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Tried the same 22 mile loop in Zion twice, 2 years apart, and the second time almost got me
Two years ago I hiked the same loop out of Zion and treated water like a backup plan, carrying a single 1 liter bottle and topping off at every spring I passed. Last month I did it again, but this time two of those springs were bone dry and I had to filter from a muddy pothole 6 miles from the trailhead. What changed was the snowpack, the rangers at the visitor center said this season ran about 40 percent below normal and nobody updates the old route guides. I now carry 3 liters minimum and cache a jug at the halfway point before I even start. Anyone else get burned by springs that used to flow every single summer?
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ninam7610d ago
Read a trip report from a guy who did a similar loop out there and he said the same thing, springs that were reliable for like a decade are just gone now. Kind of wild that the old guides are still telling people to count on water sources that may not even exist. I heard the snowpack thing is only gonna get worse too, so caching a jug like you do sounds smart. Better to carry the extra weight and be annoyed than end up filtering mud.
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