[pct-l] Crater Lake , Mt Theilson what snow there is is easily navigated up and over, no issues. Did this section 8/3 to 8/4.

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good afternoon, Mountain Mike,

I stopped at Jack Spring in mid-August of last year.  Yes, it’s off the
trail and downhill, but I wasn’t in a huge hurry since I was going to spend
the night before visiting Crater Lake.  The access trail descends to a
fairly open creek drainage with the trail following along near or beside
the bottom.

I had also stopped for water in this same area in September of ’99, but not
at the exact same spot as last year.  In ’99 I had no GPS, but in ’11 I did.
As with most of the drainages in dry country, an increasingly green stripe
of vegetation can be seen in the bottom, so as soon as the “green” looked
lush and promising I ignored the GPS and just looked for running water.  I
soon stopped at a nice little pool that was flowing all the good, cool
water that any hiker could want, and it was where the access trail crossed
the creek bottom; very handy.

Also in August of last year I took the Skyline Trail alternate past
Crescent Lake to Shelter Cove.  I had already hiked the official PCT route
several times but I hadn’t tried the alternate.  Since there was lots of
snow remaining east of Diamond Peak I thought it would be a good year to
try the alternate.  There were a few mosquitoes remaining, but in September
there will be even fewer.  The trail is good, and mostly well-marked, with
only one tricky spot:  The trail departing north from Crescent Lake heads
at the very end of a road through the Whitefish Horse Camp.  North from
there it’s a good trail following Whitefish Creek and past little Diamond
View Lake.  From there it isn’t far across a height-of-land to the head of
the Trapper Creek drainage.

The trail north from the Whitefish Horse Camp is popular with riders, so
expect considerable dust on the trail churned up by horses, and the
inevitable road-apples.

Enjoy your hike,

Steel-Eye

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

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

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