The Seven Summits of San Jacinto

There are seven summits above 10,000'/3000m in the San Jacinto Mountains of Southern California.  These seven summits are concentrated in a single area that stretches from San Jacinto Peak (10,834'/3302m) in the north to Marion Mountain (10,362'+/3158m+) in the south.

The Seven Summits of San Jacinto

The Seven Summits are (in descending order of height):

1. San Jacinto Peak (10,834'/3302m)
2. Jean Peak (10,670'/3252m)
3. Folly Peak (10,480'+/3194m+)
4. Shirley Peak (10,388'/3166m)
5. Marion Mountain (10,362'+/3158m+)
6. Newton Drury Peak (10,160'+/3097m+)
7. Miller Peak (10,000'+/3048m+)

Notes:  
1.  The US Geological Survey (USGS) has not specified an exact height for every peak.  The height of peaks whose exact height is not known is listed as the height of the last highest contour interval on the map followed by a plus ("+") sign. 
2.  An exact height is listed for a point on Marion Mountain is specified by the USGS, but the specified point is NOT the highest physical point on the mountain.  Therefore the height of Marion Mountain is listed as the height of the highest point with a known elevation followed by a plus ("+") sign.  See Is Marion Mountain "Wrong?"  for further information.
3.  There may be some controversy as to whether or not Shirley Peak and Miller Peak are truly peaks since they barely rise above their adjoining saddles.  However, since these names are in common use, I list them as peaks here.
4.  Shirley Peak is an unofficially named peak.  In other words, the name "Shirley" has not been officially recognized by the USGS Board of Geographic Names.  Herein, I use the name "Shirley Peak" since it is the name commonly used for that topographic feature even though the name is not official.

This past July 4 weekend, I set out to climb all seven.  There are half a dozen or more trails that one could use to access the area that contains the seven summits.

Trails that reach the high country of the San Jacinto Mountains

Key to the above map:
Red:  Deer Springs Trail, parts of which are the route of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
Green:  Marion Mountain Trail
Lavender:  Seven Pines Trail
Dark Blue:  Trail to Wellman Divide from Saddle Junction, parts of which are the route of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
White:  Strawberry Trail, all of which is part of the PCT
Black:  Tamarack Trail which is no longer maintained
Light Blue:  Main trail to San Jacinto Peak from Round Valley via Wellman Divide

For this hike, I choose to start on the Seven Pines Trail since it had been some time since I had hiked that trail.

Trailhead sign, Seven Pines Trail

Now, whereas the nearby Marion Mountain Trail was apparently designed by a sadist (it's one of the steepest trails in Southern California), the Seven Pines Trail was apparently designed by a drunk.  What the Marion Mountain Trail does in just 2.5 miles, the Seven Pines pines trail takes 3.8 miles (the sign says 3.5 miles, but the State Park service official mileage is 3.8), crisscrossing the N Fork of the San Jacinto River no fewer than three times in its roundabout ramble up the mountain.

The trail is a lovely trail for the most part, passing through mixed oak and conifer woodlands.

The Seven Pines Trail, before the first crossing

But the trail shows a lot of signs of neglect, with downed trees left where they lay.

One of many downed trees on the Seven Pines Trail

Immediately before the first crossing of the N Fork of the San Jacinto River, one passes from the federally controlled San Bernardino National Forest to the state controlled Mt. San Jacinto State Park.  A wilderness permit is required for all travel beyond this point.

State Park boundary sign on the Seven Pines Trail

Shortly after entering the state park, one crosses the N. Fork of the San Jacinto River which was dry on the day I crossed.  See Water Sources of the San Jacinto Mountains for details on which water sources are reliable.

Seven Pines Trail, first crossing of the N Fork of the San Jacinto River

Hiking further along, I encountered a number of lovely flowers, including this Mariposa Lilly.

A Mariposa Lilly on the Seven Pines Trail

Soon, I came to the second crossing of the N. Fork, where I came upon another beautiful flower, this time a personal favorite of mine, a Lemon Lilly.

A Lemon Lilly at the second crossing of the N Fork

Beyond the second crossing, the Seven Pines Trail follows a small creek that is not marked on the map through a meadow.  Here, I saw more beautiful Lemon Lillies.

More beautiful Lemon Lillies on the Seven Pines Trail

Soon, I crossed the North Fork for the third time and joined the Deer Springs Trail which comes up from the town of Idyllwild from a trailhead on Hwy 243.

Junction with the Deer Springs Trail

I'm always struck by how poor the signage is for such a well traveled trail.  After all not only is the Deer Springs Trail the principal trail on the west side of the San Jacinto Mountains in a popular state park, it is also the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), a National Scenic Recreation trail which receives special funding.  Despite this, there is no indication that this is the PCT, nor is there much in the way of directions other than those to Little Round Valley and San Jacinto Peak, both of which are not places a PCT through hiker would visit.  The signage is so much better in the nearby San Gorgonio Wilderness.

Very close by, one can see the sign for the Marion Mountain Trail.  The Seven Pines and Marion Mountain Trails join the Deer Springs Trail in almost the same location.

Trail sign for the nearby Marion Mountain Trail

Turning left (east) on the Deer Springs Trail, I soon come to Deer Springs Crossing, where the water from Deer Springs crosses the Deer Springs Trail.  Unfortunately, there was no water at the crossing the day I went by.

Deer Springs Crossing was dry on July 5, 2013.

Fortunately, I was able to find a small pool just upstream from the crossing.  Using a sierra cup, I was able to scoop enough water to drink.

Using a sierra cup to gather water from a very small pool.

I would not count on finding water at Deer Springs in a dry year.  It's kind of funny that the major trail on the west side of the San Jacintos, the Deer Springs Trail, is named for a relatively minor, unreliable water source.  Bed Springs, further NE along the trail is far more reliable.  Again, see Water Sources of the San Jacinto Mountains for details of which water sources are reliable.

Having resupplied with water, it was time to leave the trail and head up toward my first peak, Marion Mountain.  I had some general information about a relatively brush free route that would lead me up to Marion Mountain from Deer Springs Crossing.  I wasn't sure exactly which gully was the right one, but seeing a lack of brush in the right hand gully above Deer Springs Crossing, I headed up.

Heading up the right hand gully that leads up from Deer Springs Crossing

The way proved to be clear and lead straight into the high country.  I stayed generally on climber's left of the gully, but I eventually crossed to the right hand side near this big boulder as the terrain changed.

I crossed to the right side of the drainage at this large boulder

My approximate route is marked on the first map in this post.

As I ascended, I got into increasingly coniferous terrain, and I had some good views to the north of the San Gorgonio Wilderness.

San Gorgonio Mountain as seen from the flanks of Marion Mountain

The route got rockier as I ascended, but I was continually surprised:  My route generally stayed class one with only a couple of class two bits until I got right up near the peak.  The peak itself was class three.  See the Yosemite Decimal System for a description of the classes.

Nearing the summit of Marion Mountain

As I neared the summit, I got some great views of Tahquitz Peak (8846'/2696m) to the south.

Tahquitz Peak (8846'/2696m)

At long last, I reached the summit.  I circled around to the east.  From the east, I could see the traversing crack that would by my class three route to the summit.

Summit bloc of Marion Mountain.  Route indicated in red.

I then proceeded to the base of the summit bloc on the north side.  From below the start ascent route looks like this:

Start of the ascent route to gain the top of the summit bloc of Marion Mountain

One climbs the flake behind the dead pine tree and then traverses right on the more or less horizontal crack.   The horizontal crack leads to this much larger vertical crack.

Vertical crack leading to the top of the summit bloc of Marion Mountain

From the summit, I could see many of the peaks that I would be doing later on in my hike.

The high country of the San Jacinto Mountains

I descended the way I came.  The crack looks possibly a bit intimidating in this photo, but it's really not bad.

Descending the vertical crack on Marion Mountain

From Marion Mountain, I descended to the flats just to the north and then went cross country toward Shirley Peak.  It was helpful to have a map and compass here since trees sometimes obscure the view of the peak.  That said, navigation was not particularly difficult.

Flats between Marion and Shirley Peaks

Looking back as I approached Shirley Peak, I glimpsed a clear view of the summit bloc of Marion Mountain and the ascent route.

Summit bloc of Marion Mountain.  Ascent route marked in red.

Finally, I reached the small summit bloc of Shirley Peak.

Summit bloc, Shirley Peak

From the summit of Shirley Peak, I had a great view of the Tahquitz Valley.  Sadly, a major fire broke out a couple of weeks later (the Mountain Fire) which burned a good portion of the Tahquitz Valley.  The current status of this area is unknown to me at this time.

Tahquitz Valley from Shirley Peak

Oddly, the summit register on Shirley Peak listed the peak's name as LePake Peak.   There's no official USGS name for this peak, but Shirley Peak is the commonly used for this summit.  Perhaps someone unaware of the name just decided to give it one?

The summit register on Shirley Peak lists the name "LePake".
Perhaps Mr. or Ms. LePake is a friend or loved one of the first three people in the register?

The route from Shirley Peak to Jean Peak is fairly obvious although there is one false peak in between.  Once on Jean, the summit isn't particularly distinct, but it's somewhere in the pile of rocks to the right.  I was generally able to find a class one route through the rocks.

The summit of Jean Peak

From the summit area of Jean Peak, I could see my next objective:  Miller "Peak".

Miller "Peak"

I place the word "Peak" in quotes because as can be plainly seen Miller Peak isn't much of a peak.  Miller barely rises above it's adjoining saddle.  Still, it's an interesting bit of rock to climb, it's elevation is (just barely) over 10,000', and it has an official USGS name, so I headed on over.

At this point I was running low on water and I had heard of a brush free route that I wanted to try, so rather than staying on the summit ridge, I went looking for a route down to Wellman Divide.  This looked rather promising:

The start of my route down from Jean Peak to Wellman Divide

Unfortunately, I didn't find the route I was looking for and ran into some brush.  Fortunately, the brush wasn't too bad, and I made my way through without undue difficulty.  I'll have to look for the correct route next time I'm up there.  I did pass through an interesting flat area just above Wellman Divide.

Flat area above Wellman Divide

Reaching Wellman Divide, I turned south and went to Wellman Cienega for water.

Wellman Cienega (north branch)

Resupplied with water, I took the trail back through Wellman Divide as though I were taking the main route to San Jacinto Peak.  At the great switchback just below Miller Saddle, I left the trail, headed the short distance to the saddle, and turned right (east) toward Miller Peak.  Miller Peak is just a little knob of rock that barely rises above the level of the Saddle.

Miller "Peak"

The top of Miller Peak is adorned with this plaque commemorating one Frank Miller.

Commemorative plaque on Miller Peak

 Despite the fact that Miller Peak isn't much of a peak, the views are pretty good.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Mountain Station, as seen from Miller Peak

Jean Peak from Miller Peak

Leatherneck Ridge and desert from Miller Peak

From Miller Peak, I west directly up the east ridge of San Jacinto Peak.

Heading up the east ridge of San Jacinto Peak

If you look for it, you can still find a lot of the old trail that ascended this ridge.  This is the most direct route to the summit.  The old east ridge trail is very clearly a constructed trail, not just a path worn into the ground by the passage of many feet.  Judging by the workmanship, the east ridge trail appears to have been constructed by the CCC during the Great Depression.  The majority of the trails in the high country of the San Jacintos were constructed by the CCC during the Great Depression.

The old east ridge trail

After a short saunter up the east ridge, I arrived at the summit.

The summit of San Jacinto Peak

I didn't stay long at the summit.  Whereas I had had all previous summits to myself, the summit of San Jacinto was awash with crowds.  I quickly moved on to one of the most interesting traverses in the San Jacintos, the class two route from San Jacinto Peak to Folly Peak.  The route drops fairly steeply down the west face of San Jacinto Peak and basically follow the ridgeline over to Folly Peak.

Cross country route (class 2) to Folly Peak from San Jacinto Peak

The views to the north along the route are outstanding.

Looking north into the Snow Creek drainage.

On the north face of the Folly - San Jacinto Ridge, there are many interesting pinnacles and rock formations.

Pinnacle on the north face of Folly Peak

From the flanks of Folly Peak, I could look south and see much of the country I had already covered this trip.

San Jacinto high country from vicinity Folly Peak

And looking back towards San Jacinto Peak, I could see the route I had come down.  Again, I think the route down the west ridge of San Jacinto peak is one of the most interesting class 2 routes in Southern California.

San Jacinto Peak from Folly Peak

Folly Peak's summit isn't particularly apical or distinct, but there are some great views of Fuller Ridge and the country to the west.

Looking west from the summit of Folly Peak

Well, six down and one to go!  From Folly Peak, I started the long traverse, mostly class 1, to Newton Drury Peak.

Traversing to Newton Drury Peak which can be seen behind the trees to the right.

Newton Drury is a fairly easy peak that can be bagged via a class one route if one stays on route.

Ascending Newton Drury Peak

The summit of Newton Drury Peak is home to this, the world's toughest little tree, just barely clinging to life on the very summit of Newton Drury.

World's toughest little tree

Heading down from Drury Saddle to Little Round Valley is a pretty quick trip, on the order of 10 minutes.  Nobody was up and around at the seasonal ranger station in Little Round Valley when I passed through.

Little Round Valley Ranger Station

Little Round Valley was dry in the main part of the meadow when I passed through on July 7, 2013.

The creek in Little Round Valley.  Dry on 7/7/2013.

However, there was a little bit of water at the SW end of the meadow.  That said, I would not rely on finding water in Little Round Valley in a dry year.

Water in Little Round Valley.  Can you spot the little bird taking a bath?

From Little Round Valley, it's only about a mile and a half down the Deer Springs Trail back to the Seven Pines Trail.

Nice, new trail sign at Little Round Valley

The Deer Springs goes through the lovely Lilly Spring area, one of the best wildflower viewing areas in the San Jacintos.

Lemon Lillies, near Lilly Spring on the Deer Springs Trail

Shooting Stars, Lilly Spring

Mountain Rhododendron, Lilly Spring

But Lilly Spring, as good as it is, isn't the only place along the Deer Springs Trail for wildflower viewing.  Here is a Columbine near Rock Spring.

Columbine

 Ranger's buttons, also near Rock Spring.

Ranger's buttons

Shooting Stars near Bed Springs Crossing.

Shooting Stars

There are other intriguing things on the west side of the San Jacintos like this massive rock on the flanks of Folly Peak.  Has it ever been climbed?

Massive Rock near Folly Peak

Reaching the Fuller Ridge Trail, I'm almost done with my peaking bagging loop through the San Jacintos.

Trail sign on the Deer Springs Trail for the Fuller Ridge Trail.

Again, I'm amazed at the poor quality of the signage in the area.  There's nothing really to indicate that the PCT turns off the Deer Springs Trail here and follows the Fuller Ridge Trail, nothing except some penciled in letters.  Neither is there any indication as to what lies down the trail nor are there any mileages listed.

Shortly after passing the Fuller Ridge Trail junction, I returned from whence I came, the Seven Pines Trail, which I then followed back to my car.

I hope you've enjoyed this little peak bagging trip in that most favored of Southern California mountain ranges, the San Jacintos.

HJ

Appendix I.  Overall Route Map.

Overall route  map.  First section in green.  Second section in blue.

Appendix II.  The Seven Summits in a Day.
I did the above described trip as a backpacking trip, staying overnight.  I had wanted to hike the Seven Pines Trail, explore several routes, and investigate some water sources in addition to bagging the seven summits.  However, there's no reason a fit person couldn't do all seven summits in a single day, given a sufficiently early start and a good knowledge of the area and the routes thereof. Below, I list a map that might be the route for such a one day attempt on all seven summits.

Route for the Seven Summits to be done in one day.

The route would start at the Mountain Station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway since that's the highest start one can have.  West side trailheads are somewhere above 6,000 feet in elevation whereas the Mountain Station is above 8,000 feet in elevation.  From the tram, one would follow the Sid Davis route staying right at the drainage and leaving the main trail.  One would then take the old, abandoned but still followable Tamarack Trail up to the main trail coming in from Wellman Divide.  One would take the main trail to Miller Saddle and then Miller Peak.  From Miller, one would hit all the peaks in counter-clockwise fashion as shown.

The route down from Jean Peak is shown as a dotted line because there are several options.  The most logical route would be to descend north from Jean to the saddle between San Jacinto and Jean and from there drop down to the Tamarack Trail which would then be used to return to the tram.  I have not done the route down from Jean-San Jacinto Saddle, but I've talked to people who have, and I understand it's class 2 and quite doable.

Alternatively, one could proceed to the small saddle where the trail from Little Round Valley meets the summit trail and the trail from Wellman Divide.  One could then proceed down the main trail back to the Tamarack trale and then back to the tram.  This route would take longer but might offer some advantage if one were tired and not desirous of trying the class two route down from Jean-San Jacinto Saddle.

Lastly, one could retrace one's steps a bit and follow the route that leads down to Wellman Divide.  From Wellman Divide one could proceed down the main trail to Round Valley and from Round Valley back to the tram.  If one felt that one would be out after dark for the last sections of the trip, this route down well maintained trails might offer some advantage.

I think it's only a matter of time before someone successfully does all seven summits in 24 hours.  The more difficult challenge would be to not use the tram, using some other trailhead instead.  The most difficult challenge would be to start in Palm Springs and use the Skyline Trail to hike to Grubbs Notch and then do the seven summits.  This would be the renowned "Cactus to Clouds" challenge with six extra summits thrown in, a challenge not to be taken lightly!

Is Marion Mountain "Wrong" on the USGS Topo?

I believe that the summit of Marion Mountain (10,362'/3158m) is "wrong" on the USGS topo map, or, more precisely, I believe that the spot elevation shown on the map is not the highest point of Marion Mountain.

Take a look at the below snippet of the USGS topographic map (San Jacinto Peak, 1:24,000).  Click to enlarge.

The spot elevation of 10,362' is positioned on the eastern portion of Marion Mountain's summit ridge.
The manually drawn in black dot is the approximate position of the actual highest point on Marion Mountain on the western portion of the summit ridge.

Note that the summit ridge of Marion Mountain has an east-west orientation and that the spot elevation is positioned on the eastern portion of the summit ridge.

Now look at this photo of Marion Mountain, taken from Folly Peak.  Note that the highest point appears to be on the western portion of the summit ridge.

Marion Mountain with directions indicated as shown

Now, have I got that right or is there some oddity in the camera angle or similar that might make the western end of the summit ridge of Marion Mountain look higher?  How can we verify where the high point is?

Well, fortunately, I've climbed Marion Mountain a couple of times.  The summit of Marion Mountain is quite obviously the highest point when you're standing atop it.

Summit bloc of Marion Mountain. 
Note climbing route arrows at bottom right of summit bloc.

Now, note also the arrows I've drawn in that indicate the standard climbing route (class three) by which one attains the summit.  One ascends the slab at the base of the summit bloc and then traverses right in the large diagonal crack as shown, gaining this large vertical crack by which the final summit is reached.

This vertical crack affords one a good class three route to the summit of Marion Mountain

These cracks (the traversing crack and the vertical crack) will allow us to identify the summit of Marion Mountain from a distance.  Here, for example, is a photo of the summit of Marion Mountain taken from the flanks of nearby Shirley Peak (10,388'/3166m).  I have drawn in arrows indicating the route.  Note a) the traversing crack and b) the vertical crack.

The summit of Marion Mountain.
Final ascent route shown in red.

On the very summit of Marion Mountain is the traditional summit register.  In that summit register are may signatures from Sierra Club Hundred Peaks Section (HPS) and Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit (RMRU) trips.

Summit register signatures from several RMRU members.

I believe that I have reasonably established that I have correctly identified the highest point on Marion Mountain because

1. I have personally climbed Marion Mountain.  The highest point is distinctive and is unmistakably higher than any other point on the summit ridge.
2. The highly distinctive summit cracks positively identify the high point.
3. The summit register is positioned on the point I identify as the highest point.
4. The HPS and RMRU accept the point I identify as the highest point.

So, we can clearly tell the highest point.

Now, let's return to the question of the first photograph of the ridge I displayed, taken from Folly Peak which lies to the north.  Does my first photo show the summit?  My camera has a 20X optical zoom with another 20X in electronic zoom.  Let's take a look at another photo shot from the vicinity of Folly Peak.  In the photo, we can see once again the distinctive crack system on the summit bloc. 

Zoom photo of summit bloc of Marion Mountain as seen from Folly Peak.
The distinctive cracks of Marion Mountain's summit are shown in red.

My photo does in fact show the highest point on Marion Mountain.

So, what have I established?

1. The spot elevation of 10,362' is NOT positioned on the highest point of Marion Mountain.
2. Marion Mountain's summit is on the western portion of the summit ridge.
3. Marion Mountain is clearly higher than 10,362'.

The last point above is interesting.  I've always said to myself when in the summit region of the San Jacintos, "Marion Mountain (10,362' on the map) sure looks higher than Shirley Peak (10,388')."  According to the map, only twenty six vertical feet separate the two.  If Marion Mountain is higher than the elevation indicated on the map (clearly it is), then Marion Mountain might well be taller than Shirley Peak.  I suspect that Marion Mountain is the higher of the two, but I lack the means to precisely establish the height of either peak.  At this juncture, I can only establish the three points listed above.  I leave it to others to determine the exact height of Marion Mountain.

HJ

Appendix -- Further Photos of Marion Mountain

San Jacinto High Country from the highest point of Marion Mountain.
It sure looks like Shirley Peak is lower than Marion Mountain.

Marion Mountain from the flanks of Shirley Peak.
Note that the highest point is the distinctive rock bloc and is on the western end of the summit ridge

Another photo of Marion Mountain from Shirley Peak. 
Note that you can make out the large vertical crack in the summit bloc.

Marion Mountain from Jean Peak.
Note crack system in summit bloc and that summit bloc is clearly on the western end of the summit ridge.

Part one of two parts.
Snow Creek from west of the summit of San Jacinto Peak.
Note large white dot down in the drainage to the left.

Part two of two parts.
Snow Creek from west of the summit of San Jacinto Peak.
The white dot happens to be a sizeable water tank.
My zoom really is good.

San Jacinto high country as seen from vicinity the summit of Folly Peak.
Note that the western portion of Marion Mountain is clearly higher that the eastern.

Marion Mountain from Folly Peak

Marion Mountain (horizon, slightly right of center) from Newton Drury Peak.
Clearly, the western portion is higher than the eastern.

Water Sources of the San Jacinto Mountains -- West Side

Over time, I've done a number of overnight and day hiking trips in the San Jacinto Mountains.  I've become fairly well acquainted with the water sources on the west side of the mountains, so I thought I'd put together a list that may be helpful to people.  My most recent trip was July 5 - 7, 2013, and the data here reflects what I observed on that trip as well as my observations going back over the last half dozen or more years.

The water sources listed immediately below are sources that I have a pretty good sense for.  There are other water sources that I haven't got as good of a feel for that I have listed in Appendix IV, Other Water Sources.

First a map of (mostly) the west side of the San Jacinto Mountains.  Click to enlarge.

San Jacinto Mountains -- Water Sources

Next, a key:
1.  First crossing of the N Fork of the San Jacinto River by the Seven Pines Trail
2.  Second crossing of the N Fork of the San Jacinto River by the Seven Pines Trail
3.  Unnamed small stream, Seven Pines Trail
4.  Third crossing of the N Fork of the San Jacinto River by the Seven Pines Trail
5.  Deer Springs Crossing
6.  Flake Spring
7.  Bed Springs Crossing
8.  Rock Spring
9.  Lilly Spring
10.  Outflow stream from Little Round Valley where it crosses the Deer Springs Trail
11.  Stream in the meadow in Little Round Valley
12.  Bed Springs (actual spring)
13.  Deer Springs (actual spring)
14.  Wellmans Cienega (north branch)

Then, comments on each water source:
1.  First Crossing, Seven Pines Trail.  Seasonal.  Unreliable.
     Current Status:  Dry 7/7/2013.

First Crossing, 7/7/2013

2.  Second Crossing, Seven Pines Trail.  Seasonal.  More reliable than First Crossing.
     Current Status:  Low flow 10' below the trail 7/7/2013.

Second Crossing, 7/7/2013

3.  Unnamed stream, Seven Pines Trail.  Seasonal.
     Current Status:  Low flow 7/7/2013.

Unnamed stream, Seven Pines Trail, 7/7/2013

4.  Third crossing, Seven Pines Trail.  Seasonal but far more reliable than First Crossing, Second Crossing, or Deer Springs Crossing.  IMPORTANT TIP:    If Deer Springs Crossing on the PCT/Deer Springs Trail is dry, Third Crossing is only about 10 minutes off the main trail.  This is the best water source of those along the N Fork of the San Jacinto River.  Alternatively, just head to Bed Springs Crossing if you're headed to San Jacinto Peak or to Lower Bed Springs Crossing if you're headed north on the PCT.
     Current Status: Decent flow 7/7/2013

Third Crossing, 7/7/2013
The best place to collect water is slightly upstream of the trail crossing.

5.  Deer Springs Crossing.  Seasonal.  Unreliable except in wet years.
Note the use of the word "Crossing."  Most people just call this "Deer Springs," but the actual spring is far up the mountainside.  This is where the water crosses the trail, so I call it "Deer Springs Crossing" to distinguish it from the point of origination.  This is also the North Fork of the San Jacinto River.
     Current Status: Dry at the trail.  Very small pools just above the trail on 7/7/2013.  Do not expect to find water here.

Deer Springs Crossing, 7/7/2013

6.  Flake Spring.  Very seasonal.  Highly unreliable.  Water only in early season in wet years. 
So named for the large rock flake from behind which the water flows. 
Note:  Flake Spring is my name for this spring and is not a name of common use.
     Current Status:  Dry 7/7/2013.

Flake Spring.  The spring is behind the large rock flake.

7.  Bed Springs Crossing.  Perennial.  Reliable except in the driest of years.  This water source will be flowing when everything else on the west side is dry.
Note the use of the word "Crossing."  Most people just call this "Bed Springs," but the actual spring is far up the mountainside.  This is where the water crosses the trail, so I call it "Bed Springs Crossing" to distinguish it from the point of origination.  
     Current Status:  Good flow 7/7/2013.

Bed Springs Crossing, just above the trail.
This is consistently an excellent water source on the west side.

8.  Rock Springs.  Seasonal.  Unreliable.
So named for the rock which the water flows along in a groove just above the trail.
Note:  Rock Springs is my name for it and is not a name of common use.
     Current Status:  Low flow 7/7/2013.

Rock Springs.  Flowing, but just barely.

9.  Lilly Spring.  Fairly reliable.  Not a lot of flow but consistent.  Second only to Bed Springs Crossing in terms of reliability but always low flow.  Bring something to scoop with and into. 
     Current Status:  Decent flow 7/7/2013.

Lilly Spring

TIP:  Lilly spring is a good place for flower viewing.

Lemon Lillies at Lilly Spring

10.  Trail crossing of stream flowing out of Little Round Valley.  Seasonal.  Unreliable.
When there is water, this is the best place to use a pump type filter because there's usually a pool just above the trail.  It can run all year in wet years but is often dry.
     Current Status:  Dry. 7/7/2013.

Stream from Little Round Valley just above the trail crossing.  Dry 7/7/2013.

11.  Little Round Valley, stream in meadow area.  Seasonal.  Unreliable but more reliable than the trail crossing mentioned above.  Can flow throughout the year in wet years.

Water in stream bed, Little Round Valley, 7/7/2013

     Current Status:  Dry in the main part of the meadow, but water present just above Owl's Hooch Crossing 7/7/2013.  See appendix for detailed instructions for how to find water.
      Note:  The topo map shows a blue line stream just north of Little Round Valley.  Ignore it.  They were smoking crack the day they drew that blue line that far up that dry gulch. There's never water there except in very wet years when there's active snow melt going on or during a thunderstorm.  In other words, almost never.

The map marks a stream here (just north of Little Round Valley). 
Not only is there no water, there's not even a defined stream bed.  Don't bother.

12.  Bed Springs, the actual spring.  Position approximate.
     Current Status:  Good flow 7/7/2013.

Bed Springs, 7/7/2013.

13.  Deer Springs, the actual spring.    Position approximate.  Position not verified.
     Current Status:  Unknown.
14.  Wellmans Cienaga, North Branch. 
     Current Status:  Decent flow 7/7/2013.

Wellmans Cienega, North Branch, 7/7/2013.

I hope you find this helpful.  I'll expand it as time permits.

HJ


Appendix I -- Water at Deer Springs Crossing
Tip 1:  If there is no water right at the trail, go upstream a bit.  I was able to find a small pool there.

A small pool just above the trail at Deer Springs Crossing

Tip 2:  If there's no water at Deer Springs Crossing, head back down the Deer Springs Trail to the junction with the Seven Pines Trail.  Go down the Seven Pines Trail to Third Crossing which is perhaps 10 minutes down the trail.  The water is much more likely to be flowing there.

Appendix II -- Water at Little Round Valley
Proceed along the Deer Springs Trail until you see the side trail to camp site 2 (Owl's Hootch).  The side trail is marked with this sign:

The sign for the trail that leads to Owl's Hootch camp site.

Proceed a few feet to the point where the side trail crosses the stream flowing down from the meadow in Little Round Valley.  The stream may have water here.

The point where the side trail crosses the stream from Little Round Valley

If the stream is dry at the crossing point, proceed upstream about ten feet.  The stream flows between two rocks here and water is often forced to the surface.

Water, Little Round Valley, 7/7/2013

Appendix III -- General Tips for Gathering Water
Water can be in short supply in the San Jacinto Mountains. Here are some general tips:
1.  Bright green is the key to finding water.  Look for changes in vegetation.  In particular, look for a clear area in the middle of bright green vegetation.  This is the most likely spot to find water.

Wellmans Cienega, 7/17/2013
Bright green vegetation often indicates water.
Note the relatively clear area to the right -- and notice that there is flowing water here.

2.  Water sources can often be very shallow, particularly in late season.  Bring something to scoop with.  Call me old school if you like, but I like the good old fashioned Sierra Cup.  Its shallow shape and angled sides are ideal for scooping from shallow water sources.

A Sierra cup is ideal for scooping water from shallow sources.
Note size of pool.  I was able to extract four liters.

If you're using a filter or a Steri-Pen, you may need to bring something to pour into so that you can pump out of or treat in.  If you're using chemical means (typically iodine or chlorine dioxide), you can pour straight into your bladder or water bottle.  I've been using a Steri-Pen lately, and I find a cut down 2L Platypus bottle works great.  A 2L Platy already has a 1L marking (the Steri-Pen is designed to treat 1L max at a time) is tall enough that I can immerse the pen, is self standing, and is see through so that I can see if the pen is working.

Treating water with a Steri-Pen
Note how the vessel must be deep enough to immerse the Steri-Pen's bulb

Appendix IV -- Other Water Sources
The following are other water sources that I'm a little bit less familiar with.  Eventually, I'd like to add the water sources marked on this map to the main list.  I don't have as much experience with these, but here's my gut feel based on what experience I do have.
The letters represent points marked on the above linked map:
A -- Strawberry Creek. Seasonal, unreliable.
B -- Strawberry Cienega. Seasonal, but pretty reliable in wet years. Probably reliable to mid season in drier years. Unreliable in very dry years or multi year droughts. Typically low flow. Bring something to scoop with.
C -- Marion Creek. Seasonal, unreliable.
D -- Stone Creek. Seasonal, unreliable.
E -- Unnamed branch of Stone Creek. Seasonal, unreliable.
F -- Lower Bed Springs* Crossing. Perennial, reliable.
G -- Unnamed branch of the N Fork San Jacinto River. Seasonal, unreliable.

*Actually this water source is the combination of the outflow of Bed Springs, Rock Springs, Lilly Springs, and Little Round Valley. I don't have the depth of experience to completely rate the reliability of this water source, but my gut sense is that this would be highly reliable, perhaps the most reliable source on the west side of the San Jacintos above 8,000'.