Water Updates

[Perry]

Round Valley faucet is still running well enough for camping and hiking.

The west side of the mountain has plenty of flowing streams between Little Round Valley and Marion Mountain Trail junction.

The stream between Marion Mountain Trail junction and Strawberry Junction is flowing slowly.

The south side of the mountain along the PCT and Willow Creek Trail has very little water, just puddles and trickles, with one exception: Willow Creek is flowing very well (and the smaller creek above it).

The Long Valley Ranger Station has chlorinated water that is available until fall when it starts freezing at night...

I had one hell of an adventure today! Forgot to buy iodine tablets, so I'm eating bananas and got my fingers crossed...

Skyline almost never has water, just in case anybody didn't know that. I did not do Skyline today, but that's just a general rule. That would be hardcore to do all that after Skyline.

[cmachler]

I'm hoping to do a two-night trip this weekend, and I'm looking at the San Jacinto area as an option. Does anyone have an updated water report?

[Guest]

Eating bananas? Did you catch the thread over on the SG bulletin board about filtering, etc.? I drank long and hard from Willow Creek on Saturday - it was flowing well, so no purification. Delicious, and I bet it was perfectly safe. Either that, or at least you'll know you aren't the only one suffering!

z

[Perry]

On July 15 the Round Valley faucet was flowing as usual. Plenty of water below Little Round Valley along the trail. Deer Springs was a slow trickle with stagnant pools. Willow Creek was flowing well. Everything else on the south side of the mountain was dried up. From Willow Creek to Deer Springs is a long ways, and if you're very picky about your water, then it's a really long ways between Willow Creek and Little Round Valley.

[guest]

A couple little streams are still feeding into Round Valley drainage from Tamarack.
Hey Perry, who come your peeing green!
I did that Saddle, Strawberry, San Jac loop in 2 1/2 hrs. with a nap and smoke break!!!

ss

[Perry]

I did that Saddle, Strawberry, San Jac loop in 2 1/2 hrs. with a nap and smoke break!!!

Sounds like it took 7 hours, felt like 14 hours, but you over-compensated with your estimation...

[Perry]

I drank long and hard from Willow Creek on Saturday - it was flowing well, so no purification. Delicious, and I bet it was perfectly safe. Either that, or at least you'll know you aren't the only one suffering!

z

Two things:

1. There is more than just giardia in those waters, probably on the west side below Little Round Valley, but it could also be Willow Creek. Without testing, it's hard to say. I'm not even going to drink from the Round Valley faucet anymore without purifying.

2. Follow the instructions exactly. Don't try to save money on iodine tablets. Don't be impatient and drink too soon. Stay about 30 minutes ahead of your water needs.


Edit: After some testing it appears that I did not catch anything from Mt. San Jacinto this summer, but somebody did get giardia from the Round Valley faucet.

[Dan-oh]

Wellman's Cienaga has plenty of water for filtering and treating, though it's not running very fast. It running nicely off the bank and you can fill directly into a container for chemical treatment or pump in from the small basin. The most northern source is best while the south I'd only use as an emergency source.

From our 8-19-06 trip.

[iamwill]

Hi All. I'm planning a 3 day trip over labor day weekend starting from Fern Basin > Round Valley > Strawberry Junction > Fern Basin.

Anyone know the water conditions for any of those areas? This map shows a few streams and campsites along the way but I heard Strawberry Junction is pretty dry right now.

http://www.sanjac.statepark.org/map.pdf

Any help would be extremely appreciated.

I'll be sure to post an update back here after my trip.

Thanks!
Will

[MaRm0t!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

heh, i was in yosemite yesterday, ran out of water while coming down from half dome after doing clouds rest and half dome and i put my bottle under a small waterfall, and drank without a filter, hopefully nothing happens....i dont think anything will.