[pct-l] Water South of Saddle Junction

[wpsnotebook at charter.net (Richard Woods)]

Don't know about the water this year, but I have a caution for leaving 
Cedar Spring back up to the PCT northbound.
Yep, the trail in is about a mile and a half, and 500 feet below the 
PCT. The PCT tends to the NNW, and the Cedar Spring trail tends NNE. 
Some, but not all, maps show a secondary trail leading back up the 
ridge line NW from Cedar Spring. Looks like a shortcut, but Don't Go 
There! Yes, there is a trail leading in that direction at first, but it 
soon turns NE and down a ridge to reservation lands in the foothills.

Near as I can tell this must be an old fire break that has completely 
overgrown now. We found traces of it trying to find the 'trail' marked 
on some of our maps. Four hours of bushwhacking uphill through some 
extremely nasty chaparral got the five of us back to the PCT, nearly 
out of water and bleeding profusely from multiple scratches and 
abrasions head to toe. We were really, really chagrined that we were so 
stubborn to keep going instead of giving in to common sense and turning 
around as soon as we found the trail headed the wrong direction.

Mo Jo