[pct-l] Section B Questions

[Frederick Baier]

Aloha All,  I just finished Section A about two weeks ago. At 53, with a full time job and relatively limited flexibility to take more than 10 days off at a time, I'm trying to complete the PCT before I'm 63 (or so), figuring one or two (or three, depending) sections a year (the math may not work out exactly, but you get the idea). I'm considering Section B in the late September/early October timeframe, but am a little concerned about water availability and weather, among other things. The alternative is to wait until next spring, but I'm kinda antsy to get back out there. So some questions for those folks who know this section well during that time of the year:  (Realizing that every year varies) Are the major water sources/springs dry or is there reliable water along the trail in early-mid fall? Best/recommended campsites along the way?  (I find myself able to go around 15-20 miles with no problems; with a Sec A one-day high of 26 miles from Shelter Valley Campgrounds to Barrel Springs--probably as a "not anxious to repeat" maximum). Anything in particular to avoid (aside from falling off a cliff or something)? Generally is the weather manageable?  Are there many/any section hikers out there during the fall? May be a dumb question, but is it safe to get down to Anza from the trail, noting the safety advisory for the 140-ish to 147-ish mile identified in the recent water reports? The essential question is "can I do this in the fall or is it better to wait until mid April, May or June (join the herd?) due to water, snow, weather, etc?  Sorry for the question dump, but I'm just not turning up good answers by searching the web. Mahalo for your help!Cheers, FritzAiea, HI