If anyone has hiked to the Rausch Gap Shelter, is the spring running? I am leading a crew of Boy Scouts from Clarks Creek to the shelter on an overnighter and need to know how much water to pack. Thanks.
Old Scout 65
Water at Rausch Gap Shelter
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#2
Old Scout… take a look at the ATC page http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hike/updates/index.html
There is a link to trail conditions and also the current drought conditions. I didn’t see Rausch listed. My recollection of Rausch is a slow flowing spring. With the current drought, be prepared though.
Moose
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#3
We hiked up there two weeks ago and were happily surprised to see that there was lots of water, both at the spring and in the creek nearby. It’s a good area to hike, though the camping restrictions are a pain. There are lots of interesting side trails - like the one up to the old stone furnace – many of which never made it to the maps.
Ginny
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#4
There is large stream just about .2 of mile north on the AT if the spring is dry.
Please note that the shelter is under special restrictions. It is restricted to the use to only AT thru-hikers. This is a quote directly from the ATC PA trail guide.
Wyoming Skateboarder
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#5
As I recall, there was a cistern like filter down near the old rail road bed that had plenty of water running through it last summer when I was there. (Trout Unlimited or some group like that has diverted the stream through through the cistern filled with limestone to neutralize the acid runoff from coal mines). Water should be perfectly good to drink if the spring at the shelter is dry.
Pete “Peaks” Lane