from trail, but didn't go off-trail to it, 9/14/09

F11, 631.4, Bird Spring Pass Cache by Mary & Bill Barcik, Again, many gallons of water in terribly hot and dry section right before a long climb. What a wonderful gift to hikers! 9/15/09

F11, 637.4, Yellow Jacket Spring, didn't go to it, 9/15/09

F12, 643, Seasonal stream, dry 9/15/09

F12, 644.1, McIvers Spring, Pipe dry, but small, square box in grass about 50 feet upstream of pipe, full of water with water bubbling into it. I didn't fight the yellow jackets for water, walked further upstream but it just seemed to get drier and drier and more and more overgrown, so didn't go anywhere near 400 yards to see if there was indeed a spring up there. Two deer came down to drink from the spring box while I was sitting in the shade above it, so I didn't camp there, not wanting to scare off animals. 9/15/09

F13, 651.4, Walker Pass Trailhead Campground, Faucets turned off. I didn't check cow troughs, as I was met there by my partner with a rented RV so I had a shower, clean clothes, hot meal, my favorite vegan ice cream, a back massage and a bed for the night (but I sleep better on the trail). What luxury! Left the next morning lugging 7 liters in case the next spring was dry. 9/16-17/09

G1, 663.7, Seasonal stream past rough dirt road, dry 9/17/09

G1, 664.1, Joshua Tree Spring, 2 liters/minute from pipe. Well worth the 0.25 mile down off the trail and back. While I sat 6 feet from the pipe, 2 green hummingbirds battled about which would drink from the pipe, and then a small fox came and drank its fill from the puddles below the pipe, while keeping an eye on me. I also saw my first PCT bear on the trail by Mt. Jenkins that morning, so it was a wonderful day. 9/17/09

G3, 668.6, Branch of Spanish Needle Creek, no water, but green, shady, and full of gnats, 9/17/09

G3, 669.0, Spring-fed branch of Spanish Needle Creek, no water, but green, shady, and full of gnats, 9/17/09

G3, 669.7, Spring-fed streamlet, no water, but green, shady, and full of gnats, 9/17/09

G3, 670.3, Spanish Needle Creek (3rd encounter), muddy trickle on trail, didn't need water so didn't look upstream. Saw and heard large, irate, rattlesnake in shady grass maybe 50 feet before the water, think it was a Mojave Green. 9/17/09

G3, 678.8, Seasonal creek, dry 9/17/09

G4, 681.3, Canebrake Rd., creek right before road crossing. Slow-flowing, but plenty of water, easy to scoop up without getting floaties. Filled up there to get to Kennedy Meadows, didn't bother to go off-trail to check campground. 9/18/09

G4, 681.8, Seasonal stream, dry 9/18/09

G4, 683.6, Fox Mill Spring, didn't check 9/18/09

G6, 689.6, Long Valley Loop Rd. dry creek. Dry 9/18/09

G6, 694.0, First creek in Rockhouse Basin, Dry 9/18/09

G6, 697.4, Seasonal creek, Dry 9/18/09

G7, 698.8, South Fork Kern River, River indeed, plenty of water, but LOTS of cows in and near the river upstream. 9/19/09

G7, 699.3, Piine Creek, Dry 9/19/09

G7, 702.8, Kennedy Meadows General Store, Open 9am-4pm, 9/19/09