Devil Fork Gap to Hot Springs?

[Ground Control]

Gonna cover this section later this week. My PocketProfile Mapdana map is 2 years old, says it is 43.5 miles from Devil Fork Gap to 25/70 in Hot Springs.

Any significant re-routes through this area that I should be aware of?

My map shows 11 usable water sources between them; can I safely assume that they are fully functional this season?

Any suggestions for non-shelter-based hammock camping between the two?

Thanks in advance for any updates, intel, or suggestions.

[Sly]

the 2014 mileage is 308.9 to 273.9 (35 miles). As a member of ALDHA ($10) you can get the Companion with up-to-date profiles in PDF for free or buy it separately as a non-member for $8.

Some of the 11 water sources may be seasonal but water shouldn't be a problem.

[SawnieRobertson]

My map shows 11 usable water sources between them; can I safely assume that they are fully functional this season?

A wise woman once advised me not to ever assume anything. It is getting pretty hot and humid hereabouts. I'd surely carry plenty of water as a safety precaution while hoping for some delightful cool showers in the afternoons but not relying on their showing up. Also, didn't we receive a communique regarding the trail after Iron Mountain
Gap recently?

[SawnieRobertson]

Sorry. I was thinking that you had asked about Devils Fork Gap to Damascus.

[The Cleaner]

I was just at Jerry's Cabin shelter on 6-2 for a monthly maintenance check. The water was fine at the shelter. Also I camped about 2/10 mile south of the Shelton graves at a good campsite with a spring a little ways down on the TN side. The water source for Flint Mtn shelter is a small stream and should be running. South of Jerry's Cabin is where it gets tricky. About 1/2 mile south of the Camp Creek Bald Firetower, there is a good campsite and spring which does dry up usually in the late summer. This may be a good place to tank up as the water source at Little Laurel shelter is running slow,according to NOBO reports. There is NO WATER between LL shelter and Spring Mtn. shelter and the spring is very slow there and has been for the last few years. There is also a spring and campsite just below Rich Mtn firetower. South of there I have no recent info but there used to be a good spring above the small pond at an open area known as Mill Ridge. If there is no water at Little Laurel shelter, you may have to go to Hemlock Hollow hostel/cabins/cafe which is 6/10 mile to your right at Log Cabin Rd.,3.5 miles south of LL shelter and 1.5 miles from Allen Gap. There just a few yards into NC is a former store which has been reopened for hikers and may or may not be open. Here in Greene Co. we are -6" of rain and very dry in some nearby counties also. Last week the temp hit 90* everyday in the TN valley but I've found that temps rarely go above the low 70s in the high country. However the humidity is off the scale and the dewpoint also very high. This makes 72* feel much warmer and I suggest packing plenty of some kind of drink mix w/electrolyte replacement. The biting gnats may be a problem while stopped I always pack a headnet and forgo any bug spray as I sweat so much. I just left a new register at Jerry's Cabin shelter and you may find more recent info as to the water situation. Good luck and try not to overheat.

[The Cleaner]

I should have said 1/2 mile North of Camp Creek Bald firetower is where the campsite and spring are. Also don't bother going up to the firetower as access is blocked halfway up with some nasty and loose razor wire. Even if you could get to the top of the firetower, the view is blocked by a TV transmission tower and other communication related equipment. The best views are from the southern section of the Big Firescald rocky ridge walk just before you re-enter the trees and not far from where the original AT/Blue blazed trail comes in to your right.

[Tennessee Viking]

There is huge relocation in the works and not open from just south of the Shelton Graves to Flint Gap. It is currently under construction by the Konnarock Crew and CMC.

[4shot]

A wise woman once advised me not to ever assume anything. It is getting pretty hot and humid hereabouts. I'd surely carry plenty of water as a safety precaution while hoping for some delightful cool showers in the afternoons but not relying on their showing up. Also, didn't we receive a communique regarding the trail after Iron Mountain
Gap recently?

Good advice here. I did Erwin sobo to HS a few weeks back and some of the water sources were dry. Don't recall specific ones unfortunately.

[Ground Control]

Thanks for all the helpful responses, especially to The Cleaner, whose detailed answer I read right before departing. Thanks! Nice little stretch of trail you have there.

We covered the 35 miles in just over 53 hours. Spectacular near-360 views from the trail just south of Jerry Cabin Shelter.

The water scarcity knowledge was most valuable. Very little water at all between Jerry Cabin Shelter and the Rich Mountain Lookout tower. We attempted water downhill from the Spring Mtn. Shelter, but it was the color of sweet tea... many other marked springs were bone dry, even after a light rain.

...as for the remarks about "assuming" - I hear you loud and clear about the dangers, and could even hear my father reciting the old adage as I typed it. But isn't making assumptions and best-educated guesses a big part of planning a hike? We assume the temperature will be in a certain range, we assume we will need about this much food per day, we assume it will take "X" hours to get from point A to point B, etc... I'm not quite ready to remove the word from my lexicon, even though I recognize the dangers of making assumptions. The real danger is being too attached to your assumed outcomes and not being prepared for when your some of your assumptions are inevitably wrong. But I digress...

Thank you for the straight-forward answers to my inquiry.

[misterfloyd]

I just got back from this area this week.

Water being scarce at the time was real. Many of the springs were dried up. As mentioned before the mountains are down 7 inches of water if you can believe it.

Also as you get closer to Erwin there is an area before you hit the town were the trail is not very well marked. So much so that I thought that the trail did get re routed. There were a few faded blazes but not much. This was in the section you speak of. It got better as you approched Erwin.

There were a few gully washers in regards of rain so I hope that it improved the lot, but as a whole not much water.

Have a great trip!!

Floyd

[Magic_Mack]

Yep it's dry, did DF gap to Allen gap this past weekend and it was dry after J cabin.

[SteelCut]

Any updated reports on the water situation in this section ??

[No Directions]

Any updated reports on the water situation in this section ??

I hiked Hot Springs to Erwin last week and all of the water sources in AWOL's guide were flowing well.

[DMcAvoy]

We're hiking from Devils Fork to Allen's Gap this coming weekend. What can we expect for the water sources? We were planning on taking our time and making a weekend of it, but if we don't have water, we may be changing our pace a bit.
Thanks for any info!

[Bear Cables]

I have been told by two sources that there is water north of devils fork but at this time jerry's cabin and little laurel are dry. Also read on the ATC site that there's dry conditions from little laurel to HS. The ATC update was from 9/7 and the others from y his week

[DMcAvoy]

Actually the water ended up being just fine on the the 20.2 mile stretch from Devil's Fork to Allen's Gap. Jerry's Cabin water was flowing great. Some of the others were a little slow but still had absolutely no trouble getting all the water we needed. We had an absolutely perfect weekend. Weather was great and trail was not crowded at all.

[Bear Cables]

Good to hear. We are hiking Spivey to Allen Gap in 12 days. I have been concerned.

[T-Rx]

Any updates on water sources between Sam's Gap and Hot Springs? We are heading that way Saturday and just checking to be sure we plan accordingly. thanks.