[pct-l] Castle Crags to Ashland

[Deems]

1.July will be fine, and I'll bet most of the snow will be gone except for a 
few north slope pockets. I'm going up into the Red Buttes today for a 
campout.
2. Guidebook and Yogi's will be good for water reports this year. This is 
basically a normal snow year in NorCal, and the melt is on big time now.
3. Take the PCT climb up the Devils, you'll be in shape by then, and the 
views are great from the ridgeline.  There's good spring water at Kangaroo 
Springs in the cirque pocket meadow, Bee Camp, and at Cook Green Pass.  I've 
seen water in the spring at the old lookout, but don't count on it.
~~
I've section hiked WA & OR and am now working my way through CA, starting 
with sections P, Q and R.  I've always used the PCT (Wilderness Press) 
guidebooks and now I also have Yogi's.  I have several questions:

1.  any suggestions on when to go to still have water available but without 
a ton of snow?  (I'm looking at July -- is that too early?)
2.  how reliable are the water sources listed for these sections in the PCT 
guidebook and in Yogi's Handbook -- a bunch of them sounded pretty iffy.
2.  planning to stay overnight in Etna -- is it hard to get a ride there or 
back to the trail?
3.  a local from Seiad Valley suggested walking Seiad Creek Road up to Cook 
& Green Pass, as an alternative to the long, hot, steep actual PCT -- any 
thoughts on this?