PSA: The John Muir Trail in July changed how I pack water

Last summer on the JMT near Evolution Creek, I ran out of water with 6 miles left in a stretch. A guy I met at McClure Meadow ranger station told me to carry a Sawyer Squeeze instead of relying on those heavy 2 liter bladders. Now I pack one liter and filter on the go. Has anyone else had a water source run dry on a popular route like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor9573d ago

Used to hate on frameless packs but this thread proves me wrong.

henryt183d ago

I was hiking in the Sierra Nevadas last fall and a creek I had marked on my map was just... gone. Dried up completely. Had to backtrack a mile to a snowmelt trickle I spotted earlier. Now I always check recent trip reports for water updates before I head out (learned that the hard way).

colethomas3d ago

Have you ever checked satellite imagery from different seasons? I was messing around on Google Earth one time and noticed how much alpine creeks shift their courses year to year depending on snowpack and rainfall patterns. Some of those smaller streams might not be gone forever, they just moved or went underground for a stretch. Might be worth looking at the dry creek bed closer next time to see if the water is flowing under all the gravel rather than on top. Do you usually carry a GPS or just go off paper maps?