Water:
Water is more plentiful that one might believe on the Great Basin Trail. Three of the longest waterless stretches of the GBT are in the southern section, ~41m, ~30m, and ~25m respectively. The southern half is very much drier than the northern half, although each of those 3 waterless stretches can be broken up by a strategic water cache at highway crossing. The longest stretches of the northern half are ~50m and ~25m. That ~50m stretch is fortunately from Wells, NV, in which one should have their belly satiated, southward to the reliable Upper Boone Springs. The latter ~25m waterless stretch has the reliable Corta Spring near Overland Pass in the Diamond Range or a cache can be plotted on the good roads of Huntington Valley.
In total, I found roughly 180 potential water sources and at least 8 cache points. The largest waterless stretches in the Great Basin Trail. A multitude of types of water sources exist on the Great Basin Trail including springs, creeks, lakes and ponds, corrals and troughs and tanks, wells, the occasional wildlife guzzler, and ephemeral potholes and puddles. Of those sources the springs are probably the main resource for water in which the flow can go from a tiny trickle, slow drops, seepage to relinquishing a small creek flow. Even which of those springs some are piped and either free-flowing or flowing into various catchments such as tanks or troughs.
As much as the Great Basin is known for its dryness and unpredictability in weather, creeks inhibit most of the highest ranges and are a striking to the thirsty eyesight and startling the arid ear. The first running creek I encountered in the Quinn Canyon Range had me entranced for a long lunch break and nap at the sound of plenty of crystal clear flowing water. In the largest ranges, such as the Toiyabe, Monitor, and Ruby, creeks are a vital part of the ecoregion and are mainly spring fed in the highest elevations as well as flowing from springtime snowmelt.
In the GBT map set and on the GPS file, waypoints and water information will be notated for the hiker. I do not think I will have a Water Report until enough hikers attempt the GBT. That being said, I will have notes as to the reliability and conditions of the source. As a precaution, one must not be too reliant on reported conditions as sources may change, dry up, become non-functional for range use, or become fouled. Lastly, not all water sources are potable. Occasional thermal pools or springs are encountered. I did not utilize any of these potential precarious sources and I believe it is sufficient to say one can hike the GBT without drinking any of these questionable sources. That being said, over prepare on this route to ensure hydration and water availability.
Resupply and Caching:
Within the loop of the GBT major yet isolated highways transect the route. Highways 6, 50, and 93 are the major and most useful to cache. These caches also promote one in being self-sufficient and not to rely on hitchhiking. To say the least, hitchhiking in the remote Great Basin may be time-stretching and test your limits in patience. Also, the main dirt roads in the basins, which mainly run south to north, are maintained regularly by the counties in which those roads reside in. Usually one can stash a bucket or bury an Ursack at a summit between two valleys or simply an innocuous highway or dirt road crossing. Lastly, driving around the loop and caching food gets one so familiar with such an isolated route. This helps in not only familiarity of the route but to become aware of one's bailout options, which are so important in such a remote route.
Sample GBT Itinerary:
note*** this is my utilized itinerary***
Great Basin Trail Itinerary:
(~1150m)
(5/3-6/16)
•Lake Valley Summit to Crystal Springs:
- (6 days) (5/3-5/8)
-Crystal Springs Cache
[total: ~146m]
•Crystal Springs to Tonopah:
-(8.5 days) (5/9-5/17)
-(~125m Crystal Springs Cache to Blue Jay Cache)
-(~70m Blue Jay Cache to Tonopah)
(3.5 days)
[total: ~195m]
•Tonopah Zero Day (if possible)
-5/18
•Tonopah to Eureka:
-(8 days) (5/19-5/26)
-PO in Tonopah
-(~50m Tonopah Cache to Smoky Valley)
-(~135m Smoky Valley Cache to Eureka)
[total: ~185m]
•Eureka Zero Day (if possible)
-5/27
•Eureka to Wells:
-(8 days) (5/28-6/4)
-PO in Eureka
[total: ~202m]
[+ ~57,000ft and - ~57,500ft]
•Wells to McGill:
-(6.5 days) (6/5-6/11)
-PO in Wells
[total: ~166m]
•Ely Zero Day (if possible)
-6/12
•McGill to Lake Valley Summit:
-(5 days) (6/13-6/17)
-Market in Ely
[total: ~125m]

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