PSA: Watch your water sources near Silver Creek Pass

Last summer I was hiking the northern loop of the High Divide Trail and stopped to filter water at Silver Creek. A guy named Dave who was camped nearby came over and warned me that a bear had been dragging deer carcasses upstream about 200 yards. He pointed out the murky water and said he saw the tracks himself that morning. Has anyone else run into sketchy water spots like that on popular routes?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscarcooper7d ago

...and honestly murky water alone is a solid red flag even without tracks. I'd say always check upstream a bit before you settle in to filter, that's saved me more than once.

the_sage6d ago

Ha, is it really that deep though? I've used murky water plenty of times without a second thought. Never had an issue. If there's no scat or tracks, isn't it just stirred up sediment from the rain? Checking upstream is smart, sure, but calling murky water a "solid red flag" seems like overkill. To each their own, but I'll stick with my dirty creek if the current is moving.