water on the trail?

[DARWIN]

its good to know that water is plentiful on the AT. i'm very excited to see the green colors of the trail also, it will be a very stark contast to the red rock areas where most of my outdoors adventures take place.

[Cascader]

Keep in mind also that there may be stretches of the Trail where water is not so readily available, depending on conditions that can change day to day.

Last May, for example, water was a real issue on the Trail in NJ and NY.

With that in mind, be prepared to carry two liters of water with you--you won't always have to, but at times you may need to. On those days, you need to take advantage of whatever water sources are still running. Last May, hikers were going up to a couple of miles off Trail just to get water, tho' I was able to avoid that.

When you're at a good water source, by the way, it's good to drink as much water as you reasonably can, maybe as much as a liter, then fill your water bottles and add treatment if you do that. The best place to carry water is in your body. Which you must already know as a desert hiker!

[Stalking Tortoise]

As you pass hikers heading in the opposite direction, don't forget to ask them about water availability. They are the ones that will have the most current info on springs, streams and puddles. Be prepared to offer the same information for the trail behind you. It's all part of being in the hiking community.

On more than one occasion I've been warned of long dry stretches and and was able to camel-up at the last good source.

[Bob McCaw]

On stretches where the trail follows a high ridge, you can bet water sources will be scarce.

The main spots to watch for are the Smokies north of Newfound Gap (pretty much dry from Icewater Spring to Tricorner Knob, unless you venture away from the trail) and portions of Pennsylvania.

New York and New Jersey can be tough in a dry season. Some of the water that does exist is pretty nasty looking. Fortunately, people often leave water as trail magic in this part of the world and civilization (read, tap water) is near the trail in several places.