Strawberry Loop

[Ellen]

Howdy All

Sally, Marilyn and I took the first tram up on Sunday. I enjoy doing the loop in the clockwise direction (Wellman's>Strawberry>Deer Springs>LRV>San J) so that I peak out on San Jacinto towards the end of the hike.

It was pretty toasty for May -- near 60 degrees at the peak at 1:30 PM and 70 degrees at 4 PM at the tram. I went through all three liters of fluid.

I was saddened by the low flow of water at the usual spots and complete lack of water at LRV. Highlights of the day -- kicking back on the peak, seeing a fellow wearing a Superman Speedo get his picture taken by the summit sign and seeing three deer in Tamarack. Lowlight of the day -- picking up a piece of paper with a infantile, lewd message by the lovely pinecone-adorned rock on Deer Springs.

Great Arrogant at the tram bar and food at Las Casuelas.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[Hikin_Jim]

Wow. LRV is dry in May? Yipes. Gonna be a tough water year up on the mountain.

How's Deer Springs looking? Has the California Youth Conservation Corps or whatever they're called re-opened their encampment there? There was a lot off gear there when I went through there in November. Kinda weird how they won't let backpackers camp there or have fires but the state trail crew basically built a campground and had multiple fire pits.

HJ

[Sally]

Hi HJ - I saw a stagnant puddle about a foot in diameter where the trail crosses into LRV. Deer Springs is looking OK, but obviously not spectacular.

The CYCC was no longer at the encampment, but you could really tell that something big had been located there. They didn't make a huge effort to return the area back to its natural state, but it was clean.

Although the wildflowers haven't started blooming yet, I really enjoyed seeing the fresh new sprouts of skunk cabbage and fiddle-back ferns popping their heads through the loam. Also I haven't seen deer up there in a while so it was a treat to see them in Tamarack yesterday.

Thank you Ellen and Marilyn for the superb company!

[arocknoid]

Thanks Sally and Ellen for the TR and conditions update.

Woe be the dog days of summer if we aren't graced with a bit o' monsoonal rainfall.

(As for the Superman Speedo comment: I want that image out of my brain. And June 16th is just around the corner...)

NB that the deer at Tamarack are one of the reasons for rerouting traffic away from the Sid Davis area. Go gently into that good . zone.

Best of all, Ellen: only your spirits were sanguine!

kind regards,
arocknoid

[Hikin_Jim]

Hi HJ - I saw a stagnant puddle about a foot in diameter where the trail crosses into LRV.

Oh, boy. That's normally the best spot to collect water. If there's no water there, there's no water.

HJ