MOSQUITO SPRINGS TRAIL
- USFS Trail #
- Parking:
- Watershed: Tassajara Creek
- Junctions: Black Cone Trail
- Connects: Black Cone Trail with Mosquito Springs Camp
- Camps: Mosquito Springs
Conditions reported by: Greg Minter
Survey date: 27-MAY-2006
General: IMPASSABLE
Specific:
We camped atop the ridge saddle at the bifurcation of the Black Cone Trail and the Mosquito Springs Trail. The saddle camp was an old spike camp that the VWA trail crew had cleared out some tent sites, thanks, folks! Camp was dry and dusty, so we headed down the Mosquito Springs Trail towards the spring. We barely made it to the spring, just a trickle, after a lengthy bush-bash which I would describe as 'difficult'. Someone had left an old piece of PVC, I reckon in hopes of installing it in the spring for better flow. The trail beyond the spring is completely overgrown and impassable: We never found the original Mosquito Springs Camp.
Conditions reported by:
Jon Benner
Survey date: 26-MARCH-2006
General: PASSABLE
Specific:
Generally in good shape, except for two big blowdowns along the trail right above the water source, mixed in with a bit of brush in the same area. With some saw work in this area the trail could be upgraded to clear.
Conditions reported by:
Boon
Survey date: 11-MARCH-2005
General: PASSABLE
Specific:
Section: Black Cone Trail to first wet-season spring
As part or our Black Cone Trail resurrection project, the VWA Trail Crew re-opened the Mosquito Springs trail down as far as the first wet-season water source - about a quarter mile. The perennial water source is located a ways further down-canyon, Through what is at this time some pretty thick brush. But at least you're a lot closer now, and we may just get around to clearing the rest of it as the season progresses. Look here first for updates.
A nice camp can be made at Mosquito Saddle, at the junction of the Black Cone and Mosquito Springs trails. Just drop down, fill up, and carry water back to camp.
Conditions reported by:
Jeffrey
Zimmerman
Survey date: 28-Oct-2001
General: PASSABLE
Specific:
Even in late October there is water here, one of the few such apparent
places on the northern end of the Black Cone Trail. Nonetheless for far less
effort than is required to bushwhack down from BCT to filter water one
can easily reach Pine Ridge Camp and find a gushing spring. (The
northbound Black Cone Trail is downhill most of the way from the
Mosquito Springs turnoff to a point where it is easy to cut across the
upper reaches of the north fork of Cienega ["Cienaga"] Creek and reach
the Pine Ridge Trail.)
The trail is marginal down from the saddle graced by the BCT, often
sliding away to little more than a trace on a sandy slope. It drops
500' in a half mile; follow Boon's (?) yellow tags down a long arc
and a major switchback to the obvious greenery several hundred feet
below the canyon rim. The autumnal water is far from the steep
hillside, finally emerging into brush as the canyon slope levels. The
1999 fire has damaged most of the taller trees, and the new, low-level
vegetation is competing vigorously for sunlight.
Disappointingly there are few flat areas for camping, unless camping
across a scatter of broken granite is attractive. Some attractive
shade exists in an unburned area on the south side of the canyon,
considerably downslope, but alas the few semi-level points (with
tempting amounts of litter accumulated) are also in the downwash
area where any runoff could be expected.
It is apparent that earlier in the year water is available much
farther upslope, with minimal brush there impeding access. Surely
this area can be a nifty detour that time of year.
Oh yeah. In October, there were no mosquitos.
