McGee Canyon TR

[DoyleWDonehoo]

While I think everybody else should do what they are comfortable with, 90% of the time I never use or bring a water filter, and almost never early season. This has been my pards and my rule for the last 15 years. We used to always filter everything until experience taught us how to choose our water sources reliably. Obvious example: Merced River all the way to the HSC, filter! Early season runoff streams coming from the heights in the back-country, forget the filter. General rule: if we are not sure of all the water quality on a trip, we bring a filter and use it as needed situationaly. Thousands of trail miles and not sick yet.

I expect to have to deal with flying bloodsuckers this upcoming trip. I may leave the filter behind but not the deet! Or wind pants, bug screens, lite plastic gloves....

[windknot]

Thanks for the report, and nice pictures. Sorry about the mosquitoes; I heard they were horrible in Little Lakes Valley last week, and although I got lucky and spent the past week virtually skeeter-free in Dusy Basin, they were getting annoying when we got back over Bishop Pass yesterday.

I'm starting to doubt the necessity of using a filter at all times, especially if the source is a relatively lightly-traveled stream or lake. Better safe than sorry, of course, but if my filter ever breaks down I won't feel too unsafe drinking unfiltered water.

Matt