Spent a week on the Teton Crest Trail and saw so many people miss the crucial water refill at Marion Lake.

I watched at least five groups push on past it toward Alaska Basin, only to have to double back a mile when they realized the next reliable stream was dry in August, so do you always check your water sources against recent trip reports?

3 comments

3 Comments

calebc402mo ago

Check recent reports, but don't trust them completely. Conditions change fast, like @ivan774 probably found out the hard way, so always have a backup plan for water. A good map and asking other hikers you meet is still the best bet.

the_susan2mo ago

Wait, is asking other hikers really that reliable though? I mean, people give bad info all the time without meaning to. I've been told a spring was flowing and it was totally dry. A good map is key, but maybe cross-reference a couple recent reports instead of just one? Idk, it's so easy to get it wrong out there.

ivan7742mo ago

Ever run out of water on a trail? I had to beg a sip off a guy in the Wind Rivers once (felt pretty dumb, I'll tell you that).