Mt. Palomar: Way to Get Across Barker Valley?

So I made the drive up the Palomar Divide Truck Trail a few days ago from Warner Springs, and ran down Barker Valley Spur. A nice trail, which gets down into the valley in the southern part of Palomar.

Some nice folks have posted Jerry Schad's hike directions along with a map and pics here, and a map here. According to one commenter less than a year ago, a ranger said you can't get to the falls anymore (?); not sure since I didn't try.

My question is: is there a way to get across the valley and up to the telescope or Mendenhall Road? Or is the only way to go around the top (northwest end) of the valley, where the Palomar Divide Ridge joins with the west-facing ridge?


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This trail also made me wonder why SoCal national forests don't just say "no fires, period" during the high fire-danger times, like right now. Seriously, do we really have to make an allowance for grills? It seems pretty clear that we can resist the need to build a fire for a certain period for safety. People's desire for s'mores is outweighed by preserving the forest and protecting the lives and property of fire fighters and nearby residents.