Kellys Camp Spring (Ontario Peak Trail)

KathyW · Post by **KathyW** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 5:57 am

Spring water shouldn't need to be filtered.

In addition, I haven't filtered/purified water taken from springs, creeks, steams, and lakes in the Sierra in years - no problems yet.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:37 am

Does anyone know the water situation at Kelly's Camp? Thanks.

friendowl · Post by **friendowl** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 9:00 am

there is ice cold water coming from the pipe behind the camp..not gushing out but it will fill a water bottle in like a minute..

i was there a few days ago....if you stay ther take bug spray or headnet and a trashbag.....theres lots of trash...next time im there im going to clean up that place...

Nate · Post by **Nate** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:39 am

I am spending the night up at Kellys Camp and have heard there is a water pipe thing that is always running. Is that true? And does anyone know if water is still running out of it after this hot, dry spell?
Thanks

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:08 am

I was at Kellys on July 3 and the water pipes (there are two) were still running. They are located across the camp away from the trail. Look for a grassy area. The first pipe has a low flow, but the second would fill a bottle in a minute. By the way, the water does not need filtering. We drink it straight without ill effects.

Nate · Post by **Nate** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 12:59 pm

Okay thanks alot

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:51 am

Any more current news? I'm going up there this weekend.

asbufra · Post by **asbufra** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:22 pm

I was there last Saturday (July 25th) and the water was flowing fine from the larger pipe. I filled and drank two bottles and did not treat them.
Water was a cool refreshment on a hot afternoon.

It has been a dry week, I wouldn't count completly on the water, I would get some at Columbine Spring first.

Nate · Post by **Nate** » Wed May 12, 2010 1:34 pm

Has any one been up to Kellys camp recently?
I've heard that they have a pipe with clean water, but when I was up there last year I could not find it. It was getting dark so I didn't look too hard, but I don't want to get stuck with out water again.

Can anyone tell me where the water is located in the camp?

Thanks,
Nate

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Wed May 12, 2010 1:50 pm

Nate,

Take a look at this map of Kelly Camp & vicinity. The water is at approximately point "A".

Here's how to find it: Go as far west as you can while still staying on the flat area upon which Kelly Camp was built. Once you get to the western edge, you should be overlooking the gully where point "A" is. Look to your left. From the left corner of the flat area, you should see a faint trail heading back into the gully. It may be covered with snow right now, but usually there's a green patch where the two pipes are coming out of the ground. Note that there are two different pipes a few feet apart. The trail doesn't drop steeply in the gully; it contours further left and only descends slightly.

If there's snow, then you're all set. Just melt snow on your stove.

HJ

Nate · Post by **Nate** » Wed May 12, 2010 3:28 pm

Thanks for the help!

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Sat Jun 12, 2010 7:35 pm

We hiked to Kelly Camp today June 12. I was surprised to see that neither of the springs at Kelly had any water. Both pipes were dry. I assume that the underground source of the water is still frozen. There were patches of snow here and there. It would be strange if these springs dried up. Icehouse Canyon creek was rampaging, Columbine had an excellent flow, and there was a small seep running across the trail about half way between the saddle and Kelly.

The volunteer who cleaned up much of the spray paint has also filled in many of the switchback cuts with piles of rocks and logs. Unfortunately, people continue to cut switchbacks. I had words with two of them today.

The visitors center now limits parking to 15 minutes. The lot was empty when we stopped to get our permit. If you are hiking the Bear Flat trail, be prepared to park elsewhere.

We passed a group of blind hikers. The sighted were leading the blind. The leader and the sweep wore orange bibs announcing "Blind Hikers". I have never seen this before. Now I am wondering if I could hike that canyon blindfolded being led by someone else. Hats off to the blind hikers.

Here is pipe #1 at Kelly:

Here is pipe #2:

The pool of water under #2 is snow melt from the slope above:

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 6:19 am

Man, I sure hope the spring is frozen, as you suggest. Springs can suddenly turn off and turn on for a variety of geological reasons. It would really be a bummer if the spring was off permanently, because it helps to make Kelly's Camp my favorite camping site in the San Gabes.

Johnny Bronson · Post by **Johnny Bronson** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:46 pm

RichardK wrote: We passed a group of blind hikers. The sighted were leading the blind. The leader and the sweep wore orange bibs announcing "Blind Hikers". I have never seen this before. Now I am wondering if I could hike that canyon blindfolded being led by someone else. Hats off to the blind hikers.

That is awesome!Truly is amazing when you see such things with clear vision.Amazing what adversity inspires.

norma r · Post by **norma r** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:37 am

great video Johnny. thanks for sharing.

Johnny Bronson · Post by **Johnny Bronson** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 8:43 am

my pleasure :thumbup:

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:27 am

As of yesterday, 10 July, there is basically no water coming out of the spring at Kelly's Camp:

I will be leading a group of backpackers up there in two weeks and we will be filling up at Columbine Spring below the saddle.

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:31 am

As of yesterday, 10 July, there is basically no water coming out of the spring at Kelly's Camp:

I will be leading a group of backpackers up there in two weeks and we will be filling up at Columbine Spring below the saddle.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:33 am

That's weird that it would dry up so early after a good snow year. Drag.

HJ

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 9:49 am

Simonov - We hiked Ontario yesterday. We must have passed on the trail. I made a point of checking Kelly's water and was surprised to see it dry. The first pipe, which never had that much flow, was dry. The water pooling under the second pipe seemed to be oozing out of the ground. Could the pipes have clogged up? I assume that these pipes are left over from the pack station days. If so, they have a lot of years on them.

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 10:21 am

I'm no geologist, but from what little I understand about these things, I have two theories:

1. Sometimes springs just dry up. The subterranean watercourse gets shifted for some reason and the water no longer appears at the surface at the usual location. I hope that's not what happened here, because it would probably be a permanent change.

2. The current dry spring is the result of the multi-year drought that ended this last winter. Despite the single good season of precipitation, the aquifer that supplied the spring has been too depleted by the several years of drought preceding it. If this is the case, then a few good years should get the spring flowing again.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 4:14 pm

That is so weird. It was fine during the drought, and now that we've had a good year it's dry? Hunh?

HJ

jfr · Post by **jfr** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 7:31 pm

I was there three weeks ago, and the pipe was barely dripping, but the water was flowing out of the ground above the pipe, and filling the pool quite nicely. We filtered our water from the pool. When I look at your before and after pictures, it seems that when the pipe was working properly the ground above the pipe was dry.

From what I understand, these spring pipes lead to a loosely-constructed wooden box that was buried underground years ago. The box has plenty of surface area and fills with water from underground seepage. The pipe extends into the box about halfway up and relieves the box of excess water. Eventually, sediment can fill the bottom half of the box and block the outflow. At that point the box fills up and the spring seeks outlet through the ground above (and downhill from) the buried box. This, I believe, is what we are seeing now.

These spring boxes are meant to be cleaned of sediment every so often, and I'm sure this one hasn't been. The men who built it may have died of old age by now. Of course, it's so old that the box itself may have collapsed.

If some kind soul hiked up there with an electrician's snake or a small plumber's snake (use a NEW plumbers snake, please - not the nasty one you used to clean your toilet and/or sink drains!) they might be able to remove the blockage in the box. Unless it collapsed. Then the only hope is a new box.

Here's my video of the spring from three weeks ago (June 19):

Compare it to what you saw yesterday. I'll bet it's flowing out of the ground about the same.

I'd rather believe that the spring/box/pipe is damaged than that the spring itself is drying up. But you might well be correct. Springs come and go, and no one really knows why...

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 6:41 am

If the box is collapsed or filled with sediments, then the artesian well will be a thing of the past. Given that it's in a Federal Wilderness Area, there's little chance the box will be repaired.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 7:51 am

simonov wrote:If the box is collapsed or filled with sediments, then the artesian well will be a thing of the past. Given that it's in a Federal Wilderness Area, there's little chance the box will be repaired.

What usually happens with a spring like the one at Kellys is that someone will see a seep or dampish area. They'll put in a spring box to improve the flow and make the water more accessible. Those pipes were a real God send when they were flowing, but if the spring box collapses or fills, the water should still be seeping. It might be possible to to dig a simple "seep pit", wait a while, let it fill, and then extract water. Dunno, but might be worth trying. Losing the water at Kellys would render a really good site far more inaccessible.

HJ

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 10:05 pm

Has anyone looked in the creek area (northeast-ish) below the camp? There is usually water down there.

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 8:36 am

We hiked Ontario Peak Saturday, Sept 18. The water situation at Kellys has not changed. The first pipe is dry. There is water pooling at the second pipe, but it is coming from underground not the pipe. As an open pool, I think you want to purify this water before using.

Someone has done a little excavation just up the hill, I assume, trying to locate a better flow.

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:02 am

I just carry my own water up from Columbine Spring and suggest other people do the same.

The realization that Kelly's is the only water available at those elevations for the bighorns, deer and other animals that live up there makes me reluctant to suck the pool dry with my Katadyn.

turtle · Post by **turtle** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:16 am

Richard K, where exactly is the pipe located at the camp? Elwood and I were through there yesterday as well, but could not locate the pipe.

Simonov, do you consider the water from Columbine safe to drink without filtering? I'd think so, given that it's coming directly out of the ground, but would like to hear some other opinions...

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:26 am

The pipes are located across the camp from the trail. From where the trail takes a left turn to head up to the Bighorn/Ontario junction, keep walking west about 100 feet. Look for a patch of green grass. There is a faint use trail leading to the pipes.

We have been drinking Columbine Spring water without treatment for 12 years - along with several thousand Koreans.

Simonov is correct. Leave this little dribble of water for the animals. Stock up at Columbine which always has a good flow.