Water from NOC to Siler Bald, plentiful, enjoy your hike Aquone Hostel
Water from NOC to Siler Bald, plentiful, enjoy your hike Aquone Hostel
Yea, I read that on the NPS site. We are scheduled to stay at Spence Field early next week. so that is concerning to us.
I am an analytical guy. That information went onto the website on Wednesday morning, and the website is only updated 3-4 days a week. Assuming that the data was 2-3 days old before it was posted, One must consider that there was a fairly steady rain most of Monday and Tuesday. Radar indicated that accumulations up and over the ridge were about 2" (4"+ in Knoxville, <1" in Bryson City).
So the question is how much of a difference did the 2" of rain make and will that be enough for a trickle by the weekend. Not familiar with the area to draw a reasonable conclusion. My maps also show that Eagle Creek originates just a hundred yards below Spence Field shelter. I presume that this stars with the spring. I wonder how far down the trail one would have to go to find flowing water....
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" but "That's funny..." Isaac Asimov
Veni, Vidi, Velcro. I came, I saw, I stuck around.
That's why I posted earlier that you just need a filter that can draw water from the smallest of trickles... then you won't go thirst, you have just have to travel farther down the hill side before you find water than normal.
Well, I just looked at the terrain around Spence Field in Google Earth. Looks like worst case senario, you might have to hike a mile down a very steep Eagle Creek trail before you ran into water. So one obvious plan is to stock up on as much water between Siler's and Spence. You'll obviously pass Derrick Knob. One other possibility (stricktly based on looking at the terrain in Google Earth) is that you could check out Jenkins Ridge Trail just before you reach Spence. The lay of the land suggests that about 1000' down Jenkins Ridge Trail (where actually the trail heads up hill) there is a drainage that might have enough moutain above it to have some flow.
There is also a spring not mention in most guidebooks on the other side of Spence Field down Bote Mountain Trail. It is about 0.1-0.2 down the trail and usually has water, although last time I went to use it hogs had been rooting around in it and messed up the pipe.
SGT Rock
http://hikinghq.net
My 2008 Trail Journal of the BMT/AT
BMT Thru-Hikers' Guide
-----------------------------------------
NO SNIVELING
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" but "That's funny..." Isaac Asimov
Veni, Vidi, Velcro. I came, I saw, I stuck around.
I have no idea. It is so small up there I doubt it is "the source" but probably a feeder.
That was last summer. We created a new pool in the spring above where the hogs had rooted around and got the pipe flowing again. I've been working too much lately to have any quality time in the park.And when was that the hogs had gotten into the pipe? Not sure I would be happy about a site with hogs rooting around too much....
SGT Rock
http://hikinghq.net
My 2008 Trail Journal of the BMT/AT
BMT Thru-Hikers' Guide
-----------------------------------------
NO SNIVELING
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" but "That's funny..." Isaac Asimov
Veni, Vidi, Velcro. I came, I saw, I stuck around.
I hiked that section two weeks ago, water at Russell Field was a mud puddle with a couple of pollywogs swimming around, passed that up. Water at Mollies Ridge was a trickle, although clean, took 10 minutes to get a pint out of the end of the pipe.
Just finished NOBO Fontana to Clingmans today with stops at camp 113 and each shelter. Water is flowing good at all the shelters since the rain Monday and Tuesday.
Here's the currrent water conditions:
Mile 166.1: Fontana Dam Visitors Center: Bathrooms open and showers, snack bar open 9am to 6pm daily May - Oct.
Mile 169.4: Supposed to be a spring. I never found it. I assume it's not dry right now.
Mile 171.1: Birch Spring Gap Campground 113: small puddle of water available that takes a long time to replenish itself.
Mile 175.4: Ekaneetlee Gap piped spring, running very slow. Took 45 minutes to gather 4 liters (photo below).
Mile 176.8: Mollies Ridge Shelter is DRY
Mile 179.6: Russell Field Shelter is DRY
Mile 181.1: stream is wet mud
Mile 182.5: Spence Field Shelter water running ok
Mile 185.0: Water to west after Thunderhead Mountain (status unknown)
Mile 188.8: Derrick Knob Shelter metal piped spring down steep but short hill to W of shelter, running full blast, ice cold
Mile 194.3 Silers Bald Shelter, spring ok
Mile 196.6 Double Spring Gap Shelter: NC spring to E piped spring running beautifully, ice cold, TN spring to W not so good (and on side of the privy so... no thanks)
Mile 198.9: Clingmans dome water still on
I also saw three bears who weren't the least bit afraid. Make sure you're hanging your food. All bear cables at the shelters are in good working condition. I only saw one broken one on the whole trip (At Mollies Ridge). Happy Trails