I have hiked Deep Creek a lot for miles upstream and downstream from DCHS. Crossing the creek in higher water is difficult and even precarious depending on the conditions and the spot you are trying to cross. Fortunately, the crossing from the beach to the hot pools, at the shallow area I mentioned in a previous comment here is one of the few best places to do so. If you wade in the right spots yby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Curt, I have not seen that graph for Deep Creek water level before. It say " near Hesperia ", so perhaps the measurement is taken somewhere around the Mohave Forks Dam because except for times when there is enough rain the water from Deep Creek and the West Fork of the Mohave River which meet behind the dam and flow through it in a big tube, the Mohave River is generally dry all the wayby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
I don't have a picture of the Phoenix Pool. The Womb, Serenity, and Anniversary Pool were fine, above the creek level while I was there.by Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
And in case you don't know, the route up Deep Creek at the dam from the end of HWY 173 where the PCT crosses does involve a creek crossing at some point behind the dam to get up to the trail running on the north side of the Deep Creek canyon. The other two main options, the Lake Arrow Head turnout on the west edge of the dam, or hiking from the end of Deep Creek Rd at the gate will get you to theby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
As long as the snow level is not to low, the BRT will be a good option to avoid the creek wading. Keep in mind that there has been increasing vandalism problems with parked vehicles in the Mohave Forks Dam area, mostly at the Lake Arrow Head Rd turnout on the west side of the dam. Maybe its less of a problem in these colder months.by Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
I was at DCHS last Friday and the wade over to the hot pools from the beach was about waist deep. If you go straight across its over your head. Look for the little trail through the bushes about 30 feet or so downstream from the beach then wade pretty much straight over. There are a couple of large smooth boulders there which are above the water in the summer, but with the higher creek level theyby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
While I was soaking in the late afternoon with some folks in the Phoenix Hot Pool a couple of months ago, a man hiked by and was starting to head up the hill to the PCT, then suddenly he yelled out that he was seeing a Mountain Lion down around the trees just north of the big beach area. Earlier this summer while hiking down a canyon to Deep Creek I found the remains of two Deer next to each in tby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
" naysayers "? I have heard numerous reports of vandalism to vehicles parked around the Dam area, at the pull out on Lake Arrowhead Rd on the west end of the dam, at the end of Deep Creek Rd, and even at HWY 173 where the PCT crosses. All of these are spots people park to access the PCT to hike up the Deep Creek canyon on its lower end. In past years my vehicle, and my wife's vehicle weby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Yikes Denali/Mohave, what an ordeal you went through! I was contacted recently through the DCV website ( I answer any questions sent there ) by a guy who had a long soak with his friend at DCHS and afterwards he and his friend experienced a real bad, two day case of the rash caused by a natural organism ( google hot tub follicultis ) that lives in the hot pools. Certain pools are more of a probleby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Damn Dam Parking Is Badby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
I commented about this in Coyote's trip report post. My friend who lives in Lake Arrowhead and hikes that trail regularly has not mentioned any problems with bees. There is a spring area on that trail at one point and in the warmer, summer months the bees do access water there. Being cooler now I doubt the bees are very active. I have during my hikes along Deep Creek found bees getting water a vaby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Coyote hiked in from the Bowen Ranch. Hiking to DCHS from the east involves hiking down the PCT from somewhere upstream, which means a lot of miles of walking. An alternative trail going to the springs from the south is the Bradford Ridge Trail, which starts at the Kinely Creek Bridge. Directions for that route can be found here at the DCV website, http://www.deepcreekvolunteers.com/ , then clickby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Hello Neogeo, I missed you by a day this time as I was there on Thursday Always great to visit with you down there at the springs! Those Great Blue Herons are such magnificent creatures. One day a couple of years ago I was at a spot I like far upstream from DCHS. As I was enjoying the serenity while laying on a warm rock and gazing at the large creek pool in front of me, a Great Blue Heron suddeby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Good to see and visit with you Coyote. Enjoyed our conversations, and hearing about your travels. The Blue Moon was a treat on that beautiful Fall day! Thanks for the company on the hike outby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
It was a great day yesterday at DCHS, beautiful fall weather, the trees and bushes along the creek are showing lots of color, and fun visiting with regulars and new comersby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Funny last night my wife and I were watching that older movie West World about robots and people living out their fantasies. We were talking about how it was funny how unrealistic and really laughable it looked now, but back then, it was so cool Kinda like watching again that original move The Blob, with the goey monster that consumed people, scared the beejesus out of me as a youngster, but jusby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Miss you too Neogeo! I look forward to our next opportunity to visit at DCHSby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Yeah I have wondered about that too. Not long ago I measured the Crab Cooker source at close to 118. Before in years past it had always been 114. Could be something in the fault going on. Hopefully no one gets fried like the hot spring soakers did in the movie Dantes Peak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante%27s_Peak .... " While near a hot springs, Harry stops the children when he sees deby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
I was at DCHS yesterday, great weather! The creek level is at normal summer time lows. The crossing from the beach to the main hot pools is very shallow, only a foot and a half at the lower end of the big stream pond. The rope people set up is done sometimes in the winter when the creek is running high. For walking across then it does help some people to stay balanced and not fall. When the flowby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
The trail from HWY 173 is called the Bradford Ridge Trail, not Bradley Ridge. The Moss Mill access route had official BLM signs many years ago designating it as an open and legal public route down to the USFS parking area. The route was even graded in spots such that it was easily traversed with a two wheel drive vehicle all the way to the USFS kiosk sign. I and my wife were confronted a couple oby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
My family and I were in lower Deep Creek yesterday and saw the fire when it started around noon. We were watching it later from the PCT above the Mohave Forks spillway around 6PM when the fire was approaching the dam area. Lots of fire retardent drops in summit valley and between the dam and Hesperia Lake. One large part of the fire was heading up into the Pinnacles.by Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Did she drive a V W Beetle, and sometimes sell cokes, etc up at the USFS parking lot?by Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
People at times get confused about where the trail goes when they go down that first step hill from the Bowen Ranch parking area and encounter the road ( old 3N59A ) and follow it instead of the trail which turns south again. I came across a family about 15 minutes from DCHS on the Bowen Trail ( 3W02 ) not too long ago who had wandered off east on that road for a long time, and hours later had maby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
While I was at Deep Creek yesterday two military choppers flew right over me about 100 feet up, heading upstream. I had never seen them fly so low along the creek like that before and I was wondering what they were up to. I have seen them before fly over but way high up about 1000 feet. While I was hiking down into the canyon I came across two girls, and the one had just tripped and fell on the tby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
I think it's because after Dean the long time owner died, the relatives are back east and have no use or interest in the property.by Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
That's the Rock Springs Ranch, the place that our old DCV group member Sycamore Laughing ( her nick name ) has been care taking at for many years. In that photo group some ways down the list it shows the remnants of an old cement cistern in some trees, and those pics and a few after it are of an old ranch site, I can't remember the name of it right now and I did not think it was on Dean's Rock Spby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
I have not heard anyone mention anything while I have been at DCHS about a second entrance around the Bowen Ranch. A couple of weeks ago Sycamore Laughing ( one of our original DCV group members ) who watches over the Bowen Gate at times was down at the springs, and she never mentioned a second gate.by Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Good to hear that the rest of your visit was pleasantby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Yes horses are allowed, and all you wrote about is why I avoid the weekends, especially as the weather warms up. The broken glass by the Arizona/Phoenix Pool, that is concerning as I spend my time basically there, and walk around barefoot all the time. I have been waiting for the creek and weather to warm up which makes it nice to spend time at other clean, quiet areas of Deep Creek away from theby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
No its not, and wouldn't that be a hot waterfall A new sand bag pool has been constructed next to the Phoenix Pool, and the other old one in the creek near the Serenity Pool is being redone/fixed, probably completed by nowby Wizard - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California