[pct-l] Section R water and snow

[Douglas Tow]

Good afternoon!

My brother and I just finished Section R on Sunday, 8-7-11.  All guidebook
and Halfmile water sources are flowing.  Lookout Spring about 6 miles north
from Seiad Valley is very slow, about a liter every 3-5 minutes, and you
will need water there.  Sheep Camp spring is gushing out of the pipe, now my
favorite water source.  Others said that this water does not need treatment,
but I cannot say.  I did not treat it.  As you get into the 5 miles before
Mt. Ashland Inn, water is every quarter mile or so - it seemed to be
everywhere.
There is a nice picnic table and water spigot literally a few steps south of
Mt. Ashland Inn specifically for PCT hikers.

One piece of snow near Siskyou Gap was problematic.  The trail just stops
into a very straight, uphill snow structure with a steep dropoff on the
left.  The snow fools you into thinking that it sits right on the trail as
you go up - it doesn't!.  We followed fresh footsteps up the snow, but those
steps diverted right onto the hillside due to tricky and perhaps perilous
walking conditions on the snow.  We then discovered that the trial actually
turns downhill to the left of the snow structure, and we had to bushwhack
downhill to it on a very steep, loose material-laden hillside.  Others might
try going left of the snow just as the trail meets it.  Keep looking at your
maps and GPS.

Doug