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stevebo
05-06-2018, 13:02
How is the water at Blackrock Hut? Last time I was there (2015) the pipe was barely dripping. Should I just get water a mile South where the trail briefly touches the road?

methodman
05-06-2018, 16:42
Last time I was there it was running great. That was February 10,2018.

MuddyWaters
05-06-2018, 17:03
Good when i was there last, october 2016

TwoSpirits
05-06-2018, 17:20
October last year was very very low. Barely a trickle.

TwoSpirits
05-06-2018, 17:56
I was traveling SOBO thru SNP last October, and found the last 3rd section of the park fairly to very dry. For me, the whole section between Loft Mountain Campground to Calf Mountain Shelter was very very dry. Even the spigots at Dundo picnic ground were turned off.

I don't recall water being readily available at the road crossing just south of Blackrock (but maybe I missed something), nor was it easily available at the second crossing (where the Blackrock parking area is) -- however I understand that a brief hike down the fire road [Blackrock Gap Rd] will take you to a stream. I was very fortunate to meet a vacationing family from Tennessee, who were interested in my hike and gave me water.

Gambit McCrae
05-07-2018, 08:05
Blackrock Hut is historically a strong flow. Keep in mind that it is about a .4 mile side trail but seeing as there is no established water source after Loft mtn CG. After Blackrock Hut it is a 12 mile dry spell until calf mountain.

LittleRock
05-07-2018, 08:22
I was there exactly 2 weeks ago. Nice spring, good flow. Filled up 3L in less than a minute.

The spring was surprisingly difficult to find given that it is only about 50 feet from the hut. I had to look around for a few minutes before I saw it. Most springs create a small stream going downhill for awhile. At this spring, the water disappeared back into the ground only a few feet away.

Go down the hill in front of the hut and look to your right. The piped spring is nestled in a group of large rocks.

It's true there's no convenient water source near the trail until almost Calf Mtn Hut going south. But to the north, the trail passes within 0.1 mi of the Dundo campground about 2 miles from Blackrock Hut and you can get water from the spigot.

stevebo
05-09-2018, 09:23
I understand that a brief hike down the fire road [Blackrock Gap Rd] will take you to a stream.

Yes, that's the water source I was speaking of. It's like 0.2 miles from Skyline Dr. down the fire road.

TwoSpirits
05-09-2018, 10:15
Yes, that's the water source I was speaking of. It's like 0.2 miles from Skyline Dr. down the fire road.When I was there I took a break to consider my options (a section of trail just ahead of me was closed to camping due to a problem bear), and a couple walked up the road from having had a picnic. From our conversation, I inferred that it was more like .5 down to the stream, however I could have been mistaken. I do know that I wasn't eager for that extra walk uphill loaded down with water! I sure was happy for an interested family and their gift of water (and a quick ride around the closed couple miles of trail!)

ZiggySours
05-15-2018, 20:14
Hi i was also down ther 2 weeks ago spring going strong but it also happened to be 85 that day as i stepped on to the AT for the first time near mccormick gap at 10 oclock at night to hike to calf mt and then to have a grueling day the next day hiking 13 miles from calf to black rock hut to the next water source was crazy had i not had a few people help us out with water it would have sucked really bad really dry section i dont know if it was dehydration or exhaustion or both but i dont think ive ever had water taste as good as that first drink from black rock hut lol