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Kevin A. Boyce
06-27-2005, 11:23
Hi all... Quick question for those of you that have been on the AT in CT recently...

How are the water sources doing this year? I am heading out for a weeklong section hike this Friday and am curious for what to expect. I am hoping to get some rain out this way this week, I would hope it may refresh some places that may be running low.

Thanks!
KevBoy

gsingjane
06-27-2005, 14:07
Hi Kevin, we might see you out there this weekend, my daughter and I are going to continue our CT section hike and will be going from Breadloaf to Sharon and maybe further before we turn around to our car in Kent. We were out three weeks ago doing the southern-most 25 miles and at that time the water sources were excellent (except for the pump at Silver Hill, which is dry). However, it has been extremely dry here since then and I know that a lot of our local creeks (we live near the Westwoods hiking preserve) have already dried up. I have heard that you should not pump out of the Housatonic but that might wind up being the only option. But I would bet that at least a few of the streams are still running (and there should be plenty of thru-hikers out by now to steer you!).

Good luck and hopefully we'll see you!

Jane

Kevin A. Boyce
06-27-2005, 14:59
Jane, thanks for the info. It has been pretty dry around here, I am over in NY just west of Sharon, and actually have been hoping we would get some of those thunder storms that the weather people keep predicting!

Hope to catch you on the trail...
KevBoy

dje97001
08-10-2005, 08:56
Too late for the initial date mentioned but...

Silver hill is listed as dry, but I witnessed (on sunday 8/7) the CT Wilderness School kids pump for 4 minutes (frantically) and get their fill of rusty water.

Sharon Mtn. Campsite's Brook was dry (looked damp, but no running water). The rest of the streams and brooks south of Belters Campsite (rt. 7/112 intersection) were great.

canoehead
08-10-2005, 09:26
Hi Kevin
jane / dje97001 are right, I will also be hiking the state of Conn this week, we will start at Hoyt rd sometime sunday and we'll be at sages ravine for the weekend, me and trailhopper are the weekend ridgerunners for the area, so maybe we'll see ya out there.
safe adventures
canoehead

gsingjane
08-10-2005, 09:29
Wow, that seems amazing. We are in the middle of a drought here in CT (I think we've had .06 inches in the past month) and it has been extremely dry. Everything is wilted and dying and all the local streams and marshes are dry. They did get a quick cloudburst over in the AT area last Friday but I wouldn't have thought it enough to replenish those streams. But maybe the more "mountainous" areas are catching some storms that we are missing in the more central parts of the state.

Jane in CT

p.s. Sharon Mtn. still very noisy this time of year?

canoehead
08-10-2005, 09:38
pray for rain....
I also need a good extrem whitewater kayaking fix! One i dont have to travel to far for, I dont mind driving to the Dryway in Charlemont Ma but there is some great whitewater locally and i'd like to paddle local... just a little off topic i know but i still need my whitewater fix.
safe adventures
canoehead

dje97001
08-10-2005, 10:16
Jane--yeah, we stayed in Sharon Mtn. for a total of 10 minutes as we were already out of H2O and had 3 miles ahead of us until the next source. I think the rain on friday night lasted an hour? Then it rained a little bit on monday night, but we really had no problems getting water anywhere except sharon (the brook in front of Mt. Algo shelter was low, but still running enough). At Belters it was a very small spring (with a decent sized frog) but it was pretty cold and actually moving a little. But again, we didn't go past that so I can't speak to springs further north.

Heater
08-10-2005, 10:34
Jane--yeah, we stayed in Sharon Mtn. for a total of 10 minutes as we were already out of H2O and had 3 miles ahead of us until the next source. I think the rain on friday night lasted an hour? Then it rained a little bit on monday night, but we really had no problems getting water anywhere except sharon (the brook in front of Mt. Algo shelter was low, but still running enough). At Belters it was a very small spring (with a decent sized frog) but it was pretty cold and actually moving a little. But again, we didn't go past that so I can't speak to springs further north.
When I talk with my Aunt in Rockville, (about 25 miles Northeast of Hartford) she always mentions the heat up there this year. I used to try to make it up there in August just to get relief form the 100 plus degree days here in Texas. The last couple of years has been a turnaoround with the mild Summers here in Austin.
This is the second Summer in a row that we haven't had water rationing. It is pouring rain here as I type. I hope things get back to normal by '07 when I hike it. ( or next year if I can make it)

Kevin A. Boyce
08-10-2005, 11:35
Funny that the frog at Belter's is mentioned... When I was there the spring was running a bit low, so I was using a ziploc to scoop the water up to my container, and that little bugger jumped out of no-where! It was twlight so I did not see him until he jumped, there was almost another spring that night!

Also, when I was at Falls VIllage, I stopped by the package store for a drink, I asked about where I can fill up my water, and the woman there said that I could use the spigot on the side of the town hall. It is the tall white building on the east side of the village green. I am not sure if it is still available, it was a month ago.

Catch you all later...
KevBoy

gsingjane
08-10-2005, 11:51
I am hoping to go out next week... going to do a funny hike where we will park at the high school, hike south and "touch up" at Sharon, then hike north for a couple of days, then hike back south to the car. We are trying to section hike all of CT this summer and the last time we were out we only got as far as Sharon and then had to turn around to go back south to Breadloaf (where the car was that time). I do not love these "round trip" AT hikes but it is the only way to do it with only one car in the family. I surely hope we get some rain before then because it's only going to get dryer if we don't!

Jane in CT

canoehead
08-10-2005, 18:31
yeah its ashame all the little creeks are drying up, the local weather is calling for random thunderstorms this weekend and into the nextweek..... maybe that'll be enough to get things juiced up around here keep you're fingers crossed.

safe adventures
canoehead

trailhopper
08-11-2005, 15:25
Hows the water source from Dalton to Greylock? Might be heading that way not to sure yet

LIhikers
08-16-2005, 02:34
My wife and I hiked Salisbury, CT to Goose Pond Road, MA last week and didn't have any lack of water. Sure, some of the springs and streams were real low but we just carried a little more than usual, just to make sure we didn't run out.