Noticed something odd on the Pacific Crest Trail near Crater Lake last week

I was hiking a section of the PCT just south of Crater Lake about ten days ago, and I could not believe how many people were out there without proper water filters. I counted at least six groups in one afternoon just dipping bottles straight into streams. I get that filters are heavy and slow, but with the giardia risk in that area it feels like playing roulette. Has anyone else seen this on popular sections lately, or was it just a weird weekend crowd?

2 comments

2 Comments

briannguyen7h ago

yeah but like... did you actually see them all NOT treating the water? i ask cuz i've definitely seen people with those clear sawyer pouches that just look like they're dipping bottles when they're actually filtering through the cap. not saying you're wrong, that area is sketchy af for water quality especially after some rain. but i wonder if some of those folks were using those inline filters or the steripen that just looks like a regular bottle from a distance?

derekwalker7h ago

Ngl @briannguyen, that's wild. I literally saw someone fill up straight from a muddy puddle no filter in sight.