EISPIRATEN

Since the San Gorgonio Wilderness is closed off right now due to the Valley Fire, I've been trying to cook up a plan for a nice trail run in the San Jacintos, which I'm less familiar with. My current idea is a loop/lollipop where I go from Humber Park down Ernie Maxwell Tr., up the south ridge trail to the PCT, Saddle Junction, out and back to the summit of San J, then down Devil's Slide. I've mapped it all out, and the mileage and elevation gain seem doable for me, but I'm trying to figure out water sources. The https://sanjacjon.com web site has a very nice, detailed recent description of what creeks are running, complete with photos. However, I'm unfamiliar with the south ridge trail and the section of the PCT that connects it to Saddle Junction, so I thought it might be a good idea to post here and see if the way I'm planning this makes sense to others who know the area better. Also, I think the trail system may have changed around somewhat recently due to the fire, so I wanted to check and see if anyone understood the current setup. The 2015 US Topo doesn't have trails (they no longer have them in the "US Topo" series), so the most recent USGS Topo I can download that has trails is from 1996. Here is the relevant section of the map:

From sanjacjon's description, it sounds like Wellman's Cienega is not to be counted on right now as a water source. (He shows a photo of it from last week, basically looks like a mud puddle with a cream of green scum on top.) He says that "Tahquitz Creek continues to flow well at the northern (lower) end of Little Tahquitz Meadow." Would this refer to the clearing on the map just to the right of the notation "Little Tahquitz Valley," i.e., the meadow at the southernmost of the three forks of Tahquitz Creek, the one that would cross the PCT when it was full of water? Or would it refer to the meadow marked "Tahquitz Meadow", on the middle fork? I'm thinking of making a detour from the PCT down through this area on the unnamed trail, collect water, go to the junction with Caramba Trail, then taking Caramba back up to Saddle Junction.

Can anyone give me any feedback on whether I'm correctly working out what is likely to be my most reliable water source, and whether there are post-fire changes to the trail system that I need to know about for this purpose? Thanks in advance!

Google "Cranston Fire"...

oldcoot

> Google "Cranston Fire"...

Wow, looks bad. I hope they can get it under control before it gets to Idyllwild.

bcrowell wrote: He says that "Tahquitz Creek continues to flow well at the northern (lower) end of Little Tahquitz Meadow." Would this refer to the clearing on the map just to the right of the notation "Little Tahquitz Valley," i.e., the meadow at the southernmost of the three forks of Tahquitz Creek, the one that would cross the PCT when it was full of water? Or would it refer to the meadow marked "Tahquitz Meadow", on the middle fork?

Several years ago Hikin Jim mentioned on his blog that there is usually water below the small saddle west of Point 8042, near the trail junction. But I've never been there myself. I can tell you from experience there is no water on the South Ridge Trail and, yes, Wellman Cienega is unreliable.