Re: 1st timer w/ questions

I do agree with Paul P that you should go through Bowen Ranch - for first timers, it is the most clear and in many ways the easiest. You should look up directions and such online, but you should know that Bowen Ranch Road is a dirt road, most cars can make it driving carefully. The road is 6 miles of dirt, watch your odometer. The first four miles are pretty well traveled. The last two miles a bit more rough. The roughest bit is on Bowen Ranch property itself, go really really slow and pick your path as you drive the 1/4 mile from the ranch house to the parking lot. It's 5$/person not per car to park, 10$ /person to camp overnight. You can only enter between 7 am and 10pm.

Pick up a map at the ranch house. The trail is pretty clearly marked most of the way, but it is best to hike with someone or if you go on a weekend hike in view of others on the trail. It is 2 miles down and 2 miles up on the way back. There are a few moments when you have to scramble a bit, but mostly it is an upright and easy hiking trail. Wear good shoes and take plenty of water. Mojave likes salt, and he knows what he's talking about so I would do that too, I use it as an excuse to nosh some Pringles. Nude hikers do use the trail. There are plenty of critters to keep an eye out for along the way. Some tips on the Bowen Ranch trail - You descend the first big hill from the parking lot area. Remember this trail, as on the way back it is one of the places many get lost. You hike down to a "road" of sorts, turn left, go a few yards and follow signs to the right with the continuation of the trail. When you get much closer to the springs, there is another big descent. Here, before that last descent, you should find the fork in the trail that leads down to the right - don't go straight down the hill, straight ahead. The path to the right is much easier and the way most go down to the creek and springs.

When you arrive creekside, there are a few options. The creek is shallow this year, so even though it is freezing, crossing the creek directly to the pools on the other side is not terrible this year (some winters you can't do that easily). You can also go to the left up over the big hill that faces the pools and climb down to some rocks just upstream from the springs and cross by hopping across the rocks, thus not getting wet at all. I often take that route in the winter when swimming in the creek is not ideal.