View Full Version : First real NOBO ford?
Where's the first water ford where you can't reasonably cross on rocks going NOBO from Springer?
It depends on the weather. The hardest water crossings I did was crossing creeks hiking into Gorharm (next to Rattle River) and they're not even listed as fords in any books. It had been raining buckets for a few days and the creeks were swollen and overflowing - later found out that 2 tornadoes had been reported in the area that same day.
When I got further north only 1 of the fords listed in my guidebook reached my knees - the rest were shallower than that. Nothing to it.
(I didn't answer your question other than to say you can run into a ford anywhere if it rains enough)
Pedaling Fool
01-20-2011, 08:29
It depends on the weather.
Yes it does. My first real ford was just past Uncle Johnnies in April of 2006, it had been raining forever. I did the hike one year later (Springer to Damascus) and it was a dried up creek.
I can't remember where the first non-weather-dependent ford is, but I think it's somewhere up in Maine.
I just remembered I had to do one somewhere in Virginia, I think because there was a bridge out.
Again--depends on the rain.
A dry year, you may be able to rock hop everything.
Wet year, you may be 'fording' in Georgia.
Cookerhiker
01-20-2011, 09:21
...I just remembered I had to do one somewhere in Virginia, I think because there was a bridge out.
That may have been this crossing (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=92493) of Stony Creek. The bridge was washed out in a September '04 hurricane. I had to ford it in on a section hike in early April '05 - the water was quite frigid. Don't think the bridge was rebuilt until '09, perhaps '10.
While all ford necessities are dependent on the year's weather, you can be sure there will be fords in the 100 mile wilderness.
couscous
01-20-2011, 09:58
The first one usually listed in the guide books is Gould Brook in VT .. around mile 1680.
That may have been this crossing (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=92493) of Stony Creek. The bridge was washed out in a September '04 hurricane. I had to ford it in on a section hike in early April '05 - the water was quite frigid. Don't think the bridge was rebuilt until '09, perhaps '10.
While all ford necessities are dependent on the year's weather, you can be sure there will be fords in the 100 mile wilderness.
Is that the one with the long roadwalk re-route? Somewhere in that section I came to a washed out bridge with sign saying the trail had been rerouted because of Hurricane Floyd.
I did a quick look around and just ignored the sign and kept going on that section of trail anyway.
Blissful
01-20-2011, 10:17
southern VA had 2 interesting crossings after a hard rain in '07. They were nothing when I went SOBO though last year
Cookerhiker
01-20-2011, 10:56
Is that the one with the long roadwalk re-route? Somewhere in that section I came to a washed out bridge with sign saying the trail had been rerouted because of Hurricane Floyd.
I did a quick look around and just ignored the sign and kept going on that section of trail anyway.
It may have been the same one. I was hiking SOBO where there was a Forest Service road just before the defunct bridge. The sign did point to a detour using the road. I don't recall whether it was a long walk or how many miles it added but seeing the white blazes across the creek, I decided to ford and plod on. So instead of a level road walk, my reward was a few PUDs but I'm still glad it did it. Eventually the AT re-crossed the creek at the point of the detour about 2 miles further south.
I don't mean this to sound like it might sound, but ... there weren't any fords worth mentioning on the AT, other than the canoe ride. Got my feet wet in a few places, but nothing at all difficult, risky, deep or swift on a NOBO last year. The one bridge outing offered, I suppose an opportunity for someone to get a little wet but using a downed tree even my feet stayed dry for that one.
Blissful
01-20-2011, 15:17
I don't mean this to sound like it might sound, but ... there weren't any fords worth mentioning on the AT, other than the canoe ride. Got my feet wet in a few places, but nothing at all difficult, risky, deep or swift on a NOBO last year. The one bridge outing offered, I suppose an opportunity for someone to get a little wet but using a downed tree even my feet stayed dry for that one.
Except for all your snow last year, you 2010 guys had a SUPERB year for hiking. And it was very dry in NE also
Maine last year still had some good fords where you needed the ropes to get across. They were over thigh deep and waist deep at points.
Thanks for the info. I was indeed asking about all weather fords. I'm looking to start camp shoeless and didn't want to hit a stretch where I'm wading a bunch without some sort of water shoe. I'm guessing the AT is so well maintained most real crossings have bridges.
Maine last year still had some good fords where you needed the ropes to get across. They were over thigh deep and waist deep at points.
Those ropes were for you to walk over not hold onto!
Anything past the halfway mark I'm not terribly concerned with now. If the answer is more or less Vermont or the 100 mile wilderness I'll have lost enough fat to more than compensate for 10 ounces of water/camp shoes.
Jim Adams
01-20-2011, 20:18
Virginia...just before Bastian...several crossings of the same creek. Most cannot be rock hopped and although shallow, they need to be forded. There is a marked high water alternate up over the ridge.
geek
The Solemates
01-21-2011, 21:39
I don't mean this to sound like it might sound, but ... there weren't any fords worth mentioning on the AT, other than the canoe ride. Got my feet wet in a few places, but nothing at all difficult, risky, deep or swift on a NOBO last year. The one bridge outing offered, I suppose an opportunity for someone to get a little wet but using a downed tree even my feet stayed dry for that one.
our experience as well