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View Full Version : Whitley Gap Shelter...water???



shoe
10-06-2008, 21:31
I have a friend that asked me about the water at this shelter and I have no idea. The water report from Mountain Crossings has a question mark.

Why anyone would want to walk that far to a shelter is crazy. Oh yeah they decided they were going to hike without a tent or shelter of any kind :eek:

Anyways, any help is appreciated

Thanks

max patch
10-06-2008, 21:36
GATC water report as of 9/22 says water is good.

I'd still pack in what I needed.

Not bringing a shelter is foolish.

Oh yeah, I stayed there on my thru. Whats another couple of miles on a 2k hike?

shoe
10-06-2008, 22:14
I will probably stash some for them at Tesnatee before the ugly climb up Wildcat.

Little Weasel
10-06-2008, 23:22
As all of you Georgians know, 2008 has been another record setting drought for GA. I have a thru hike of GA from Deep Gap to Springer that is supposed to start this week. Mountain Crossings site https://01ef580.netsolstores.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=15 (https://01ef580.netsolstores.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=15) was updated a week ago and 38% of the listed sources are now dry. That has made me very nervous about attempting this trip until spring, assuming we get some relief this winter. Your friend should take every opportunity to stock up on the water at every opportunity and assume they may be forced to dry camp. Looks like we may get a good chance at some rain this week but that may not be enough to get the streams running again except for a day or two.

shoe
10-06-2008, 23:28
I am doing Springer to DIcks Creek starting Thursday. I am caching water at certain spots so I don't have to worry about it as much. If it's too terrible I will just come home. :)

My friend is coming down in a couple of weeks to hike it. I suppose I will be helping her with water as well.

Little Weasel
10-06-2008, 23:42
How long are you planning on it taking you?

shoe
10-06-2008, 23:51
I figure about a week. I am not on any time table. I have to be back home by the 16th.

Roots
10-07-2008, 07:14
I am doing Springer to DIcks Creek starting Thursday. I am caching water at certain spots so I don't have to worry about it as much. If it's too terrible I will just come home. :)

My friend is coming down in a couple of weeks to hike it. I suppose I will be helping her with water as well.

Hey SHOE!! That is a great section. I can imagine this time of year it will be nice. Hope you have a great trip!:sun

shoe
10-07-2008, 08:27
Thanks! I plan to have a good time

I have done it before. I am looking out to getting again. Just couldn't afford to drive to the Shenandoahs like I planned.

papa john
10-07-2008, 09:05
I was just up there and hiked from Visitor Center to Woody Gap. Stover Shelter had water on both sides and Gooch Gap had water after the road crossing and down the blue blazed trail (look for sign right after grassy camping area on the right). There was no water at the old Gooch Gap shelter water spot. I had no problem getting water anywhere else on that stretch.

Midway Sam
10-07-2008, 09:09
Whitley Gap was my first ever night on the AT. What a great shelter, albeit a little farr off the trail. Beautiful place to lay your head.

KG4FAM
10-07-2008, 09:20
Beautiful place to lay your head.It really is a nice place, but people avoid it like the plague because it is so far off the trail. I stayed there two years ago when there was water everywhere and I remember the spring had some of the best water.

Hikes in Rain
10-07-2008, 10:24
When I hiked that section back in the near-drought-of-record of 2000, the spring was flowing nicely. Just about the only one that was! Remember being rather annoyed at having humped a gallon or so all the way from Wilassee Yi (now Mountain Crossings) anticipating a dry night.

Roots
10-07-2008, 10:57
What I forgot to mention in my earlier post is how nice Whitley shelter area is. I stayed down there in April. I had daylight to get there but not low gap and didn't know if there were any camping spots in between so I made the sacrifice to go to Whitley. Kind of creepy down there since it is so isolated and not visited much. I was there in thru hike prime and the shelter register had not listed anyone down there in 3 days. Definitely unusual for that time of year. I did get a great sunset pic from there. Nice water source too.

Hikes in Rain
10-07-2008, 12:51
It truly is a georgeous spot, well worth the long side trip if you're not in a hurry, and almost guarenteed seclusion. Gotta agree on the creepy factor! Despite the drought I mentioned, my hike was through the remnants of a tropical storm passing that way. Rained all day, every day. (Still didn't help the water sources. And the ground was SO dry, I didn't get muddy, although I did get wet. Real wet.) Hiked there from Wood's Hole, carrying that gallon of water. Shelter log mentioned a real friendly bear, several times, and then the rain and fog closed in........

Took a lot of self-convincing that no bear in its right mind would be out on a night like that. Then I started worrying about insane bears......

Blissful
10-07-2008, 13:53
Hey SHoe, say hi to Mercy for me. :)

Have a great hike.

Little Weasel
10-08-2008, 08:17
I figure about a week. I am not on any time table. I have to be back home by the 16th.

Good luck SHOE and have a great hike. We should pass somewhere along the trail next week as I head SOBO.

FatMan
10-08-2008, 12:05
Good news for those concerned about water. It's been raining all morning and radar suggests there is plenty more to come. I can't speak to all the trail in GA but there is plenty of water from Springer to Neels.