[pct-l] Section D roads, trails, and empty wilderness all so close to LA!

[sage Clegg]

Hi everyone, I just finished the patchwork that is section D and here is my report:
  I walked the road from Agua Dulce to the Cougar Ranch just north of the little rock dam, recieved a ride from Canoeman and Liz (they put me up for the night and are awesome new trail angles!!) to an apple orchard near the Burkheart (?) trail that connects the devil's punchbowl to the PCT. I hiked up the very well mainainted trail that even has mile posts on it and dropped into the rattlesnake creek drainage. I did not realize the pct is closed there until I reached eagle's roost, where there are trail closure signs. Could someone call the LARD and ask if the trail connecting from eagle's roost to the burkheart trail is officially closed, or if the closure starts further to the west. Can PCTers bypass the rattlesnake canyon section and use the whole burkheart trail from hwy 2 to the orchard? I believe the orchard owner might allow PCTers to use his road to connect to juniper hills, people could potentially stay at Canoeman's property for a
 night, then continue the road walk, hopefuly using cougar ranch as a watering hole along the otherwise dry road. The 28 miles from cougar ranch to Agua dulce is burned along Aliso canyon road and the sierra hwy. There is a fire road that cuts the corner by the junction of aliso and the hwy. NOBO's will find the fire road leaving the hwy at mil. 6.25 and reconnecting out on a dip along Aliso canyon. You can fill up water, use a PO, go to a grocery store, and stuff your face with chineese food in Acton, about 13 miles before agua dulce. Once I reached hwy 2 there was a suspicous lack of humans, so I guess I may have been breaking the law by walking in a closed forest (please don't rat me out... I can't afford $5000.. and I really did think it was open!). The other trail option to gain the crest would be the big rock creek trail up from just east of the Devil's punchbowl. This would be a shorter route and drop you at islip saddle,
 where you can meet the PCT and hit up little jimmy spring with it's awesome water (though there was a large mound of ice under it last week) and the veiwful high peaks of the san gorgornios. There is a water cache at vincient gap for the moment (5 gal on 10/29), and the campground and visitor center water is all shut off for the season. 
  I walked to Acorn Trail past the fresh man made snow at mountain high-- what a trip to posthole in an otherwise dry desert! The Acor trail was easy to find, but I don't envy the NOBO's who have to walk up it, just stick to acorn drive and you will eventually go past a big water tank and then onto the trail, which goes more eastward than seems reasonable. There were great apples on the way in to the town of wrightwood, and the bakery on the east end of town just past the hardware store had the best muffins I have had on the whole trail. Lone Pine Canyon Road was a little confusing to find. It starts as a residential street, then jogs SW on Sheep canyon road, up a hill, then re-meets lone pine canyon road, which weaves around some houses and blind corners, crests a saddle, then begins the long descent down sheep canyon. This will be a long hot uphill roadwalk for NOBOs. Someone should think about creating a water cache along the walk, perhaps at
 one of the ranches along the way. I was unclear if Mormon rocks was closed or open, but due to the lack of signs telling me not to enter, I walked the PCT to I15. The first (NW) 4 miles are in need of trail work due to sand slides. 
Hope this helps!
Sage