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Hikerhead
12-22-2004, 21:53
In your opinion, which shelter's water source was the longest/hardest to get to.

For me, it was the Rice Field shelter on Peters Mtn in Va. What a mistake that was. I was really PO'd when I came across a fine spring right on the trail about a mile farther north. :datz

orangebug
12-22-2004, 21:58
During my sections, thus far, Abington Gap's (last shelter in TN) water supply was absolutely the worst. I would have been much wiser to have watered up at Double Springs and avoided that long descent and climb.

Lone Wolf
12-22-2004, 22:01
Peter's Mtn. Shelter, Pa. just north of Duncannon.

MOWGLI
12-22-2004, 22:04
Peter's Mtn. Shelter, Pa. just north of Duncannon.

A beautiful but LOOOOOONG & steep stone staircase. That took some serious effort to build. Darn near did me in on a hot day in June.

Skyline
12-22-2004, 22:28
Vanderventer in TN was at least a half-mile, steep, not always a real trail, and a very disappointing drip once finally there.

Cehoffpauir
12-23-2004, 00:11
Bake Oven Knob in PA was the hardest.

I arrived about 10 pm, parched. It took me 45 minutes--no joke--to find the spring in the dark. The first marked spring was dry and walled over, the second merely damp rocks. The third was deep in the woods along a blue-blazed trail so poorly-marked it felt dangerous. Water never tasted so good as that night.

The best--there are many excellent sources. Most memorable is the 15-foot-wide bubbling spring at that shelter in Maine--I forget the name. Clear, cold, clean water.

PROFILE
12-23-2004, 01:15
Peter's Mtn. Shelter, Pa. just north of Duncannon.

I second that.

Alligator
12-23-2004, 02:02
Both Rice Field and Vandeventer came to my mind. Is there water at Rice Field at all? I was heading southbound and when I got to the shelter, these two fellows told me the only water was now behind me. It was a real cold winter night too. Sucked, but I hiked back to get it. It wasn't a bad walk though, fairly level from what I remember.

At Vandeventner, I pulled in late, not quite dusk. There was one guy there. It was a dry summer and I hiked WAY down to get the water down the ravine. Stupid, but I forgot my headlamp and had to climb back up in the dark. I was gone so long the guy started looking for me back on the trail. He didn't realize I had gone down the ravine. I was real spooked coming back up, I'm glad I didn't know the history behind that shelter.

squirrel bait
12-23-2004, 05:20
What is the history regarding this shelter?

c.coyle
12-23-2004, 08:28
Peter's Mtn. Shelter, Pa. just north of Duncannon.

You really love that place, don't you? ;)

Blue Jay
12-23-2004, 08:49
Wait a minute, what about all those shelters that had no water at all. Peters Mt. is a kick ass shelter. I'd call Lone Wolf a Wimp, but I'm scared of Marines :banana .

walkin' wally
12-23-2004, 09:40
Bake Oven Knob in PA was the hardest.



The best--there are many excellent sources. Most memorable is the 15-foot-wide bubbling spring at that shelter in Maine--I forget the name. Clear, cold, clean water.

Probably Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to in the 100 mile wilderness. Great place for spring water.
There is another large spring near the Rainbow Spring tentsite in the Wilderness too.

Sleepy the Arab
12-23-2004, 11:20
I give another vote to Vandeventor. I'd rather get water at Peters Mt. Shelter twice than have to get it at Vandeventor. As for shelters with no water around, at least one can prepare for it by getting water beforehand. There isn't anything worse than seeing a shelter listed in the guidebook as having water, and then having to truck downhill 8 switchbacks (I'm looking at you Helveys Mill!) to get it.

Footslogger
12-23-2004, 12:31
Yeah ...gotta be Rice Field. Poorly marked and a long treck down hill through overgrown brush/thistles.

I somehow escaped the Peters Mtn source. Guess I was carrying enough when I stopped there for lunch last year.

'Slogger
AT 2003

neo
12-23-2004, 13:15
the farest shelter water source i remember was vanderverter shelter,has a great view but water source,half a mile down the mountain:sun neo

Cehoffpauir
12-24-2004, 01:05
Probably Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to in the 100 mile wilderness. Great place for spring water.
There is another large spring near the Rainbow Spring tentsite in the Wilderness too.


It was Potaywadjo--I couldn't remember the name when I wrote my reply. I remember the Rainbow Spring spring on Rainbow Lake--beautiful in October with the colors across the smooth blue water. Looked like Fruity Pebbles.

Yeah, what is the history behind Vanderventner Shelter?

Groucho
12-24-2004, 01:57
Yeah, what is the history behind Vanderventner Shelter?
Couldn't remember the year so i got the following from: http://outside.away.com/magazine/0596/9605fei.html

"One case still haunts hikers who overnight near Vandeventer Shelter, outside Watauga Lake, Tennessee. In 1975, a through-hiker axed another through-hiker to death after inviting her to his camp for a bowl of cornflakes."

I remember from some source that the guy was covetous of her gear. Some say the shelter is still haunted. Nonsense. It is, however, one of the best east coast spots for alien abduction, but that's a long story> :D

squirrel bait
12-24-2004, 04:13
Thank you.

The Solemates
12-24-2004, 11:54
By far the hardest for us was Vandeventer. We hiked to the bottom in the dark after hiking a 23 mile day. It was 0.5 off the AT and 400 feet elevation change. Nasty. :banana

swamp dawg
12-24-2004, 12:38
I think Vandeventer shelter gets my vote. You have quite a steep walk down from the shelter over a fairly rocky trail to a very small water source. The walk back up to the shelter can try your soul. I once saw a guy and his dog make their way down to get water but the dog flat refused to make the climb back up once he had his water pack full.
Life is good on the trail.....Swamp Dawg

steve hiker
12-24-2004, 14:27
What about the spring that's listed 1.8 miles south of Vandeventer Shelter in the data book. It any good, and do you have to search around for it?

The Old Fhart
12-24-2004, 15:26
In 2002 I remember getting water south of Vanderventer at a spring on the right beside the trail. It was obvious and a good source. I had also got water there in 1998 so I'd consider it reliable. Heck of a lot easier to fill up there than go way off the ridge to get water.

I also didn't stay at Rice shelter because of the long hike to the water. I tented north of the shelter right near the spring. If I'm going to hike that far for water, it better be the direction that gets me toward the end of the trail.

In Massachusetts I do remember the hike down from Tom Leonard into the Ice Gulch for water. I almost ran out of daylight before I got back.

orangebug
12-24-2004, 17:35
The water source south of Vanderveter Shelter is right on the trail, and is a bit more difficult than some I saw. Even with the heavy rains of the prior days, it was a fairly small spring that needed a bit of coaxing to cup out into my bottle. But it was a lot easier than going down a ravine.