Water
Is the water situation in GA/NC any better after the southeast rains this weekend?
Nearly Normal
Not Neel's Gap to Tenestee. It is dry.
It was pouring in Atlanta when I went through there and here in Savannah we are having street flooding, but the mountains were dry.
i hiked roan mt. to hwy 19E this weekend. we had no water problems, it was fine!
We are doing Deep Gap to the NOC in late Oct....anyone got a perspective on water on that section?
I'm hiking Winding Stair to NOC this weekend. I can let you know after that
Thank You! Have a safe hike and I hope you have a great time. I actually got out this weekend and did a 22 mi kayak trip and camped one night. I really needed that!
Look forward to hearing about your hike.
I'm heading this way in a couple of weeks. Any updates over the next couple of weeks will be appreciated.
Midway Sam
AT Section Hiker
"Adventure is not outside man; it is within." ~ Georg Eliot
wet
This past weekend I did an overnight from Winding Stair Gap (US 64), south to Deep Creek Gap (USFS 71). Although everything was wet from the continual fog and humidity, water sources were relatively low.
The only place I filled up was @ Carter Gap shelter. Although low, there was still plenty pooling up to use my filter.
On the trail itself, most of the lesser water crossings were "dry". There were only a few usable sources in my 20+ miles.....
Be Prepared
Well I headed out from Winding Stair Friday. There is water right at the begining of the trail head and then a couple of small trickles that one could get water from right before Panther Gap.
From there until the Wayah Bald shelter this is NO water. Not a trickle.
There is water at Siler Bald shelter. If I hadn't walked the half mile out of the way I would have gotten in bigger trouble than I did.
After I got to Wayah Bald shelter and found no water. I called Ron to come rescue mei had run out of water and had started throwing up so I had to walk back up to Wayah Bald so he could come get me.
I do believe the Ron told me there is a water spout behind the bathroooms at the bald but I would double check that fact in case I heard wrong.
My situation may be different from others. I am overweight and do require more water to drink. And I hike alot slower.
Thank you MG for that up date. Sure changes the way we were thinking a tad. I guess it is what it is and we will have to make some adjustments unless we get about a week of rain before I start!
Again, thanks and I'm glad you had a safe and a good hike.
Bly Gap to Beech Gap water
MG,
My girlfriend and I were in the van with Ron when you called! He'd just picked us up and we were on our way to Franklin. I'm glad he made it to you and that you're okay! We put in at Deep Gap 9/6, walked to Bly Gap then back to Muskrat for the night. Stayed on Standing Indian summit 9/7, and hiked out at Beech Gap Sat. morning. Muskrat had a low flow, but the source at Standing Indian shelter and the summit itself was very slow.
GA Water..Dry, Dry, Dry
Without being overly dramatic and alarming, I can say that the water situation is the worst I have seen in many years. Please plan accordingly. Most commonly used sources are dry with only a few at a trickle. At Grassy Gap / Gooch Gap (Upper Suches Area) we have seen only one day of good rain in the past three weeks so my previous hopes of seeing some relief come Sept has not materialized. I was up at Grassy Gap this weekend and the spring feeding our creek is just a trickle, and I have not seen that spring and our creek at the current low level in the years I have known the area.
You will need to carry quite a bit more water than usual and be sure to fill up, as well as camel up, at all available sources. To add to the seriousness, it remains fairly hot as well. There is water at lower elevations so following trails down will often get you some water so ask all you come across for options, although on Saturday when I was on the trail I did not see a single sole which is very unusual for this time of year in this easily accessed section.
The good news is that we are expecting some rain this week. Lets hope the rains come to fruition.
I am heading back up to Grassy Gap tomorrow and will get some good day hiking in during the next few days. I will report back this weekend with more details.
Water along the Georgia trail continues to be a problem, but is not impossible. We did a 4 day trip starting Sept 7 at Hog Pen ending Sept 10 at Dick's Creek. Many locations that normally have water were dry, but here are locations we found water
Low Gap Shelter had good water.
We camped at Chattahooche Gap with water, but the spring was found a couple minutes walk further downhill than normal
Blue Mountain Shelter had water.
The normally running stream that crosses the trail between Unicoi Gap and Rocky Mountain, only had wet rocks, but we were able to pump water by damming the trickle
The Cheese Factory was dry, but we found a trickle of water immediately below the point were the trail crosses the Tray Mountain Road just downhill from the Cheese Factory.
The Tray Mountain shelter had a slow drip from the iron pipe at the concrete collection box, but we were able to pump water.
The stream below Addis Gap was flowing with a sizeable flow
Deep Gap Shelter was dry.
The stream that crosses the trail about a quarter-mile south of Dick's Creek Gap was pumpable with sufficient flow.
So, water can be found, but camel-up when you find it by topping off your bottles.
How is the water situation near Fontana Lake? I am going to Hazel Creek next weekend. 21-23.
the lake is full
Conquest: It is not the Mountain we conquer but Ourselves
I'm heading that way next Thursday. Please let me know the scoop on water from Woody to Amicalola, or whatever info you have in that area.Originally Posted by FatMan
"I wonder if anyone else has an ear so tuned and sharpened as I have, to detect the music, not of the spheres, but of earth, subtleties of major and minor chord that the wind strikes upon the tree branches. Have you ever heard the earth breathe... ?"
- Kate Chopin
[quote=gkduchon;404577]
The Tray Mountain shelter had a slow drip.....quote]
Like Gonorrhea??
Just back from 7 day hike from Troutdale/Dickey gap to 20 miles north of Pearisburg/VA 635. If it doesn't come out of a tap, don't count on water... The Partnership shelter does have water (yeah, right)... the Holston River forks have water... lick creek has water... kimberling creek has water... the pond before Wapiti has water... the spring right on the trail heading north from Pearisburg has water... and the river by Pine Branch Shelter has water. everywhere else, with luck, there were puddles which i can't swear are still there. even the dismal creek branches are mostly dry. Must say, still had a wonderful time!!! Got specific question about a shelter, ask and i'll do my best to remember...
Lazarus
Water - Dicks Creek Gap to NOC
9/21 Plumorachard Gap Shelter - Water
9/21 Muskrat Creek Shelter - Water
Beech Gap to Coleman Gap - 2 small streams cross AT
9/22 Carter Gap Shelter - Water behind old shelter
Albert Mountain to Winding Stair Gap - 3-4 small streams cross AT.
9/23 Winding Stair Gap - Water
9/26 Campsite just past Winding Stair Gap - Water
9/26 Burningtown Gap- Just south of gap is a stream with water.
9/26 Cold Spring Shelter - Water in small pool feed by very small flow.
9/27 NOC - Water
Be sure and carry a lot of water from Winding Stair Gap to Burningtown Gap it is a long hot climb up Wayah Bald and down to Burningtown Gap.
Good hiking! Bahama Dave
The news today in the NC foothills is that the drought is affecting the foundations of homes. foundation repairs up 150 percent this summer ???!!! I know this isn't the AT and no concern for shelter foundations, but folks, it's dry. At least in my county. I'm 2 hours from the trail.
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