View Full Version : Water report, Fontana to Newfound Gap
art_mapman
10-18-2016, 19:00
Just completed this section in the Natl Park. Good water at Russell Field, about 30 yards downhill of the "official" source, a reasonably sized pool, clear and cold. There's a note in the shelter register ziploc describing where to find it. Apparently the rangers are telling people there's no water there but that's not correct. Derrick Knob shelter, we didn't get water there but met others who had. Silers Bald shelter, a smaller pool of water, not as good as at Russell but still possible. Double Spring shelter, we met three southbounders who told us it was totally dry. No direct knowledge of Mollies Ridge, Spence Field, or Mt Collins shelters.
Hope this info helps someone! Happy hiking!
Mt. Collins was flowing as of 10/2, granted it is .6 mi one-way to the source from the AT.
HooKooDooKu
10-19-2016, 13:00
Mt. Collins was flowing as of 10/2, granted it is .6 mi one-way to the source from the AT.
That's probably going to define several of the sources....
You might not find water at the standard "pipe" source... but head down hill a ways and you'll eventually run into some water.
I know that was my situation a few years back... was camping at CS#113 (the 1st one along the AT coming out of Fontana). Rangers were warning that upper elevation campsites were dry,and the "pipe" at #113 was dry. But I simply followed the drainage from the pipe for somewhere between 100' and 300' and found a nice flow of water.
That's probably going to define several of the sources....
You might not find water at the standard "pipe" source... but head down hill a ways and you'll eventually run into some water.
I know that was my situation a few years back... was camping at CS#113 (the 1st one along the AT coming out of Fontana). Rangers were warning that upper elevation campsites were dry,and the "pipe" at #113 was dry. But I simply followed the drainage from the pipe for somewhere between 100' and 300' and found a nice flow of water.Good point. In my reference, just for clarification sake, There was flow at the actual pipe as of 10/2. There was a seep coming out from the rocks on trail at around mile 203-204.
DixieMick
11-23-2016, 06:56
Anyone know water situation at spence field? Going Friday 11/25. Coming up bote mtn trail
The Spence Field shelter spring is reported as dry. The piped spring near the top of Bote Mountain was still flowing late last week. You can always go down Eagle Creek trail past the Spence source until you find water.
DixieMick
11-23-2016, 08:34
Thank you Bmelee for quick reply
HooKooDooKu
11-23-2016, 10:37
The piped spring near the top of Bote Mountain was still flowing late last week.
Where exactly is this spring located? I don't recall seeing it the last time I hiked that trail (but then I would have just left Spence Field with a full load of water), and looking at Bote Mountain Trail in Google Earth and Topo maps, it's location isn't obvious. The only point the trail crosses a drainage is just after the 1st U-turn heading down the trail from Spence (but if there was a spring that high up, I would think it too would be dry). The only other place I could guess that it could be located is right on the 3rd U-turn.
Im going on my recollection of the last time I was up there about ten years ago---
from my memory---there's a small spring with pipe on bote mountain on the left, maybe quarter to half mile down from the intersection with the AT....
HooKooDooKu
11-23-2016, 14:00
Im going on my recollection of the last time I was up there about ten years ago---
from my memory---there's a small spring with pipe on bote mountain on the left, maybe quarter to half mile down from the intersection with the AT....
That description fits the 3rd U-Turn located at 35° 33.983'N, 83° 43.810'W, and looks like the only place it could be based on the terrain (but then some of the GSMNP springs have been located in places I didn't expect based on the terrain).
But then I hiking buddy just gave me the coordinates of 35.5667ºN, 83.730ºW as a location he got water when we walked down this trail (however, he doesn't recall if there was a pipe there or not).
Love for anyone who could verify the coordinates so that I could update my GSMNP Google Earth data.