[pct-l 55] Apr 21 - section D from Sulphur Spring TH to Mt Pacifico TH

[David Hough reading PCT-L]

Despite being advised that the next bit east of where I'd been on Apr 20
had not been cleared, I decided to go for it anyway.

When I asked Google how to get from Palmdale to Sulphur Spring trailhead, 
it suggested road 5N04.   A look at the Angeles National Forest map showed
that this is an OHV route, and anyway it turned out to be locked at
Sulphur Spring and probably the other end too.    I took the Angeles
Forest Highway to Big Tujunga Canyon to Angeles Crest Highway past Chilao
to the Sulphur Spring road, which is paved to the trailhead.    My turnaround
point was to be the Mt Pacific trailhead. 

The first 1.5 miles and the last 1.5 miles were easy hiking.   But in between,

Good News:  Fiddlehead Spring is still seeping, though not flowing.
Better News: Fountainhead Spring is a desert water source dream come true,
good flow, bright and clear.     The only really good source between Sulphur
Spring and Mill Creek Summit.

Now the bad news:   The trail near the springs has not been cleared and has
numerous multibranch tangle trees down.    It's impassable to stock in at
least two places.     There were also a couple of boulders in the trail,
about the half-cubic-yard size, but I don't think they would be problematic.

Through hikers and day hikers had been coming through, and got around some
of the problems by creating bypasses below the fallen trees on the steep 
slope.   The through hikers probably didn't even notice them, having endured
much worse before this point.

I asked a couple of guys with ice axes when they used them last.    Both 
said Baden-Powell, no surprise.   I asked one of them about Fuller Ridge,
and he said he used it there, too.

In time I got the the Mt Pacific trailhead, and just as on the previous 
day, decided to return to my car by the Santa Clara Divide Road, 3N17.
I got there in half the time with 1% of the trouble.

I then retired to Chilao campground, and had the place to myself.