Smokies Stream Crossings

[Will P]

I do a lot of winter backpacking in the Smokies and surrounding areas and ran into the issue of multiple stream crossings in well below freezing daytime temperatures for the first time above Bryson City. There was no way to prevent everything from freezing up and sticking already frozen boots bagged up in a pack liner inside my sleeping bag at night wasn’t a pleasant experience.

Has anyone played around with water shoes or anything creative or would I be better off picking a route without wet crossings in these conditions?

 

[Philip Tschersich]

How deep?

[Will P]

Up to knee high. I have almost always stuck to the AT in the winter and/or trails that happened to have bridges so it’s not something I’ve had to figure out up to this point.

[Bill Budney]

Timmermade describes DCF Water Crossing Socks. He says they are easy to make: just make a tube. They are thin enough to conform to your foot.

Wiggy’s makes 15 oz waders, designed for river crossings.

EDIT: These plastic socks are light and thick. The pictures show them used as overshoes, which might be slippery and fragile. As waterproof socks, however, they are great.

Somebody will mention Randy Sun and SealSkinz. I like SealSkinz a lot, but more to make a non-waterproof shoe water resistant, rather than crossing streams. Randy Sun is similar tech, but the cut is more narrow and don’t fit my wide feet well. Both are stretchy, though. The knee-high socks might work for you, depending on your answer to Philip’s question.

[Will P]

I will give those both a look. It seems that hurricane Helene washed out a lot of areas and created more crossings so it’s something I’ll be dealing with enough to justify getting some gear.

[Steve M]

The Wiggy’s look interesting.  I’d be curious how they hold up to rocks and such.
Back in the ‘80’s  I hiked the Eagle Creek trail (SMNP)…not knowing the trail crossed that creek dozens of times…w/o bridges.  Not too fun at the time (December) and is still burned into my memory.  :-o

[Will P]

One of the park marine biologists told my fly-fishing group he counted 23 crossings on that trail so that hasn’t changed. I may try getting there up and over from cades cove to avoid that sometime, I’ve already reached hazel creek that way though it was difficult, and I wouldn’t want to be carrying fishing gear.

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