Kellys Camp Spring (Ontario Peak Trail)

lik2hik · Post by **lik2hik** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:17 am

I was out by Ontario Peak this Sat. (8/2) and water was flowing out of the pipe at Kelly Camp spring at just about 1 liter per minute.

FIGHT ON · Post by **FIGHT ON** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:56 pm

lik2hik wrote:I was out by Ontario Peak this Sat. (8/2) and water was flowing out of the pipe at Kelly Camp spring at just about 1 liter per minute.

Did you drink that water out of the pipe?

lik2hik · Post by **lik2hik** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 12:04 pm

Yes indeed!

After I treated it with a Steri-Pen...
I'm sure it would be fine just the way it comes out though.

Dudley Heinsbergen · Post by **Dudley Heinsbergen** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:47 pm

Ontario peak/Bighorn from Icehouse this weekend. Any water at Kelly's spring or is it only at Columbine spring?

Post by **HikeUp** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:39 pm

Here's an earlier post regarding Kelly Camp water.

I don't recall a more recent 1st hand account but I recommend searching the forum for something more recent. I've heard it is not as reliable as Columbine. Columbine was flowing nicely 2 weeks ago.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 9:54 am

If you have time, post an update on the water at Kellys. I bet it's still running, albeit slowly. I drank the water straight out of the pipe last time I was there (July). Good and cold.

lik2hik · Post by **lik2hik** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 5:58 pm

Was up there today (8/31). The pipe is still flowing. It took a little over a minute-and-a-half to fill a 1 liter bottle. 4 weeks ago, it was 1 liter per minute, so hopefully it will keep going for some time yet!

lik2hik · Post by **lik2hik** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:05 pm

As of 8/31, the pipe is still flowing. It takes a little over 1 1/2 minutes to fill a 1 liter bottle. 4 weeks ago, it took a minute. So it is slowing down, but hopefully it will keep on going for a while yet.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 9:30 am

Thnx for the update.

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 6:12 am

I'm going to be leading a couple groups of noob backpackers up to Kelly's Camp this summer and I was wondering if anyone had any advice concerning this particular camp. I'll go up for an overnight sometime before I take the noobs, but in the meantime I thought I'd ask around for some information.

For example, how reliable is the water there? I gather it's pretty reliable, though Columbine is most reliable of all. It's just a bit of a drag carrying a lot of water up the hill from Columbine. Can I depend on water in August?

And what about bears? I insist everyone use bearproof containers when overnighting in the San Gorgonio Wilderness, but is this necessary in the San Gabriels?

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:17 am

There is a spring at Kellys at the western end of the camp. Here is a picture made in June 2008. The flow in August may or may not be this much. Columbine always has water even in the driest years.

A few years ago, a ranger told us a story. Some Boy Scouts were camping at Kellys when a bear entered the camp in the middle of the night. Scouts and leaders were so scared that they packed up and hiked out in the dark. I have seen signs in Baldy Village warning residents not to put out wet garbage until the day of pickup due to bears. So, it looks like there are bears around.

lik2hik · Post by **lik2hik** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:22 am

Simonov:
Last year, I checked out the spring a couple of times in August. On 8/2 it was flowing at about 1 liter per minute. On 8/31 it was down to about 2/3 liter per minute. Based on that, it seems to gradually slow down over a fairly long period of time. So if you check it out ahead of time, you should have a pretty good indication.
I guess a lot would depend on how much rain/snow and when. Hopefully we will do much better this year than last year.

Bear cans are a good way to teach noobs how to pack food efficiently.

Have fun!

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:00 pm

I saw that you were leading some noob classes to Kellys on the OCHBC site. Good choice for a location. A little tougher than Johns Meadow but should be OK for people in reasonable shape.

You may already know exactly where the two pipes are (there are two by the way, both within maybe 15' of each other), but just in case, here's an excerpt from an Ontario Peak TR with some detail as to where the "springs" are:

Basically, when you get to Kellys Camp, which is marked with a sign, you'll find a large flat area. Go to the western most edge of the flat area. At the western most edge of the flat area, you'll find yourself overlooking a gully. On the southmost (left) portion of the western most edge of the flat area, you'll see a use trail leading toward a bright green spot consisting of a patch of short lush grass. Follow the use trail (it's maybe +/-30' long) to the grassy area and look for a small pipe (see the photo in the Kelly Camp Spring thread here in the Trip Reports section) coming out of the ground. You don't have to drop much into the gully. The use trail descends just a bit on a gradual incline. If you find yourself really dropping into the gully, you're off track. Be careful of course not to disturb the pipe when you collect water. It's flushed out continuously so long as it's undisturbed but you could shake loose something if you were to jiggle the pipe. There's a small pool below the pipe if you prefer to filter.

Post by **Taco** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 4:25 pm

As for bears... I've spent a bunch of time climbing on Ontario's Northern side, and have seen a small "family" of bears once. I guess it couldn't hurt, but if you didn't get it in time or whatever, no biggie.

Post by **HikeUp** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:38 pm

I saw this bear on the trail up to Icehouse Saddle above Columbine Spring...

https://eispiraten.com/viewtopic.php?t=738

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:31 am

The bears in most local areas are nothing like the bears up in the Sierra. I normally bring an Ursack just out of prudence, but many of my friends still bear bag. We've never lost any food anywhere in the San Gabs/San Berdoos/San Jacs, but then we've hardly seen any bears and those we have seen just turned around and left when they saw us.

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:18 am

Except in the Vivian Creek area in the San Gorgonio Wilderness, I look at bearproofing mostly as a matter of bear training; the bears aren't really a problem, and won't be so long as they never learn to get food from backpackers. So I'll always advise my noobs to bring and use bearproof containers. I was surprised to learn from this thread that bears really are active in the Icehouse Canyon area. That's good to know.

I generally advise against bearbagging because in 30 years I have never once seen it done correctly (except at Bearpaw Meadown in Seki, where they had cables put up). It is very, very difficult to do right. If people employ useless bearbagging methods in places, like SoCal, where bears aren't really a problem, they will be in for a surprise if they try the same techniques in the Sierras or Cascades.

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:21 am

Both springs at Kellys were flowing. The second spring, about 20 feet past the first, had the better flow.
We drank from the second. The water is good. Here are pictures of both:

Post by **Taco** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:06 pm

No filtration before you drank it?

Am I the only one who gets sick from springs in the Icehouse Canyon area?

EnFuego · Post by **EnFuego** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:08 pm

TacoDelRio wrote:Am I the only one who gets sick from springs in the Icehouse Canyon area?

I've never got sick from those springs. and I consider myself to have a weak stomache.

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Sun May 31, 2009 4:27 pm

My wife and I filled two 750ml bottles at Kellys and drank them. 24 hours later, we are fine. Over the last dozen years, we have consumed gallon upon gallon from Columbine all without ill effect.

hillbasher · Post by **hillbasher** » Sun May 31, 2009 9:48 pm

Was there water at the spring just below Ice House Canyon Saddle?

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:39 am

TacoDelRio wrote:No filtration before you drank it?

Am I the only one who gets sick from springs in the Icehouse Canyon area?

That water is the purest in the world.

You aren't getting sick from the water in Icehouse Canyon, you're getting sick from the taco stand burritos you eat after every hike.

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:46 am

TacoDelRio wrote:No filtration before you drank it?

Am I the only one who gets sick from springs in the Icehouse Canyon area?

I've never got sick from it but I've always filtered it.....

I'm a bit of the "Canary in the coal mine" when it come to water borne illness, I don't see the harm in filtering. Considering the consequences...

Matt

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:07 am

Since giardia seems to be about as common a malaise in California as leprosy, I have long been convinced that the evangelism of the importance of water filtering is a product of the water filter manufacturing industry, as well as retailers like REI.

There was a link here or at SummitPost to a recent scientific survey on water quality in the California backcountry, and they found almost no dangerous micro organisms in the water anywhere in the state. I wish I can find that link. Maybe the water filtering industry suppressed it!

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:34 am

Here is a link to a backcountry water purity report:

http://www.pcta.org/help/join/magazines/SierraWater.asp

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 12:52 pm

hillbasher - I don't remember if the small spring or creek below the saddle had water or not. We will be back that way next Saturday. I can check then. This source is always the first to dry up, usually by early summer. So, you can't really count on it.

Ze Hiker · Post by **Ze Hiker** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:52 pm

TacoDelRio wrote:No filtration before you drank it?

Am I the only one who gets sick from springs in the Icehouse Canyon area?

I told you before, you've got to drink the water before relieving yourself in it. One day you'll learn.

Post by **Taco** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:41 pm

Zé wrote:
TacoDelRio wrote:No filtration before you drank it?

Am I the only one who gets sick from springs in the Icehouse Canyon area?
I told you before, you've got to drink the water before relieving yourself in it. One day you'll learn.

Is that why? They should put up signs to warn people like me of these things!

Richard N. · Post by **Richard N.** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:01 pm

The water @ Kelly's Camp and the water at the spring below the Ice House Saddle are both gold. Neither should every require filtering. I have never gotten water farther down the canyon where all the people hang out. If I ever was to, I'd more than likely filter that.

The fact of the matter is that most people never get guardia. They get sick from bad hygiene. FACT!!!
Ask yourself this, how come so many hikers on Danali get so called guardia??? The fact is they do not. They get sick from all the human waste in the snow already. BAD HYGIENE!!! Not cleaning themselves properly when taking care of business.

The water filer company's made a big scare in the mid to late 70's and everyone started buying filters. Well let see, who gained from that????

I have been hiking in the Angeles and San Bernardino Mountain since the early 60's and I NEVER used a filter back then. In every location I drank from then I still drink the water without filtering. I have never gotten sick. I just do not gather water in areas where the human populations are the greatest.

I NEVER take water out of the Arroyo. NEVER. To many people playing and doing whatever in the water.
I do not use water in the East Fork unless I gather in above the Bridge to Nowhere. Below the Bridge I don't even bother filtering. I could but why if I don't have to.

In the Sierra's I filter almost any where I gather water. To much of an impact already by man & his animals.