Fobes Spring?

[Hikin_Jim]

Is Fobes Spring near Fobes Saddle on the Desert Divide still usable? I used it in 2013 on a hike up the PCT along the Desert Divide, but I've seen no recent mention of it. It is (or was) a pipe with a faucet at about 5780' just west of a small drainage (Fobes Canyon). The drainage is marked as an intermittent creek. The spring is not marked on the map. Position is roughly 33.69239, -116.61551. Map link: https://caltopo.com/m/VTF191E

Fobes Spring is obtained from Fobes Saddle by proceeding generally NW from the saddle and crossing the aforementioned small drainage at about 0.5 miles from the saddle. The spring is maybe 0.1 (if that) miles past the small drainage.

To be clear, this is not the spring marked on the map on the new Fobes Trail/Fobes Ranch Trail that heads primarily south to the modern trailhead and bypasses the private land of Fobes Ranch. The spring I'm talking about is on the old trail that goes through Fobes Ranch (that pretty much no one uses anymore except perhaps to get to Fobes Spring).

Anyone got any info?

HJ

[bretpct]

Hi Jim,

I'm sure you checked the PCT water report already, but just in case you didn't, the most recent references are from 2019

6/6/19 (John & Emily) : Route to spring is 115 feet along (slightly down) the Fobes Trail, on the right side. The trail follows a gentle down grade down 235 feet in
elevation. The total distance to the spring is a hair shy of 1 km. Spring is at UTM 11S 535615 3728210
4/12/19 (Lonewalker) : From Fobes Saddle, walk a short distance down Fobes Trail, West. A thin use trail will take off to the Right, heading essentially North for .5
miles and sometimes marked by a small sign that says "water". The trail leads to a dead end dirt road from Fobes Ranch. Walk down the deteriorated dirt road
approx 100' to a spring box and large blue rubbermaid bucket, fed by a forest service tap. Good flat spot to camp.

I checked FarOut, and it's not listed on there and there are no comments mentioning it on the nearby waypoints.

[Hikin_Jim]

I'm sure you checked the PCT water report already, but just in case you didn't, the most recent references are from 2019

Yeah, I saw those. It's probably still there in some form, I just wonder if the spigot is operational.

I checked FarOut, and it's not listed on there and there are no comments mentioning it on the nearby waypoints.

Yeah, that's why I'm asking here.

What I'll probably do is head over there on my trip, and, if Fobes is out of commission, then I'll head to Apache Spring, but that's a poor second best. I don't recall any camp sites around Apache Spring, but there are a number of good sites in and around Fobes Saddle.

HJ