20101006 Seven Pines to San J

[lilbitmo]

Sam and I needed to get back to San J it had been almost a year since either of us had been out there.

Be extremely careful it's hunting season, just making you aware of the fact not adding an opinion one way or the other, we did encounter hunters on the trail and others parked along the dirt road leading to the trailhead.

This post will be called "Signs" as there's plenty to choose from, both old and new.

There's water flowing from the North Fork of the San Jacinto River (creek to me but what do I know) in at least 5 spots, anywhere from 6,900 feet at or below first crossing all the way to two spots just below Little Round Valley Camping area.

There were at least 15 tents at Deer Springs Camp area, some of them quite large can anyone tell me if this is a "trail maintenance camp" or some other long term camp? What are they doing? Looks to me like they have been there for quite some time.

The summit had ten people when we arrived, then it was like a wave of immigrants getting off the boat at "Ellis Island" they came in wave after wave for the next 45 minutes. There was trash stuffed down into the rocks everywhere up there, some of it unreachable without a large long reaching retriveable device - might be time for a clean up group hike, I'm finding this more and more on summits, just simply sad if you ask me.

I had no idea that Owl's Drank or made liquor
(Noun 1. hootch - an illicitly distilled (and usually inferior) alcoholic liquor)

And as Sam pointed out, why does a campsite need a "name" and a "number" what do they think we can't read or cannot count?

All the signs from Deer Springs Camp to the other end of Little Round Valley camp area are all brand new, thanks to those that did that.

The weather was cool most of the day which made for a good day on the mountain. Good to be back in the San J area

Rest of pictures can be found
Here
They are in the exact opposite order I uploaded them but you know goodole "photobucket" likes to do it's own thing and the forum here erased my original post so this is the second upload it took to get this done, niceeeeeeee

[Hikin_Jim]

Nice photos, Charlie, er, I mean Patrick.

What the heck is this? A hunters camp? Looks like a danged whole lot of 'em.


That doesn't look like it was in LRV, but based on the (reverse) order of the photos it's inside the wilderness. I thought camping was illegal there??

You need to get you a picasaweb account, bro. You can sort the photos in any order. It's pretty good IMHO. And free.

HJ

P.S. Sam sure is looking good these days.

[lilbitmo]

Nice photos, Charlie, er, I mean Patrick.

What the heck is this? A hunters camp? Looks like a danged whole lot of 'em.


That doesn't look like it was in LRV, but based on the (reverse) order of the photos it's inside the wilderness. I thought camping was illegal there??

It's not Little Round Valley it's Deer Springs Camp and my first thought was like your's, WTH (Heck). There were people all over this camp area and they'd been there for sometime, wondered if they were trail maintenance or something else?

Hope someone chimes in with details. This is a good mile below Little Round Valley just before the junction with Marion Mnt Trial/Seven Pines/PCT where they all split and really close to where the PCT branches off to Fuller Ridge.

P.S. Sam sure is looking good these days.

Sam does look good in those Bicycle shorts - I'm worried about him, he's shaving his legs again

[Hikin_Jim]

I think that it's the Calif. Conservation Corps or Youth Conservation Corps that's been doing a lot of maint. on that side of the mountain. I assume that's their camp. It's so substantial it's not like the rangers could miss it, so they must have permission. I think this is where all those new signs are coming from.

Kinda funny though how the average hiker cannot camp in that are because it's "overused" but they can set up a semi-permanent encampment with what looks like dozens of people and it won't hurt a thing. Harumph.

And don't get me started on using mechanical "mules" over in Round Valley to "restore" the meadow.

HJ

[jfr]

From the CCC website "Hard work, low pay, miserable conditions ... and more!"
http://www.ccc.ca.gov/locations/inlande ... ndnew.aspx

Anyway, the above link is about this year's work in Round Valley. Last year, in August 2011, the CCC were camped in that same exact place at Deer Springs. They did some really nice trailwork (stonework) rebuilding sections of the PCT/Fuller Ridge Trail, and probably made some of those new signs in LRV this year. I'm not a big fan of more signs in the wilderness, but sometimes I wish that they'd put some in Round Valley and Tamarack Valley, as most people can't find the official campsites when they backpack in the first time, and end up camping right next to the meadow due to confusion, especially when arriving at/after dusk. Better signs would help. And don't worry: Those bright new signs will be old and gray soon enough. Just like all of us...

Jim: The Deer Springs contingent was obviously supplied via horses/mules last summer, as seen by the "evidence" left on the trail. I'm not sure which mule is worse, to tell the truth...

Patrick: I've never been on the Seven Pines Trail - was it nice? And how was the road to the trailhead? Could you get there without 4WD?

[lilbitmo]

Patrick: I've never been on the Seven Pines Trail - was it nice? And how was the road to the trailhead? Could you get there without 4WD?

Seven Pines is fun hike there's some great views.

Getting up the road from where it changes from blacktop to dirt is not bad at all. We were in a mini-van, the Sam kid special

Once again it's a high traffic area for hunters just reminding everyone that they should be loud and wear bright colors on that side of the mountian until the season comes to an end.

[DaddyLongLegs]

Ha! Definitely not me in those bicycle shorts.

[Hikin_Jim]

Ha! Definitely not me in those bicycle shorts.

Oh, sure. Why do you think they call you the long legged "daddy?"

HJ

[DaddyLongLegs]

Ha! Definitely not me in those bicycle shorts.

Oh, sure. Why do you think they call you the long legged "daddy?"

HJ

Yer funny!

[DaddyLongLegs]

Here's my TR.