[pct-l] San Jacinto Wilderness trails

[woodsps@home.com (WoodsPublishing)]

I did a couple of pieces of Mt. San Jacinto PCT April 29 - May 2
Hwy 74 north to Live Oak trail, mostly dry with stock trough quality water
in one canyon about 4 miles N.
Cedar Springs-great place to camp, be sure to backtrack out the same trail
up to PCT - unless you REALLY WANT a mile of uphill chapparal bushwhacking -
a trail on TOP0! up Garnet Ridge, and my PCT guide via Lion Springs DOES NOT
EXIST; a trail to Garnett Ridge may be mistaken for a northbound exit from
Cedar Springs.
Apache Springs: Great place to camp with a nice box reservoir for the
springs, great view of Palm Springs. However, if I had it to do over again,
I'd go down this very steep trail for water only, and camp above in the
saddle near the main trail.
PCT Apache Springs to Saddle Junction: expect some snow drifts on E/N facing
slopes; Red Tahquitz to Tahquitz Junction expect extensive snow cover (60 -
80% in the trees) for a few more weeks, the trail was hard to find and
judging by the tracks ahead of us, many headed out cross country. We stuck
with the trail where we could find it.
Saddle Junction North. Maybe eight people have made it over Fuller Ridge by
now, waiting for few more reports from some folks on the trail.
High Country (Vince) blew by me as did a guy from Georgia, and two trail
runners from Vermont. All were dreaming of cheeseburgers in Idyllwild. Ski
Otter is still pounding along north of Idyllwild, probably past Whitewater
by now. All are concerned about catching the snow pack north of Kennedy
Meadows too soon.
RenoRick