Tram to SJ Peak conditions and water at Round Valley?

[BigFoot]

I just received my wilderness permit for 4/15 through 4/17 to camp at Round Valley. The plan is to ride the tram up Saturday morning, camp for two nights at Round Valley (with hike up to Mt. San Jacinto on Easter Sunday), and then come down on Monday 4/17.

Along with the permit, was a strip of paper labeled "Water Availability Alert". It says there is currently no water available at the Round Valley Spring spigot, and that we should plan to either bring our water, or at the very least, to tank up at the Long Valley Ranger Station with whatever we will need before entering the wilderness.

Having never been to the area, but having seen some recent reports on conditions in the area, I was hoping there would be one or more sources of water in the area where we could at least filter rather than hauling in three days worth of water.

I was hoping some kind folks here could shed some light on what the actual conditions are, or will likely be two weeks from now. Any additional information about general campground conditions would also be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[Ed]

The warning seems premature. There will probably be enough snow, if you have the fuel to melt it, plus some water here and there from the natural melting. But I would check with the Long Valley Ranger Station a few days before you leave.

[BigFoot]

Thanks for weighing in Ed!

[Ed]

You're welcome, BigFoot. If you aren't familiar with the tram, and don't have an online ticket, consider arriving at the tram station by 7:30am. They begin selling tickets at that time, and there can be a long wait for a car later on. You have plenty of time to make it up to Round Valley, but the wait for a car can be irritating.

[BigFoot]

I am not familiar with the Tram process. We have been considering buying our tickets in advance, and would of course prefer not to have to wait too long in the line. Thanks for the tips!

[Ed]

The online tickets have a car time, and often sell out early. They save some space on each car for people buying at the ticket counter, and people with annual and summer passes.