[pct-l] update Campo to Mt. Laguna, fuel info

[chris_krumm@xxxxxxxxxxx (chris Krumm)]

Just did a relatively short jaunt from Campo to Laguna Mtn, and thought
folks would like a brief update on trail conditions and such.
Basically, it's rapidly becoming very dry.  No water after a small stream ~
4 m north of Campo until Lake Morena.  There are a couple sites with water
between Lake Morena and Mt. Laguna if you are willing to work at it. Boulder
Oaks Campground has a couple working spigots (but they are closed for
camping 'till May 1 for toad protection), Kitchen creek is hanging in there
if you want to climb down and back, and Long Canyon Creek was a tiny, tiny
trickle.  There was also a water sign with arrow pointing west off the trail
just as the ascent into the Laguna tree area began (but we didn't verify
it).  We also found a small water stash put there by "Bill's trail service"
(or something thereabouts)~ 1/2 way between Lake Morena and Mt. Laguna dated
3/23 (didn't need it).

Flowers are coming on strong (esp. yucca and lilac ceanothus), especially in
the most southern stretch. We saw a garden snake, but no rattlers.  They are
reported by locals to be coming out of hibernation in the warmer areas.

Apparently about half the trees in the Laguna Mountain area are very
unhealthy currently, and there is downfall everywhere.  We holed up in the
Laguna Lodge to weather a couple nights of severe windstorm w/o fear of
bark-beetle and fungus dz'd pines and oaks falling on us.
The plan was to continue on to Warner Springs, but we decided to head to the
San Diego Beach instead to enjoy the waves for a couple days.  No regrets
(except that the Banana Bungalo hostel is quite the pit, though it is
cheap).  We'll wrap up the big waterless stretches some day, but for now the
forests up north will be just fine.

Fuel info:  for those who need to fill up on white gas (Coleman's) after
arriving in SD, here are brief instructions for finding it:  Two places
relatively close (by jog or bus) to El Cajon trolley/transfer station =3D
Sears and Big 5 sporting goods. You can probably catch a bus to the mall,
but if you walk, head to the corner of big Home Depot sign(not sure or exact
N/S/E/W direction, so ask anyone) about two-three long blocks from the El
Cajon station, then turn right at Home Depot, go down Arnehe to Johnson (1
long block), turn left on Johnson and you will soon see Sears and attached
mall. Big 5 is visible down the street (on Fletcher) another 1/2-1 block if
Sears is out of Coleman=92s white gas. Easy bus back to El Cajon transfer
station from the mall/Sears. The Campo trading post was out of fuel, but
might stock some if you convince Steve there to get some. We couldn't in
time. The hardware store in Campo supposedly had some, but you have to get
there before 5 pm. The one bus from El Cajon cuts it close.

Well, hope that helps someone.  Enjoy the trails!

- Chris Krumm

P=2ES. For the treasure seakers, see if you can find the geo-cache we stumb=
led
upon along the trail. I dreamed of finding a cash stash, but the stashed
cache was still pretty cool.




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