Thank you for water!

[SonrisaJo]

A big thank you to the kind souls who put gallons of water out just south of Harpers Ferry and in the southern part of Shenandoah. I didn't always need it because of really awesome nobo/sobo communication, but I really, REALLY appreciate that there are wonderful people out there willing to help us out. You are all so awesome that I would give you a hug if I didn't stink so bad.

Thanks to all trail angels, everywhere, who are putting out water. You rock.

xoxo,
Someday

[camojack]

A big thank you to the kind souls who put gallons of water out just south of Harpers Ferry and in the southern part of Shenandoah. I didn't always need it because of really awesome nobo/sobo communication, but I really, REALLY appreciate that there are wonderful people out there willing to help us out. You are all so awesome that I would give you a hug if I didn't stink so bad.

Thanks to all trail angels, everywhere, who are putting out water. You rock.

xoxo,
Someday
Somebody put one of those big coolers full of ice water along the trail near Guilder Pond last weekend...and it was much appreciated, since most of the water sources weren't very wet last week.

[perrito]

Trail angels rock!

http://www.feebleminds-gifs.com/smiley-faces-71.gif http://www.feebleminds-gifs.com/smiley-faces-74.gif http://www.feebleminds-gifs.com/smiley-faces-84.gif

[Kerosene]

Back in October 2002 I decided to finish a section from Loft Mtn. Campground in southern SNP (where my 1986 section had ended with a pulled Achilles) south to Buena Vista.

I found a former thru-hiker on WB to join me and a friend dropped us off about 11 am. We made good time to Blackrock Hut, where we learned that the spring was dry; something we had not realized. We later learned that most of Virginia had been in the worst drought since the 40's. We decided to move on and get to Rockfish Gap in two days instead of an easy 2.5, and pushed to see how much mileage we could do before dark. Fortunately, it was cool and windy, so we were able to ration the 2 liters we had each started with, but when we reached Wildcat Ridge and Skyline Parkway I already had less than a liter to hold me for the 13 additional miles to Rockfish Gap.

We really could have used a water cache, which would have been easy enough to setup on the trip in if we had known that the water situation was so dire. I attempted to flag down a car or an RV who might have some extra water, but the few cars driving out of the park at dusk just shook their head at my empty water bottle.

I was slightly dehydrated that night and woke up with a slight telltale headache. We started south again very early as it was supposed to be a warm day, eating a cold breakfast a few miles in. We learned that the spring at Calf Mountain Shelter was dry also, but fortunately I found a small pool of water directly *on* the trail that I was able to siphon from. That saved me from what would have been a very difficult last few miles. I'm just glad that I started out with more water than I thought I'd need, but I've been doing that ever since 1976 when I ran out of water on a hot muggy day, 5 miles from a road crossing and house.

[Bronk]

You know you're thirsty when you look at a dark brown colored mud puddle and seriously think about drinking out of it. Its easy to get spoiled in the south where you often have water crossing the trail several times per day and resupply every 2 to 3 days. Go hungry a couple times and thirsty a couple times and you start to rethink some things.

But it is wonderful to stumble to a road crossing with no food or no water and find that some generous soul has left a cooler full of goodies.

[Pony]

Water left at road crossings in New York saved my butt this summer. On my third day of 100*+ heat I stayed at the Hemlock campsite north of Bear Mtn. and didn't get there until after dark. My map said there was a developed water source there but all I could find was a spring that was pretty stagnant and less than an inch deep. Having been without water for the last six miles and not able to scoop water out with my water bottle I got on my hands and knees and drank from the pool while frogs jumped onto my head. Pretty sure I also drank some mosquito larvae, but when you're that thirsty you do what you gotta do.