The San Jacinto Water Project

[Hikin_Jim]

I'm compiling a map. This map is a listing of water sources close to primary hiking trails in the San Jacinto Mountains. Here's my San Jacinto Water map so far. Basically, I mark each water source with a blue dot, give the name of the water source as I know it* (some have multiple names), and then a rating from Roman numeral I to V as follows:
I - Unreliable. Assume no water unless you have a current report to the contrary.
II - Less reliable. Water typically in early season although water possibly later in wet years.
III - More reliable. Water frequently into late season.
IV - Very reliable. Water almost always into late season.
V. Extremely reliable. Water always into late season even in multi-year droughts.

Now, I need your help. I don't pretend to know all the water sources in the San Jacinto Mountains. I've got a good number documented, but I know that there are more. Particularly in the Skunk Cabbage Meadows area I know there are more. So, please, if you have other water sources and can reasonably describe their location, please post here. A dot plotted on a map is good. Please, if you can, give some idea of the reliability source, and if there is a name by which it is commonly known, please give the name as well. A lot of what I have on the map is from memory; my memory could be wrong, so please speak up if I've listed something wrong. Some areas I am very familiar with (like the west side water sources along the Deer Springs, Marion Mountain, and Seven Pines Trails), so please don't be offended if I push back a little on some. But in the give-and-take, perhaps we can get something really valuable put together as a resource for hikers, particularly in this time of drought.

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS:
Do I have "Candy's Spring" right? Or is it "Candy's Creek?" I know there's a wooden sign by it (or at least there was before the fire), but I can't remember the exact position or name.

HJ

*In some cases I have given a name to a source based on surrounding features or in at least one case personal predilections (Joyce Spring). Traditionally, after all, it is the map makers prerogative to name things. How do you think we got Marion Mountain and Jean Peak? The Cartographer was sweet on two women and named two summits after them. He wound up marrying Marion if I recall correctly.

[arocknoid]

Jim, you're putting together *Another* terrific resource.
Continued drought makes the need even more compelling.
Thanks a mill. (eyeroll for two-rail pun)

Speaking of water, 'twas Jean Waters who became the bride of topographer E.T. Perkins.
Marion (Kelly) was a schoolteacher with the Indian Bureau; schoolmarm meme--always a bridesmaid, never a bride, unlike Marion the Librarian ( another movie curveball for Ellen ;-}

Thanks again for the water resource project, HJ.

kind regards,
arocknoid

[Hikin_Jim]

Jim, you're putting together *Another* terrific resource.
Continued drought makes the need even more compelling.

I hope it will be a good resource. I tend to catalog these things in my mind anyway, so why not put it down on paper? (Er, virtual paper anyway) There's a lot of good detail there already, particularly on the west side. My knowledge of points south of the Tahquitz Creek drainage is quite a bit more limited, and my knowledge of the area around Skunk Cabbage meadow needs some improvement.

Thanks a mill.

Well, it will take a while to grind this out; in the mean time, I'll continue to pump the members hereon for information...

Speaking of water, 'twas Jean Waters who became the bride of topographer E.T. Perkins.

Ah! How very appropriate in every way. The single most reliable natural water source in the high country of the San Jacintos is Bed Springs, which lies on the western flank of none other than Jean Peak.

HJ

[whitebark]

Your map will be a great resource!

I can think of a couple more springs to add.

Palm View Peak Spring

It is in the little basin east of Palm View Peak - right at the bottom of the "V" in "View" on your map. Unknown reliability, probably class 1. It was trickling in March this year when I visited it.

Fuller Ridge Trailhead Spring

This one shows up in the list of water sources in the PCT Water Report web site. Find the end of the Fuller Ridge trail on your map. In reality, the trail ends at a parking lot, although that is not apparent on the map. Shown on your map, there is a minor road heading south from where the parking lot is. The road now is just a trail. The spring is located at the end of the mapped "road". The reliability of the spring is unknown, maybe class 1 or 2. It was running strongly when I was there in May after a heavy snow year.

Creek at 6400' in Black Mountain north basin

This water source is handy for hikers going up or down the PCT snow creek switchbacks. Also a listed water source on the PCT water report site. FInd Camp Lackey on your map, north east of the Fuller Ridge Trailhead. North of the camp is a benchmark , elev 6470. Just south of the benchmark, your map indicates two creeks coming together. I camped at this location (a nice spot) and the stream was running strongly in May after a heavy snow year. The PCT water report site says that this creek is dry now.

[Hikin_Jim]

Excellent. I've added those three sources to the San Jacinto Water map. I'm not sure the spring at the Fuller Ridge trailhead is a very reliable source, but for someone starting on the PCT in April of an average rainfall year, it's probably worth knowing about. No harm in marking it though, and I've listed it as a "I" (unreliable).

Thank you,

HJ

[Nick-SJM]

Candy's Creek. This is actually a drainage that comes down from Skunk Cabbage Meadow, although generally, even in wet years, it does not have much water except where it crosses the Laws Trail just north-east of Reed's Meadow. I've been told that Candy was a former Forest Service employee and some other former Forest Service employees keep putting up a sign with her name on it and other Forest Service employees come by and take it down. She must have made someone mad.

[Hikin_Jim]

Candy's Creek. This is actually a drainage that comes down from Skunk Cabbage Meadow, although generally, even in wet years, it does not have much water except where it crosses the Laws Trail just north-east of Reed's Meadow. I've been told that Candy was a former Forest Service employee and some other former Forest Service employees keep putting up a sign with her name on it and other Forest Service employees come by and take it down. She must have made someone mad.

Interesting. Seems like the sign has always been there every time that I have been by, but it did strike me as home grown and unofficial.

So, Nick, is the position on the map correct for Candy's Creek? Totally from memory. Haven't been by since the fire and have never GPS waypointed it.

HJ

[Florian]

Round Valley spigot dry today, 5/30. There was a bit of water in the creek east of RV. No water at Sid Davis junction. The Long Valley Cr point you have on map near the ranger station is also dry. Long Valley ranger station has water as does tramway.

-Florian

[zippetydude]

Cool map Jim. What with this and your other online resources (like the SGW interactive map) you've got some really valuable stuff going on...I (and I am sure there are many others as well) really appreciate it!

Here's hopin' you need to add a whole lot of additional water sources in a few months:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/ ... _ever.html

There appears to be excellent atmospheric coupling (which was the critical element that never materialized last year when the El Nino flopped) and the other elements are in place and surprisingly strong. Sure would be welcome!

z

[Florian]

Also, although it is outside of the fire closure boundary on your map, there is a "trail closed" sign at the trail junction north of Hidden Lake.

-Florian