Alternate Water Source - PCT NoBo Mile 190.2 - Fuller Ridge to Camp Lackey

This part of B Section is often dry as a bone. It's only about 4.5 miles as the crow flies from Fuller Ridge Trailhead to Snow Creek, but it's over 15 miles on the trail and about a 6,000' descent. It can be as much as 40 degrees hotter at Snow Creek than at Fuller Ridge - so the more relatively reliable water you can find between the two means less weight on the descent.

Anyway, the water is in a creek very near the ruins of Camp Lackey. Routefinding is a cinch, the hike is easy, and adds very little to your overall mileage.

When you reach the Fuller Ridge Trailhead, take the dirt forest road to the right. When you reach the intersection a few yards down hill, turn right and follow the wide Forest Service Road. At the first fork in the road (See waypoint), keep right. You will need to bypass a metal vehicle barrier to continue down the road. Keep left at the second fork (see waypoint) you come to and keep heading downhill. In about 30 - 50 yards it'll be obvious you're entering a burned-out section of forest on the right. Camp Lackey once stood here. There are burned out ruins you can explore. Continue down the hill until you pass an old shack on the left an come to the large clearing in the right. From the clearing you can see what's left of the pool to the Southeast.

Just past the pool is a very faint trail (looks like a game trail) heading down into a small creek. You may even be able to hear the water from here. Head down the trail. It will fade out and become unfollowable, but at that point you can see and hear the water. It's a little steep and overgrown at the water, but the water is fast, cool, and clean. It was running well over 1 liter/10 seconds on 9/30/2012. It was over 105 degrees and the other water sources between Fuller Ridge and Snow Creek were dry. It was a good find.

To pick the trail back up you have 2 options. 1 - back track all the way back up to Fuller Ridge and take the trail. 2 - Head back past the pool, into the clearing and continue down hill on the road you were on. You'll pass another metal vehicle barrier and then come to a 3rd fork. Keep right and head down hill.

Look at the map and find the waypoint addressing where to leave the road to cross a ravine to pick the trail back up. This is essentially the NARROW GAP water source on 4jeffrey.net. The Narrow Gap source is just yards away but I found it dry as a bone on the same day the Camp Lackey creek was roaring. Go fig.