Water in the Wrightwood Area?

[hikin_jim]

I'm planning on hiking on Labor Day in the Wrightwood Area and may come up the night before to backcountry camp.  Are there any springs or streams flowing  in the Wrightwood Area?

I'm a backcountry kind of guy; I camp with a hammock.  All I need is a stream or spring and a couple of trees about 12 - 20' apart with no brush in between.

[Wildman]

There was a reliable spring just below Guffy campground that used to provide water for the old water tank up there.  There is a trail/road that drops down a hundred feet or so below Guffy.  The spring was in a spring house.

Next water might be down in the canyon at Cabin Flats.  That should be running.
It's a riparian area and has plenty of places to hang your hammock.  For a nice jaunt, drop down from Baden Powell trailhead into Mine Gulch.

[hikin_jim]

Regarding that spring in the vic. of Guffy, is that on the North side of the ridge?

Cabin Flat is a good one.  I think my Honda Accord sedan can make it down there; maybe I'll consider that one.

[Chesslike]

This is a photo of the spring house, that Wildman refers to, that is below Guffy on the north side. There is a pipe next to it that is usually running water that is drinkable.

[hikin_jim]

Wow.  Talk about "service with a smile." Even a photo.  Thanks!   

Another question:  Wildman mentioned Vincent Gulch.  How far down would I have to go before I could count on water?  2 miles?  4? 

I think that at least there would be water when I hit the confluence with Prairie Fork.  Does that sound like a reasonable assumption?

[Wildman]

That confluence was what I was referring to.  3-4 miles would be about right. 
There are remains of old mining stakes down there buried among the alders.

[hikin_jim]

OK, got it (so I'm a little slow ).  Some years, I've seen water further up. 

Anywhere to pitch a tent near the confluence?  I can toss my hammock pretty much anywhere, but a friend of mine with a backpacking tent may come with me.  We'd want to go down from Vincent Gap and possibly camp near the confluence. 

Alternatively, we could walk from there to Cabin Flat, but I'm sort of thinking that Cabin Flat will be full since it's Labor Day weekend.

We could also drive over to Cabin Flat and hike from there down to the confluence mentioned above.I've never been down to the confluence from Cabin Flat.  Are there any places to pitch a tent along in there?

We could also hike from Cabin Flat to Fish Creek.   I would think Fish Cr. would have water, but I don't think there's any place to camp there.  Anyone know of a place to pitch a tent in the Fish Creek area? 

I think there's a trail from the Fish Cr area up to the trail that runs from Blue Ridge over Pine and Dawson.  Anyone know the condition of that trail? 

Sorry.  A lot of questions I know.  My friend just called me and said he'd like to come along, so I'm scrambling a bit to find a way to accomodate him and his tent. 

[Toolman]

Hik'n Jim... you can't drive to Cabin Flat....hike in only, and not so for a few years so no worries on it being full until hunting season. There is water in the stream along Cabin Flat on the south side. You can drive to Lupine and hike in to Cabin Flat, but the trick is you need to veer to the right in the middle of the wash out and veer north in the canyon to pick up the road that still exsists to the north. Hike west from Lupine Camp (approx. 1/4 mi.) and look for a large Jeffry Pine that seems to split the wash and veer right to the road that led into Cabin. It takes some boulder and tree hopping to get to the road but it's an easy hike. Berry bushes and bear scat still fresh there.

 If you come from the Vincent Gap side, there is water in Lamel Spring but it's 2.0 mi. up hill out of the way. To get to Cabin from Vincent Gap, Take the trail leading to the mine and veer left downhill into Lupine Camp at about 1/8 mi. That route will be about 6mi. into Cabin Flat. Beware of snakes and the berry bushes still have berry's on them on that trail also, so keep an eye out for our friendly bears. 

 I was at both locations last weekend so the conditions should be the same this weekend.

 I don't know for fact, but have been told the water supply at Guffy has been dry for awhile. I do know the other water supply I mention is available because I've been there recently.

 

[hikin_jim]

Verrry cool!   I wasn't too enthusiastic about Cabin Flat because I was thinking "cars = noise," but if the road is closed, well no offense to any car campers, but so much the better for a hiker.  I'll pull out my maps and check it out.

[hikin_jim]

Regarding Guffy:  Here's a link that shows water reports along the PCT:  http://www.4jeffrey.net/pct/a.htm.  It's last report for Guffy was 6/30/07, so who knows. 

If I go to Cabin Flat, I'll post something here about the water at Guffy.

[NOONE-5150]

Should be no problem finding water anywhere in WW, today.  Except may-be your spickot.

[Stitches]

LOL