[pct-l] Deep Creek Detour

[Timothy Nye]

Well, Half Fast, I don't know if I'd say it was the bast part of the
desert, but it was very scenic.  I ignored the detour, and so apparently
did the steady stream of day trippers carrying in ice chests; by the time
I'd been at the hot springs for five minutes I was the proud possesor of
two Mike's Hard Lemonades and two cans of beer, which the providers were
happy to repossess as empties after I shared them with my friends.

I concluded that that the detour was actually not for the slide that was to
the south of the river crossing, but for the washed out muddy submerged
section, with a temporary hillside traverse, that streched for part of a
mile north of the crossing.  Law enforcement tried to chase us off the
trail at the crossing, claiming by bullhorn from the dam area that we were
trespassing on private property even though we were on the trail.  We were
subsequently told that there had been a murder in that
area the day before, so that could explain their attitude.  Some of the day
trippers were armed; one had a pistol on his hip and a couple large belted
sheath knives which made me somewhat nervous, (there is spray painted gang
grafitti on the rocks by the trail for part of it) but then they could have
been PCT hikers based on some of the postings here about carrying weapons.