Jackstraw Springs and High Meadow Springs

[slbear]

Planning a few days in SGW.  Anyone have recent water reports for these two camps?  Also curious if it will be easy to find hammock camping spots around here for 2 of us.  Thanks in advance!

[shawnsisler]

Hi Slbear,

Both camps have trees around the camp area that are usually pretty big.  There is water from springs near both camps that is flowing and will continue probably through the summer.

Make sure to bring a bear canister or hang food out reach of wild life. Also make sure to get a San Gorgonio Wilderness overnight permit at sgwa.org.

SGWA volunteer

[slbear]

Great.  Thanks for the quick response.  Permit received and I will bring larger tree straps for the hammocks.  Good info!

Roger-roger on the animal precautions as well.  I was thinking about using the Ursack if everything fits, or otherwise I’ll make my son carry the BV450.  It can do double duty as a camp stool!  I can’t wait to get up there

[Joe]

How was the water at Jackstraw? Heading up tomorrow.

[slbear]

Jackstraw Springs had good flow at two brooks on the side trail into camp.  It was my first visit, so I don’t know if it’s normal or dwindling or how to quantify it.  The first had more water, but both were easy to collect.

There was one stream with solid flow on the way up, but we didn’t need water.  You might have to hop up some rocks uphill to find a good collection spot.  After that there were several mud patches, but no good flow or collection spots that we could find until camp.  GAIA showed some streams and springs, but none of them were good, so plan accordingly.

Day two we passed a strong flowing Forsee Creek below Trail Fork Springs.  We didn’t want to give up an inch of altitude at that point.  There was no flow at the Trail Fork itself, but we found a small feeder stream further up the trail headed East towards Anderson Flat.  Coming back we found multiple streams on the other trail coming from the San Bernadino Peak side.

From Anderson Flat we headed East around Shields Peak and eventuall down into High Meadow Springs for our second night.  No water between the Trail Fork feeder creek and High Meadow Springs, and you need to walk down a very steep hill to collect there.  Water flow seems good.  It comes out of the ground, over a rock, and into our bottle – couldn’t plan it better than that, except the steep walk back up hill to camp.

Great weather and so nice to be in the mountains, but my legs were crushed by the hike from High Meadow Springs back down to the trailhead.  We started out the day climbing Alto Diablo and Anderson Peak, before we decided to hoof it all the way out.  Next time I’ll break up that last day or at least not climb a peak before hitting the 4000’+ descent.

Have fun!

• This reply was modified 10 months, 1 week ago by slbear.

[Joe]

Thank you! First time at Jackstraw. Sounds like it was a great trip!

[Joe]

Did you have any cell service at Jackstraw?

[slbear]

Verizon yes – at least where the trail splits off.  I hadn’t tried it, but got a call early day 2 as we were heading out.  I had data turned off, but not in airplane mode.  That was corrected promptly.  I use InReach to message home, but I guess I didn’t need it there.

T-Mobile did not work for my son’s phone.

[Joe]

Thanks I appreciate it! I only use it for GAIA but always like to know for emergencies. Thanks again!

[zach]

How far below trail fork springs is forsee creek? On Gaia it looks like a few hundred feet. The trip I’m planning will mostly stay on the divide, don’t want to go too far off it. Thanks!

[slbear]

Strong flow on Forsee creek was below Trail Fork.  Coming from the west you can take the trail before Anderson peak towards trail fork and you will find water first.  The western trail is much closer to the fork and less flow.

[zach]

Great, thank you! Didn’t want to carry water from sb peak trailhead to high meadow springs

[Author]

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