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  1. #1

    Default Shelter Water Sources

    In your opinion, which shelter's water source was the longest/hardest to get to.

    For me, it was the Rice Field shelter on Peters Mtn in Va. What a mistake that was. I was really PO'd when I came across a fine spring right on the trail about a mile farther north.

  2. #2
    Registered User orangebug's Avatar
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    Default

    During my sections, thus far, Abington Gap's (last shelter in TN) water supply was absolutely the worst. I would have been much wiser to have watered up at Double Springs and avoided that long descent and climb.

  3. #3
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    Peter's Mtn. Shelter, Pa. just north of Duncannon.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by L. Wolf
    Peter's Mtn. Shelter, Pa. just north of Duncannon.
    A beautiful but LOOOOOONG & steep stone staircase. That took some serious effort to build. Darn near did me in on a hot day in June.
    'All my lies are always wishes" ~Jeff Tweedy~

  5. #5
    •Completed A.T. Section Hike GA to ME 1996 thru 2003 •Donating Member Skyline's Avatar
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    Default Vanderventer

    Vanderventer in TN was at least a half-mile, steep, not always a real trail, and a very disappointing drip once finally there.

  6. #6
    HanS. (2004) Cehoffpauir's Avatar
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    Bake Oven Knob in PA was the hardest.

    I arrived about 10 pm, parched. It took me 45 minutes--no joke--to find the spring in the dark. The first marked spring was dry and walled over, the second merely damp rocks. The third was deep in the woods along a blue-blazed trail so poorly-marked it felt dangerous. Water never tasted so good as that night.

    The best--there are many excellent sources. Most memorable is the 15-foot-wide bubbling spring at that shelter in Maine--I forget the name. Clear, cold, clean water.
    Thou art a soul in bliss, but I am bound
    Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears
    Do scald like molten lead.
    --King Lear

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by L. Wolf
    Peter's Mtn. Shelter, Pa. just north of Duncannon.
    I second that.
    Profile '00
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  8. #8

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    Both Rice Field and Vandeventer came to my mind. Is there water at Rice Field at all? I was heading southbound and when I got to the shelter, these two fellows told me the only water was now behind me. It was a real cold winter night too. Sucked, but I hiked back to get it. It wasn't a bad walk though, fairly level from what I remember.

    At Vandeventner, I pulled in late, not quite dusk. There was one guy there. It was a dry summer and I hiked WAY down to get the water down the ravine. Stupid, but I forgot my headlamp and had to climb back up in the dark. I was gone so long the guy started looking for me back on the trail. He didn't realize I had gone down the ravine. I was real spooked coming back up, I'm glad I didn't know the history behind that shelter.

  9. #9
    Registered User squirrel bait's Avatar
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    What is the history regarding this shelter?
    "you ain't settin your sights to high son, but if you want to follow in my tracks I'll help ya up the trail some."

    Rooster Cogburn.

  10. #10
    Registered Loser c.coyle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by L. Wolf
    Peter's Mtn. Shelter, Pa. just north of Duncannon.
    You really love that place, don't you?

  11. #11

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    Wait a minute, what about all those shelters that had no water at all. Peters Mt. is a kick ass shelter. I'd call Lone Wolf a Wimp, but I'm scared of Marines .

  12. #12
    Registered User walkin' wally's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cehoffpauir
    Bake Oven Knob in PA was the hardest.



    The best--there are many excellent sources. Most memorable is the 15-foot-wide bubbling spring at that shelter in Maine--I forget the name. Clear, cold, clean water.
    Probably Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to in the 100 mile wilderness. Great place for spring water.
    There is another large spring near the Rainbow Spring tentsite in the Wilderness too.

  13. #13

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    I give another vote to Vandeventor. I'd rather get water at Peters Mt. Shelter twice than have to get it at Vandeventor. As for shelters with no water around, at least one can prepare for it by getting water beforehand. There isn't anything worse than seeing a shelter listed in the guidebook as having water, and then having to truck downhill 8 switchbacks (I'm looking at you Helveys Mill!) to get it.
    "I too am not a bit untamed, I too am untranslatable,
    I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world." - W. W.

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  14. #14
    Donating Member/AT Class of 2003 - The WET year
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    Yeah ...gotta be Rice Field. Poorly marked and a long treck down hill through overgrown brush/thistles.

    I somehow escaped the Peters Mtn source. Guess I was carrying enough when I stopped there for lunch last year.

    'Slogger
    AT 2003
    The more I learn ...the more I realize I don't know.

  15. #15
    Registered User neo's Avatar
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    Default water sorce

    the farest shelter water source i remember was vanderverter shelter,has a great view but water source,half a mile down the mountain neo

  16. #16
    HanS. (2004) Cehoffpauir's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by walkin' wally
    Probably Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to in the 100 mile wilderness. Great place for spring water.
    There is another large spring near the Rainbow Spring tentsite in the Wilderness too.

    It was Potaywadjo--I couldn't remember the name when I wrote my reply. I remember the Rainbow Spring spring on Rainbow Lake--beautiful in October with the colors across the smooth blue water. Looked like Fruity Pebbles.

    Yeah, what is the history behind Vanderventner Shelter?
    Thou art a soul in bliss, but I am bound
    Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears
    Do scald like molten lead.
    --King Lear

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cehoffpauir
    Yeah, what is the history behind Vanderventner Shelter?
    Couldn't remember the year so i got the following from: http://outside.away.com/magazine/0596/9605fei.html

    "One case still haunts hikers who overnight near Vandeventer Shelter, outside Watauga Lake, Tennessee. In 1975, a through-hiker axed another through-hiker to death after inviting her to his camp for a bowl of cornflakes."

    I remember from some source that the guy was covetous of her gear. Some say the shelter is still haunted. Nonsense. It is, however, one of the best east coast spots for alien abduction, but that's a long story>

  18. #18
    Registered User squirrel bait's Avatar
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    Thank you.
    "you ain't settin your sights to high son, but if you want to follow in my tracks I'll help ya up the trail some."

    Rooster Cogburn.

  19. #19
    Peakbagger Extraordinaire The Solemates's Avatar
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    By far the hardest for us was Vandeventer. We hiked to the bottom in the dark after hiking a 23 mile day. It was 0.5 off the AT and 400 feet elevation change. Nasty.
    The only thing better than mountains, is mountains where you haven't been.

    amongnature.blogspot.com

  20. #20

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    I think Vandeventer shelter gets my vote. You have quite a steep walk down from the shelter over a fairly rocky trail to a very small water source. The walk back up to the shelter can try your soul. I once saw a guy and his dog make their way down to get water but the dog flat refused to make the climb back up once he had his water pack full.
    Life is good on the trail.....Swamp Dawg

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