PCT in Laguna Mountains

[rpm4463]

Last weekend I checked water sources along the PCT in the Laguna Mts. These are along the Sunrise HWY.

Pioneer Mail
Penny Pines
Desert View picknick area
various sources in Laguna
I was told Burnt Ranch cg water is turned off, but water in Laguna
Cibbets Creek cg

I'm sure the seasonal creeks between Laguna and Cibbets Creek cg will have water from the recent rain/snow.

I'm planning to hit the trail this coming thursday, Sunrise TH to I8.

[asabat]

Last weekend I checked water sources along the PCT in the Laguna Mts.

By saying you checked the water sources are you saying there was in fact water there? Thanks!

[rpm4463]

Yes, I checked them first hand. Probably more now with the snow. I'll be on the trail thursday-sunday.

[asabat]

Thanks!

[rpm4463]

My wife and I just returned from our 3 1/2 day PCT trip through the Laguna Mountains yesturday morning. We hiked north to south starting at Sunrise TH and ended at I-8 near Kitchen Creek Road. The first night we spent at Pioneer Mail picknick area. There was splenty of water (frozen in the morning) in the water tank. Officially you are not suppose to camp there, but nobody asked us questions. Later in the spring rangers may kick people out of the area.

The second day our intent was to hike to Laguna Lodge. We stopped for lunch at Penney Pines (water spigot frozen) and continued towards Laguna. By the time we reached the area of Al Bahr Camp the snow was over 12" deep and we were making slow progress. We decided to detour on the road and walk to the lodge. We got a rooom for the night and ate cheeseburgers.

The third day started back on the sunrise hwy, then we turned east on Thing Valley Road (just south of Mt. Laguna fire station). The road was not plowed, but several vehicles had packed the snow/ice to allow easy hiking. This road swings south and intersects PCT. We post-holed for about 30 minutes then the snow started to thin out in the exposed sunlight. We left the first tracks in the snow. By the time we reached Lower Morris Meadow the trail had little snow except in shaded areas. Long Creek had good water, but most of the trail was under 8" of snow because the valley is in the shade all day long. We camped at Cibbets Flat cg (from Fred Canyon Road). There is a fee for camping, but you pitch a tent outside the campground and get water from several spigots or the creek.

Day four (Christmas) we hiked to Kitchen Creek road, then our ride picked us up at I-8. There was a little bit of water in Fred Canyon, but no much. From Cibbets to Kitchen Creek road took us 2 hours.

[asabat]

Thanks for the water info. I updated the PCT water report at
http://pct.4jeffrey.net