Spring Dry, 8/2/07 - Will Penn shelter

[Tractor]

Spring across trail from Will Penn shelter was about dry 8/2/07. If heading south fill up at the faucet at 501. t

[emerald]

Someone who has time to do so should walk downhill until water is found and post that information in the shelter's register. That's pretty much standard practice for summer hiking in Pennsylvania. Check and update registers and share information with hikers travelling in the opposite direction.

[theurbansuburban]

I was just there this weekend (10/3/07) and the spring was putting out about a quart every 10 minutes. Drop by Drop. No puddle to pump out of though, so bring a pot or something to fill up.

[emerald]

Thanks for your post. I've asked people to reciprocate by helping others who follow them by updating water threads on BMECC's portion of the A.T. and I'm beginning to see more than just a few club members contribute.

We may get our act altogether before long!

[shelterbuilder]

FWIW, I have walked downhill to try to locate the water from this spring. Suffice it to say that it is an impractical distance downhill and off-trail. Once the water leaves the area of the pipe, is goes underground and doesn't re-appear until it is almost all the way down the mountainside. The blue trail stops at the spring - since this was one spring that was always considered to be "unfailing" in the past, no one ever bothered to blaze the trail farther down the mountain.

For NOBO's, the nearest practical water source is 2 1/2 miles south on the trail. Older maps list an "abandoned power line"; newer maps show this area as the second lookout north of Swatara Gap. There is an old jeep road that runs down the north side of the ridge. Walk down about 12 - 15 minutes, and the road bears left, but straight ahead is a ravine where there should be a couple of pools deep enough to fill a water bag. TREAT YOUR WATER!!! This walk gets steep, so it is suggested to leave your pack NEAR the top where it cannot be seen from the top. The land belongs to the Game Commission, so no one should have a problem with hikers using the stream as a water source.

On a related note, BMECC is having a meeting this Wednesday, and I intend to suggest that we try to keep an active record of our water sources next year, so that we can post the information here and elsewhere. They may shoot me down on this one, but I'm going to try.

[Creek Dancer]

The water source for this shelter was nearly dry this weekend. Just a drip drip drip.

[emerald]

Thank you for your post. I am certain shelterbuilder will be interested to learn what you reported today. I will re-post or link your post to BMECC's water thread he started a while back.

Readers who clicked on New Posts to get here may want to scroll up for sb's post pertaining to the alternate source for Blue Mountain Spring.

Anyone through hiking in the area mentioned would provide a valuable service to other hikers by posting reliable, current information about Blue Mountain Spring in the registers at Rausch Gap and 501 Shelters. NOBOs might also update Ron at 501 when this water source or any of the more important summer sources fail so he can pass along this information to others.