[pct-l] Water Caches

[AsABat]

There are I think 13 caches listed on the water reports in So Cal (plus
2 on Hat Creek Rim). All but 2 of these are well known caches that are
almost trail legend. The other 2 appeared in so many of my emails last
year I added them. Each year I try to contact the water cachers to see
if they will be stocked again, and if it is ok to post them. If they
were not posted on the water reports, they would still be known to
virtually everyone.

That does NOT mean there will be water there when you arrive. As
mentioned, those that count on caches and therefore only carry a quart
or two will either use a lot of the cached water or will go very thirsty
if the cache was emptied by those ahead who also relied on the cache.
Beyond that, some hikers with allergies to dirt have been known to use
caches for bathing, international visitors on nonexistent visas may grab
several gallons apiece after their tour guides abandon them, dirtbaggers
have been known to slash them just to make your life difficult, etc. 

So, even if listed, treat it as trail magic if there's water, and don't
be upset if there's not. The one time I actually planned on getting
water from a cache, having been personally assured it would be stocked
just for me, it was empty. Thankfully, I was carrying enough water to
get me to the next source 15 miles away, although an extra liter sure
would have made that hike a lot nicer.

I no longer list exactly how many gallons are at a cache, both because
it will change in an hour and to reduce reliance. I remember being told
a trail angle was serving lunch at a road crossing up the trail. They
were gone when I got there. I sure missed out, but then again I didn't
miss anything I was counting on.

Speaking of water reports, send them to water AT 4jeffrey DOT net. While
we've had some rain down here, it's not as much as we need, and with the
dry dirt I suspect seasonal stream beds may be more bed than stream.

AsABat


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Eric Lee [mailto:saintgimp at hotmail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 8:45 PM
> To: 'Jim and/or Ginny Owen'; pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Water Caches
> 
> Ginny wrote:
> >
> Has anybody thought about putting out the water but not advertising
them?
> Then they are a treat - and not a disappointment or danger when they
> aren't
> there.
> >
> 
> Water caches, like several other perennially hot topics, can raise
strong
> opinions on both sides.  I agree with Ginny that in an ideal world,
water
> caches would be moved around frequently and not be advertised so that
no
> one
> would be able to make plans that rely on them.  That way they stay in
the
> realm of "trail magic" rather than "essential utilities".
> 
> But for better or worse, many of them are more or less permanent and
the
> volunteers who stock them put in a lot of effort to make them as well-
> known
> and reliable as possible.  So to all who might want to base your
safety
> around them, the only thing we can say is - please, please, please
> remember
> that all water caches are stocked on a best-effort basis only, and
there
> are
> _no guarantees_, and plan appropriately, whatever than may mean for
you.
> 
> Eric
> 
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