[pct-l] Idyllwild road trip 5/15 - 5/17

[Len Glassner]

Recent day-hikes above Idyllwild:

5/15

Up Devil's Slide to Saddle Junction, then south to Tahquitz Peak trail
junction and over to Little Tahquitz Valley trail junction.  From SJ,
trail was under intermittent snow, but footprints made it easy to make
connections between bare spots. Just before TPTJ, all snow, but it was
easy to follow prints and stay near the ridge.  The exposed junction
area is all under snow, but the sign is easy to see.  From there down
to LTVTJ, only a few spots where I could find exposed trail, so I just
stayed next to the drainage that turns into Tahquitz Creek.  If LTVTJ
is signed, I didn't find it, nor any exposed trail, the further down I
got from TPTJ.  It got flat and featureless, so I crossed the stream
where there was a fair amount of exposed ground, and started and
headed east a bit, towards the Red Tahquitz 'corner'.  I wasn't on
trail, it was all snow all the time, so I decided to turn around and
head back to Saddle Junction.

The above effort transpired between approximately 10am and 1pm.
Nowhere was it icy nor was I postholing. No problem kicking steps when
needed.

Returned to Saddle Junction, then headed north for intersection with
trail to Wellman Divide.  Clean as a whistle most of the way, then a
fairly short bit that goes from intermittent snow to less so, followed
tracks.  Now, there are two wood PCT markers on the way up from SJ
(IIRC).  The first one doesn't seem to mark anything, just randomly
placed; the second comes after you've crossed the short bit of snow,
and shows up over to the left a bit (given the way that tracks dumped
you out) in a very small flat gap.  This one does actually mark
something, the WD intersection (though it won't be apparent because
that trail is all snow-covered).  Turn sharp west here through the
small flat spot and then you'll see the trail to Strawberry Junction.
Me, I didn't, thinking this was just another randomly placed marker,
and continued north following tracks.  I spent a good deal of time
getting misplaced and then returning - too low, missing that second
post on the way back.  But it was good exercise.

5/16

Up Deer Springs trail to Strawberry Junction, hiked north (which I
will describe in a second), then east to Wellman Divide intersection,
just to confirm how I screwed up the prior day.  No snow of any
consequence on this stretch.   Good flow from Strawberry Cienega.

Now the north part - from Strawberry Junction, headed for Marion
Mountain trail junction and the short stretch from there to Fuller
Ridge/Little Round Valley junction.  No snow at first, then
intermittent, but easy to find trail or follow tracks, then at about
second strong creek crossing  (neither of the two streams I crossed
are noted in the water report, but they are flowing well)  discovered
tracks were slightly low and found the trail up a little bit higher.
>From there, easy to stay on trail until shortly before the open flat
spot that that's at MMTJ.  This short bit of PCT is higher but all
snow-covered, tracks just head for the open flat spot. Turn east at
the far end of the open flat spot, shortly thereafter you will easily
find the marker for several trails, including Seven Pines.  Then east
from here, first very short amount of exposed trail, then just
following tracks, seemed to be walking roughly on level, real PCT
would be ascending more.  Crossed one good flowing creek (not under
snow, accessible).  Expected to very quickly hit signed junction at
Fuller Ridge turn. Following tracks from creek, not gaining elevation
(SP junction is 300 feet lower than FR junction). eventually tracks
dumped out in low scrub with no snow and no trail.  Could detect where
bushwhacking upwards through scrub led, went up that way maybe 50 feet
higher and found some intermittent exposed trail and followed for a
short while.  Hmm...seems to be a big ole mountain in front of me and
I can see San Gorgonio at what seems like 90 degree angle over to the
left. This doesn't seem right, am I heading for Mt. SJ?  Like an
idiot, I didn't check my compass here.  I decided it was time to turn
around.  Got back to around the creek I had previously crossed, met 4
PCTers.  I told them of my experience, I turned around and followed
them back the way I had gone for a short while, but not as far back as
to where I found the exposed trail.  During this time they confirmed
that we were 1) lower than the FRTJ, and 2) walking north.  At this
point, we couldn't have been more than .1 from the exposed trail I had
found.  Had I just turned north and gotten on FR trail without
realizing it?  Why did the visual clues seem wrong?

All told, into 9-10 PCTers as I was heading back to town.

The above transpired between 9am and 2pm.  No icy snow and no
postholing.  I could kick steps in the tilty stuff.

5/17

I drove up Black Mountain Road to the PCT junction.  (The spigot maybe
5/8 the way up BMR is now labeled 'drinking water' ("What's 'potable'
mean?") and the nearby dripping pipe has no label.)  No snow on the
road until shortly after the junction. No snow that I could see on PCT
north of junction.  Proceeding south (over Fuller Ridge), the
campground is free of snow and the spring is still flowing. (Someone
has markered '<-H2O' on a PCT marker that any NOBO should see, so it
is not hard to find.)  Walked a few tenths south, as first some trail,
then quickly trail all gone, and not much in the way of tracks.  (The
meltiness is getting rid of tracks quickly.) There's a lot of snow,
but also patches of clear ground, so you can get off the white stuff
for a break.  This was at 10:30am and the snow was soft, the risk was
having it slush out from under you.  Lost one small trekking pole
basket because the pole went into the snow so far that the basket came
off when the pole was yanked out.

I also met a hiker who had just come off of FR.  He had camped
overnight on the Ridge - found flat spot free of snow.  Said that the
north/east exposures are the problem, the other side of the ridge is
clear. As he got to the far end of FR, had lost the trail and came in
so low that he went all the way to couple miles past the FR
campground.  Finally hit the PCT, turned and walked SOBO to get back
to the campground.

Other hiker experiences - It seems a lot of people getting misplaced
once on the continuous snow south of Idyllwild.  Hikers grouping up to
find their way out and into town.  Some deciding to skip Fuller Ridge
after that experience.

Will post a few pictures later.

-- 
'Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit' - Oscar Wilde

Sent from home by my carrier pigeon.