[pct-l] PCT-Northern California Guidebook Revisions

[benschif at direcway.com (Ben Schifrin)]

Gang:

I apologize that these are so late. This has not been a good year for 
me, organizationally. I am working on the Oregon-Washington revisions 
RIGHT NOW (I promise!).

Class of 04: PUH-LEEZE mail or email me with ANY comments on the 
books-- I need to know where the books need corrections. It is quite 
common that I do not see the same problems, that you might, while I 
rehike the trail, so I need your fresh input.

Thanks, and good luck!


Ben Schifrin
Wilderness Press
17360 Highgrade Lane
Sonora CA 95370
work 800.443.7227
home 209.586.5767
benschif@direcway.com



2004 Updates: Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California


P 117, Col 1, Last 3 Lines: The description of Lake Aloha is 
well-outdated; many of the tree snags are fallen and there is a healthy 
population of green trees.

P 120, Col 2, Line 14: Trails to Upper Echo Lake: These are all now 
well-signed, and not at all confusing.

P 126, Col 2, Par 2, Line 3: Muddy traverse has been replaced by a 
bermed elevated trail with bridges.

P 129, Col 1, Par 1, Line 9: The jeep road and PCT now do coincide for 
a few yards; the route is well-marked.

P 129, Col 2, Par 3, Line 14: Trickling spring: There is now a large 
dirt road across the trail here. It is well-marked.

P 130, Col 1, Par 2, Line 12: Top a ridge: Now cross a jeep road spur 
from the logging road to the southwest.

P 135, Col 1, Par 1, Last Line: Western States Trail: is now disused, 
and inobvious.

P 136, Col 1, Par 3, Line 12: Tinker Knob Saddle: Here the signed 
Coldstream Trail 15E05 branches, right, north 7 miles to Truckee. It is 
not particularly convenient for through-hiker resupply.

P 143, Col 2, Par 2, Line 13: Summit Lake Trail is signed as ?Warren 
Trail?.

P 143, Col 2, Par 3, Line 6: Two side trails lead across Castle Valley 
to the road; the route is obvious.

P 145, Col 1, Par 3, Castle Pass: This is now a signed trail, ?Castle 
Peak Trail, with another, he signed Hole-in-Wall Trail, branching west.

P 145, Col 1, Line 3 from bottom: Old Jeep road is no longer evident.

P 145, Col 2 Par 1, Line 3: Former jeep road (8270) is now essentially 
gone.

P 146, Col 2, Line 4: White Rock Creek: Now has an excellent camp on 
its south banks, as well. The trail north is now clear, with good tread 
and 4x4 posts.

P 146, Col 2, Par 2, Line 8: Saddle 8140: has a nice dry camp, with 
water available until the end of season from springs just 100 yards to 
the west.

P 147, col 2, Par 2, Line 3 from bottom: Road 86: This is a bit 
confusing. This is the same road called, ?Meadow Lake Road 19N11? on 
the ?Points on Route? of page 142.

  P 148, Col 1, Line 2: Camp: Excellent camps are just east of the 
creek, although the creek is often dy by late August of drought years.

P 148, Col 1, Par 2, Line 7: Ridge: Well-marked trail crosses and joins 
a jeep road a few times. The summit to your north is signed, Mt Lacy.

P 148, Col 2, Line 3 from bottom: Seasonal creek: This is not the 
reliable mapped creek, which is in a deep, difficult-to-access volcanic 
gorge north of the trail. Fair camping is available on logged-over 
benches 2 minutes east of the road crossing.

P 151, Col 1, Par 1, Lines 5 & 6: First good road is now virtually 
gone. The second road (6740) is still evident. The sign here indicates 
?Gold Canyon Trails Council Horse Camp ? mile? at the start of the 
trail to Little Lassier Meadow, as shown on Map L4.

P 151, Col 1, Par 3, Line 3: Old road is now overgrown.

P 151, Col 1, Last Line: Pass Creek Loop Road:  Signs here 
(inconsistent with the above) point to ?Lasier Meadow Horse Camp?.

P 151, Col 2, Par 1, Line 5: Sentence ?On the paved road?? should NOT 
be in blue highlight?this is normal trail description text.

P 151, Col 2, Par 3, Line 4: Minor saddle: This area was actively 
logged in 2002, and has a new logging road. Skid trails and roads have 
destroyed short bits of trail from here to Bear Valley.

P 151, Col 2, Par 4, Line 7: ridge: There is now a poor dirt road in 
the saddle just west of Bear Valley, and a major graveled road from the 
headwaters of Milton Creek along the hillside southeast of Point 6504. 
It obliterates the trail for about 60 yards. Walk west.

P 151, Col 2, Line 4 from bottom: Another major dirt road bisects the 
well-signed path in the saddle at 5880? on the corner of Sections 1,6,7 
and 12 on map L5.

P 154, Col 1, Line 2: Milton Creek: has nice camps south of the stream, 
as well.

P 159, Col 1, Par 2, Supplies: Sierra City: This is one of the towns 
I?ve mentioned before where there is a little resentment towards PCT 
hikers. It is a small place, and gets clogged up with stinky hikers in 
July, at the height of their tourist season. If we are either a) more 
discreet and don?t camp out on the doorsteps of local businesses, or b) 
spread more money around, everything should work out. Sierra City does 
have a laundromat, right next to the store. The PCT register is at the 
Post Office. The interesting Kentucky Mine Museum is on the east end of 
town, on the way back to the PCT. Hitch-hiking is usually easy.

P 159, Col 1, Par 2, Supplies: Belden: The resort does have showers, 
laundry and a phone. Their accommodations are too expensive for most 
hikers. Nearby camping suffers from the incessant nighttime noise of 
passing trains-- this author prefers to resupply and move up Chips 
Creek to camp.

P 159, Col 1, Par 2, Line 12: Belden post office is only 0.7 miles from 
Belden Town Resort via the highway, but just under a mile by trail.

P 160, Col 1, Par 3, Line 6: Before reaching the flume, a signed 
side-trail leads 0.1 mile north to a reliable spring, at 5400 feet.

P 161, Col 1, Par 1, Last Line: Sierra Buttes jeep trail: Now with a 
parking spur road to the ridge to the south.

P 163, Col 2, Line 4 from bottom: wind northward down: Now a short 
stretch of newer trail goes directly down the ridge, avoiding the old 
road that you?ve been following, which makes a switchback to the 
southeast.

P 167, Col 2, Par 3, Line 3: Junction 7355: This northern intersection 
with the Oakland Pond trail is now disused and inevident, in part 
because of minor rerouting and switchbacks on the PCT.

P 167, Col 2, Par 4, Line 7: cross a jeep road: Now turned to trail.

P 168, Col 1, Line 7: easy descent across open slopes: Now intersecting 
the signed trail north to Jamison Mine and Grass Lake.

P 168, Col 1, Par 2, Last line: distance to springs on Sierra Buttes 
should be 14.8 or 14.9 miles.

P 169, Col 2, Par 3, Line 11: Unnamed lake: Now has a dirt road 
accessing it from the north, and attendant primitive campsites.

P 171, Col 1, Par 1, Line 7: Road 6680: Here a sign points 0.4 mile 
east to ?stock water? at the head of Onion Valley Creek, with possible 
camping.

P 171, Col 1, par 3, Line 3: trailhead: Signed, ?Pilot Peak PCT 
Trailhead?.

P 171, Col 2, par 2, Line 1: Quincy-LaPorte Road is 2 lines, paved. 
Auto traffic is busy, especially on summer weekends.

P 171, Col 2, Par 2, Line 6: Kenzie Ravine Road: mark as paved on Map 
M5.

P 171, Col 2, Par 2, Line 8: Fowler Peak Trail: In its eastern extent, 
the closed road is only a trail, and does not confuse the PCT. Farther 
west, however, heavy OHV traffic has made the road quite prominent, and 
leads to a lot of places where the PCT has become a dual-use 
quad-runner trail.

P 173, Col 1, Line 3: Traverse to second summit: There is now a good 
gravel logging road crossed on the saddle between.

P 173, Col 1, Line 4: Bear Wallow Trail has now been upgraded to a good 
dirt road. A small forest fire burned these environs in summer 2002.

P 174, Col 1, Par 2, Line 3: 1/3 mile descent: In a patch of deep 
forest with many blown-down trees, a signed trail branches left, south 
to Bald Mountain and Little Grass Valley reservoir. You could walk ? 
mile southwest along it, then contour north to reach a spring in the 
broad head of Black Rock Creek.

P 174, Col 1, Par 2, Line 15: Saddle 5460: Now a signed points south 
along a fair use-trail 0.4 mile to spring-fed shallow pools. Adequate 
camping is nearby, beside a logging spur road.

P 174, Col 2, Par 4, Line 5: Second road 5280: Here signed? ?Fowler 
Lake 0.4 Mile?.

P 175, Col 1, par 2, Last line: The signed Butte Creek Trail branches 
right, southeast away from the last switchback.

P 177, Col 1, par 3, Line 3: A dirt road from the canyon rim crosses 
Deadman Spring saddle.

P 177, Col 2, Last Par,: Water Access: Both of these creeklets can be 
dry by mid-August of drought years, such as 2004. The pond is now 
silted-in and overgrown, but there is often water in the culvert 
leading to it.

P 183, Col 1, Last Line: breath should be, ?breathe?.

P 187, Col 2, Line 6 from bottom: PCT register is now at the post 
office.

P 187, Col 2, second to last line: Belden Post Office is 0.7 mile west 
via the highway, and just less than 1 mile by trail.

P 191, Col 1, Supplies: Chester: Most hikers will have little trouble 
hitchhiking in to Chester, because Hwy 36 is busy during the summer. 
Chester has supermarkets, laundry, post office, internet access, a 
library and numerous motels and restaurants, all convenient to someone 
on foot.

P 191, Col 2, Supplies, Line 4: The newer mailing address for hiker?s 
boxes at Burney Falls State park is:
Burney Falls Camp Services, 24898 Hwy. 89, Burney, CA 96013 (it is 
listed correctly on P14).

P 192, Col 2, Line 4: Powerlines: A short steep dirt road accessing the 
powerlines here drops southwest down to the Belden Post Office.

P 192, Col 2, Par 3, Line 2: Chips Creek Trail: Was burned extensively 
in the massive Storrie Fire of August 2000. Much of the way up-canyon 
is now shadeless, dirty and hot, but as of 2004, some brush is starting 
to sprout up.

P 194, Col 2, par 1, Line 5: Williams Cabin: Sadly burned completely in 
the Storrie Fire, as did most of the surrounding forest.

P 195, Col 2, par 2, Line 3: Myrtle Flat: Due to mudslides resulting 
from the Storrie Fire, PCT trail tread was rerouted both east and west 
of Myrtle Flat. Most hikers will not notice significant changes in the 
first, eastern segment. The second reroute, however, forces two quick 
crossings of Chips Creek. Small cramped camps are developing near the 
fords, which should not be difficult in mid-season.

P 195, Col 2, Par 2, Line 15: creek from Poison Spring: Unlike the 
spring above it, which can dry up in late season of drought years, the 
stream here is always reliable.

P 195, Col 2, Par 3, Line 8: Poison Spring: May be dry in September of 
drought years.

P 199, Col 1, Par 1, Line 7: Most early summers, one must descend only 
about 0.4 mile. By October, however, expect to walk 0.7 mile. Water can 
always be found near Carter Meadow, however.

P 203, Col 2, Par 2: This should be BLUE highlighted, as an important 
water source.

P 203, Col 2, Par 2, Last line: Stover Spring may dwindle, but it has 
not yet dried up, even in late-season.

P 206, Col 1, par 1, Last Line: Little Willow Lake is now merely a 
swampy meadow, but water is reliable.

P 207, Col 2, par 2, Last line: Campsites 5990: These are on the banks 
of Kings Creek, which is not clear from the prose.

P 209, Col 1, Line 3: Kings Creek is now crossed by a 2-log bridge.

P 214, Col 1, Par 2, Line 6: Camping in this area is poor.

P 214, Col 2, Line 1: The forest in this area was extensively 
blown-down a few winters ago?no yielding vistas of Mt Lassen.

P 215, Col 2, Par 2: Old Station Resort has a restaurant, store, cabins 
and grille. They are notably hospitable to through-hikers.

P 220, Col 2, Par 2, Line 5 from bottom: Road 22 is the site of trail 
angel Amigo?s ?Cache 22? water cache during the summer hiking season. 
It is found on a short spur, just west of the PCT, immediately before 
reaching Road 22. Look for it in a small grove of trees. Use only as 
much water as you need!

P 224, Map N17: Label ?Cassel-Fall River Mills Road?

P 229, Col 2, Line 2: Ignore two smaller unsigned right-branching use 
trails after crossing Burney Creek.

P 234, Col 1, Par 2, Line 10: Slight rerout on the west side of Lake 
Britton dam. Be sure to walk right, north oon the road to pick up the 
well-signed trail continuation.

P 234, Map O2: mark, Rock Creek Campground in southeast Section 27.

P 237, Col 1, Par 3, Line 3: active road: This is Rock Creek Road 
37N30, not Summit Lake Road 38N10.