any thoughts on water access on AT in Maine?

[danno]

I am debating bringing a purifying device with me on a 4-day 3-night trip from saddleback through the crockers this weekend.

I was wondering if anyone out there has done this trip in the winter before, and had any water access near Poplar Ridge and Spalding mountain leantos as well as at crocker cirque tent site.

I understand there's lots o snow, and should be bringing enough fuel to melt snow, but was also wondering if people remember any water access (possibly under ice) at these locations that would make it worth bringing a purifier (SteriPen).

Thanks for any info.

-dan

 

[KMartman]

I am debating bringing a purifying device with me on a 4-day 3-night trip from saddleback through the crockers this weekend.

I was wondering if anyone out there has done this trip in the winter before, and had any water access near Poplar Ridge and Spalding mountain leantos as well as at crocker cirque tent site.

I understand there's lots o snow, and should be bringing enough fuel to melt snow, but was also wondering if people remember any water access (possibly under ice) at these locations that would make it worth bringing a purifier (SteriPen).

Thanks for any info.

-dan

Why not just bring it? Its light enough...

M

 

[DougPaul]

Snow can be contaminated too. As long as you are melting it with a stove, just bringing it to a boil will kill any pathogens.

Just don't bring any purification device that will be damaged by freezing.

Doug

 

[danno]

Just don't bring any purification device that will be damaged by freezing. Doug

Thanks, agreed. I guess I will bring the steripen and give it a winter test if I get a chance. Its supposed to survive in winter based on what batteries you use. I do keep up-to-date potable aqua in my first aid kit.

 

[una_dogger]

I remember a lot of streams and serious fjords in that section. I also remember having a good walk down hill from the Poplar Ridge Leantoo to the water source.

In winter I have boiled water and filled my nalgene's with it, or used iodine in stream water. I don't like filtering in winter if I can avoid it, because of getting my hands really cold while doing it.

Another thing I have done is take a collapsible bladder with me and fill it up at a stream crossing before my anticipated stop, if I'm unsure about water there. Then I use it for cooking and treat what I put into my nalgenes for drinking.

I went from Oqqoussic to Stratton in three nights and three and a half days; your timing sounds reasonable.

 

[the starchild]

another option is to just drink the water. go for it!!

there's so much snow melting and run-off i would feel very comfortable drinking it straight, though heating it up would certainly be nice and it'd keep warm for a long time in a bottle coozy.

 

[MichaelJ]

Poplar Ridge had a small stream for a water source but it might be frozen over.
There's a ford at the major crossing of Orbeton Stream which may or may not be frozen enough to even cross dry but I'll bet has open leads for getting water. Use caution there.
I remember at least one other stream crossing in there somewhere down low, and a small stream is the water source at Caribou shelter, but other than that there are no more crossings past Abraham, Spaulding, and Sugarloaf until you come back down and just before Caribou Valley Road is the ford of the N. Branch Carabassett River, which will surely have open leads. Use caution. And get your water there on the way up to Crocker Cirque if you want it, because I don't remember any other crossings north of that on the AT over the Crockers and down to 16/27.

 

[danno]

Thanks much for the responses all.

Why not just bring it? Its light enough...

yup, you are right. I was just thinking about taking less weight, that's all. I will be taking it.

Oqqoussic to Stratton in three nights and three and a half days; your timing sounds reasonable.

Agreed depending on snow and wind conditions. Sounds good about the streams, the less snow we have to cook the better.

Thanks for the info on poplar ridge.

another option is to just drink the water.

You are probably right. Unfortunately I am a virgo, which denies me that option unless absolutely necessary.

 

[danno]

Poplar Ridge had a small stream for a water source but it might be frozen over.
There's a ford at the major crossing of Orbeton Stream which may or may not be frozen enough to even cross dry but I'll bet has open leads for getting water. Use caution there.
I remember at least one other stream crossing in there somewhere down low, and a small stream is the water source at Caribou shelter, but other than that there are no more crossings past Abraham, Spaulding, and Sugarloaf until you come back down and just before Caribou Valley Road is the ford of the N. Branch Carabassett River, which will surely have open leads. Use caution. And get your water there on the way up to Crocker Cirque if you want it, because I don't remember any other crossings north of that on the AT over the Crockers and down to 16/27.

Great info MichaelJ, I will mark them on my map. Thanks!

 

[DougPaul]

another option is to just drink the water. go for it!!

there's so much snow melting and run-off i would feel very comfortable drinking it straight, though heating it up would certainly be nice and it'd keep warm for a long time in a bottle coozy.

Fecal and air pollution particles can be blown around with and buried in the snow. Snow crystals also form on a nucleus which is often a pollution particle. Your choice whether to treat or not, but just because it is snow doesn't mean that it is clean.

Water filtering through the soil generally helps to clean it.

Doug

 

[MichaelJ]

Oh, and just bringing the water to a boil doesn't kill the pathogens. You have to keep it there for, uh, 3 or 5 minutes? Sorry, I forget the exact number.

 

[DougPaul]

Oh, and just bringing the water to a boil doesn't kill the pathogens. You have to keep it there for, uh, 3 or 5 minutes? Sorry, I forget the exact number.

I'm not sure where I have seen this, possibly from a lecture by Dr Murray Hamlett: pragmatically, just bringing it to a boil is adequate most of the time.

Two referencable sources:

Boiling kills all waterborne pathogens. Simply bring the water to a rolling boil and maintaining the boil for 1 minute, regardless of elevation.

Heat is a reliable way to disinfect water. Simply bringing water to a boil destroys most organisms, although to eliminate cryptosporidia, the CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend boiling water for a full minute (three minutes above 6,500 feet [2000m] because water boiles at a lower temperatures at higher altitude). Milk is pasteurized by heating to 160F (71C).

Doug

 

[Lawn Sale]

You don't even need to let it boil for 1 minute, the thermal threshold for Cyrpto and Giardia is 188°F, so at 212° they're dead. The 1-minute is for higher elevations to make sure the water is safe. The calculations for boiling water vs altitude are online (I'm sure dougpaul will help out here), but to be safe once you see the boil, you're good.

 

[una_dogger]

Boiling is needed

For troph forms I believe you don't have to sustain boil but for cyst forms, sustained boil is needed. You are mainly going to find cysts in the open environment, not trophs. I'd have to dig out my Parasitology text for actual times, Danno, just let me know if you would like me to.

Ditto with what MichaelJ says, approach those crossings with due caution. I did that section in Mid May and the crossings were extremely swift and deep.