[pct-l] Water source north of Crater Lake?

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good evening, Tom,

*“Thanks - will be starting from Crater Lake, northbound, on Aug 7 or
so.  Would you guess that's too late for runoff?”*  Tom Grundy

I don’t know for sure; I’ve only been around Thielsen in the summer – I mean
a “real” summer, unlike this one.  Mt. Bailey just to the west of Thielsen
-- and about 800 feet lower -- has a ski area and they have been reporting
lots of snow.

There’s an interesting attribute of mountains that I don’t understand – I’m
a nutsy-boltsy engineer, not a geologist or hydrologist. These western
stratovolcanoes seem too shed water from snowpack differently from each
other sometimes.  Thielsen is a nearly-bare rock core with great fields of
talus and scree on its lower skirts.  There’s not much soil and vegetation
to hold water and shed it steadily throughout the dry season.  I believe
most of Thielsen's melt water just disappears beneath the rock covering
rather than running off over soil that feeds little creeklets.  About the
only surface water I see around that mountain is Thielsen Creek, on its
north side, which is a steady and reliable producer.  Maybe most of the melt
ends up going out that way.

If snowpack remains on Thielsen when you pass, you may see some of it
running down in places, but I never have.

Regardless, the water shortages between Crater Lake and Thielsen Creek, and
between Thielsen and Summit Lake, are more of an irritant or aggravation
than a problem.  There is almost-near-trail water all along that stretch,
and residual snowpack will only help the situation.

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

-http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

-http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


On Mon, Jul 25, 2011 at 3:57 PM, Tom Grundy <caver456 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks - will be starting from Crater Lake, northbound, on Aug 7 or
> so.  Would you guess that's too late for runoff?
>
> On Mon, Jul 25, 2011 at 3:52 PM, CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net>
> wrote:
> > Good afternoon, Tom,
> >
> > You didn’t say when you will hike but Red Cone Spring is about 3.5 miles
> > west of the hiker PCT on the designated PCT, i.e. near the north end of
> the
> > “horse route”.  It is just southwest of the Red Cone map feature.  In my
> > opinion, that round-trip 7 miles would be better spent continuing north
> on
> > the main PCT route.  The next option is a detour to Diamond Lake.  Third,
> is
> > the seasonal melt water opportunity probable around the base of Thielsen
> in
> > this heavy snowpack year.
> >
> > A longer dry stretch is normally between Thielsen Creek and Summit Lake,
> > however there are some off-trail water sources particularly in this wet
> > year.
> >
> > Steel-Eye
> >
> > -Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965
> >
> > -http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
> >
> > -http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09
> >
> > On Mon, Jul 25, 2011 at 10:28 AM, Tom Grundy <caver456 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> Does anyone know of a water source along the stretch north of Rim
> >> Village (Crater Lake) to Thielson Creek 25.9 miles up, besides
> >> Lightning Springs?  I heard there is a spring somewhere along there.
> >> Thanks
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