[pct-l] middle of section Q

[David Hough reading PCT-L]

July 25 and 26 I dayhiked between Marble Valley, Paradise Lake, and the 
Tyler Meadows trail junction.    I had planned to backpack but the iffy
weather dissuaded me and it did rain a little bit last night in Yreka.

Flowers - the flowers are still at peak state on the PCT in this region.
Through hikers should capture the images to bolster them as they descend
into Grider Hell the next day.

Trees - only one tree down on the PCT between Marble Valley and Paradise Lake,
and it was no trouble.    After the Kelsey headwaters spring, there is a 
brief stretch of about a dozen trees across the trail in a fire zone.    You
could plainly see that none were obstacles to stock as stock had built 
bypasses for several of them.      It was but a slight foretaste of what
is to come in the descent to and ascent from Seiad Valley.     And the trail
here was not overgrown.

Water - the creek next to the Marble Valley cabin was almost dried up and
looked useless.    Maybe there was other water nearby.      The first good
spring - in evidence from the through hikers gathered there late in the day -
is WA1625, easily 4L/min.

Paradise Lake is shallow, warm, and greenish in tint.   Excellent for swimming
but the water bears treatment perhaps.    The outlet creek might be better
than dipping in the lake.    There is a small water source shortly after
that is worth skipping.

Kelsey Creek Tributaries is an excellent small creek, more than a spring,
and not looking at all seasonal now, with at least 10L/min if you could
capture all the branches.      There is also a nice small source just before
it running about 3L/min with a convenient drop for gathering water, but at
a narrow spot in the trail.

The trail junction marked Turk Lake Trail on halfmile is actually a junction
to Bear Lake in the other direction
and is marked with a bandaged sign.    The trail down to
Turk Lake from that point was not marked or obvious.    Turk Lake didn't
look worth the trouble.

Access - for day hikers and section hikers and trail maintainers - the
Paradise Trailhead is at 4850' and rises to 6200' in about 1.7 miles.   It's
about as nice as it could be within those parameters - shady and no steps,
just very steep in most places.

Lovers Camp parking has a couple of nice short walk-in campsites with tables
and tent space and a clean outhouse in the parking lot.     The trail up
to Marble Valley is about 4 miles and mostly not steep, but where it is steep
there are a lot of steps to make things easier for the stock packing parties up
to Marble Valley and Sky High Lakes.     It does have one wonderful water
source - a little waterfall into a little pool next to the trail - which is
less than a mile below Marble Valley but many steps below to climb back up.

David Hough