Water report Atkins-Pearisburg VA

[honu]

Taking a zero in Pearisburg after hiking from Daleville. To supplement the info mjkocher supplied:

There is a spring right alongside the trail about two miles south of Rice Field shelter. Didn't look great but there is water. There's an H2O sign about a mile north of the Rice Field Shelter. Didn't check it out.

I was told by a hiker at Bailey Gap shelter that there was water down the blue blaze trail 0.2 mile south of the shelter. I didn't need water so didn't check it out. There is a small flow of water (Dismal Branch?) in the Stony Creek Valley about half-way between Bailey Gap and Pine Swamp Branch shelter.

North of Laurel Creek shelter to Daleville: There is plenty of water.

A stream just south of VA 42
A stream just north of VA 630 (Sinking Creek Valley)
Niday Shelter has good water -- just be sure to go past all 3 "water" signs to the end of the spur trail. There's a little feeder early on that doesn't have much water, but a good flowing creek if you go to the end.
Picke Branch shelter -- good water.
VA 624 road crossing -- water flowing (creek or drainage ditch?) Convenience store with your choice of liquids only 0.4 mile away.
Catawba Creek (VA 785) is flowing well.
Catawba Mountain Shelter -- excellent spring water.
Campbell shelter -- didn't check it out but was told by several hikers there is water there but it's kind of skanky.
Lamberts Meadow shelter -- water. Walk upstream 50-100 yards and there are pools.

[c4jc88]

Honu - are you heading south? Would you mind posting an update on water heading towards Damscus? I am doing Damscus to Pearisburg in mid Nov. Weather shows some rain in late Oct hoping to increase water but would be nice to know if that hypothesis is true.

Jason

[honu]

Water report between Pearisburg and VA603

Doc’s Knob shelter had a small pool – adequate.

Woodshole Hostel – 0.5 mile east down the dirt road at Sugar Run Gap (Sugar Run Road; VA 663) has water, soft drinks, juice.

Wapiti Shelter has good water.

A couple of creeks a mile or three south of Wapiti Shelter had water.

Dismal Creek had water. I camped at Dismal Creek Falls and got water there. If you don’t want to walk the 0.3 miles from the AT to the falls, there are a couple of places north of the Dismal Creek Falls Trail junction where the AT skirts Dismal Creek.

Kimberling Creek at VA 606 had water but I was told not to drink it.

At VA 608 there is a house next to the road crossing. I was told they would give hikers water but I didn’t need any so didn’t ask.

There were a couple of pools in the stream bed on the climb to Jenny Knob shelter, but nothing was flowing and I wouldn’t count on it.

Jenny Knob shelter was dry.

Helveys Mill shelter had water but it’s a long way down to get it.

There was decent water in Kimberling Creek at VA 612.

Laurel Creek had water.

Little Wolf Creek had water.

Jenkins Shelter had water.

Didn’t check out Davis Farm Campsite but someone had written on the water sign at the junction of the spur trail that there was no water there.

The pond 2 miles south of Chestnut Knob Shelter had water.

Lick Creek (1.25 mile south of USFS 222) had water and a nice campsite.

Lynn Camp Creek had water.

Crawfish Valley had water and a nice campsite. The campsite is adjacent to the trail and easy to spot. There was water there but I had stopped and got water several hundred yards north. There was a sign on the AT that identified the Crawfish Valley Trail and another sign attached to the same post that said "water – 100 feet" with an arrow pointing east.

There is a stream just north of where the trail crosses under I-81 but the water didn’t look particularly good. Probably better to get water (or other liquids of your choice) at Groseclose/the I-81 interchange. There are two convenience stores there and the Relax Inn if you want a motel stay.

Chatfield Shelter had water. The AT also cut across a couple of creeks/feeders north of the shelter that had water.

Partnership Shelter had water – a faucet in the back of the shelter. Don’t know if and when they shut off the water because of concerns about freezing. The Mt. Rogers NRA headquarters is only 100 or so yards away and I suppose you could get water there if it’s open but my understanding is that it’s only open 8:00 - 4:30 M-F this late in the season. It also has a Pepsi machine inside the visitor’s center.

The South Fork of the Holston River (at VA 670) had water.

Trimpi Shelter only had a puddle. But I got what I needed (2 liters).

Comers Creek had water but I was warned it was not potable.

A couple (3, 4 ?) miles south of Comers Creek there was a creek that had good water.

I was told Hurricane Mountain Shelter had water but didn’t check it out.

Fox Creek (at VA 603) had water.

Can’t tell you the water situation south of VA 603. My ride home came down a week early so I got off the trail there. But I met a NOBO at Trimpi Shelter who had come up from Damascus and said he had no problem getting water.

[Brass Rat]

Water report between Pearisburg and VA603

And to complement the report from honu, I added the following post:

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=66128

Probably should have put it here to being with.

[c4jc88]

Thanks guys!

[c4jc88]

Back from my section and the report above is on... there is supposedly water at jenny knob but I got in almost at dark after 24 miles and didn't check.