rivers and streams

[wanashunkaha]

Perusing the end to ender's guide, I noticed there seems to be a significant number of stream/river crossings. Promise not to laugh at my ignorance... I assume that I'll be walking through these streams rather than crossing on a bridge of some sort? Okay, go ahead and laugh, I don't mind!

[Cookerhiker]

I hiked the LT last year and never got my feet wet from water crossings (mucky areas - now that's another subject). You either have bridges or rockhops. The trickiest crossing was a tributary of the Lamoille River which could be problematic after a heavy rain.

[rafe]

South of Rte. 4, there's no problem. Can't speak for the rest of the LT.

[Quoddy]

I hiked the LT last year and never got my feet wet from water crossings (mucky areas - now that's another subject). You either have bridges or rockhops. The trickiest crossing was a tributary of the Lamoille River which could be problematic after a heavy rain.

I totally agree. No rivers to cross without bridges of some sort, including a number of hiker suspension bridges. That spot on the Lamoille leads to the south end of the hiker suspension bridge, but could be a problem in a heavy rain/flood condition. Steep drop off there to the stream bed and rock hop. There was a ladder to aid in getting down when I went through last year.

[strates]

I just finished my hike in August, and the heavy rains of July and August had many of even the smallest creeks swollen. It's not they were overally dangerous to cross, but the standard rock hops were often submerged. Several streams in the Little Rock Pond wilderness were raging, having flooded the trail in many places, but it was a downpour when I went through there.

So yes, you may have to get your feet wet, but you shouldn't get swept away.

Good luck and have fun.