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Water Filter/treatment for Timberline?

Posted: August 1st, 2019, 7:25 am
by calipidder
What type of water filter/treatment system would you recommend for the Timberline trail? I've backpacked in high alpine places with crystal clear water (where I use aqua mira drops) to the southwest with sludge-water (where I used a heavy duty filter). Lately I've been using a sawyer squeeze.

I'll be heading to the timberline trail for the first time next week and I'm debating which type of water treatment to carry. Chemical treatment is out, since I understand that some sources can be silty. Will the sawyer squeeze be ok? Or should I carry something more heavy duty?

Thanks!

Re: Water Filter/treatment for Timberline?

Posted: August 1st, 2019, 9:08 am
by BurnsideBob
Welcome to Oregon Hikers! I well and pleasantly remember your many posts to High Sierra Topix.

Regarding silt free water on Mt. Hood, the first resource is the Oregon Hikers Field Guide, which lists good water sources in its route description. https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guid ... _Hood_Hike

Those streams not originating from glaciers and permanent ice bodies will generally be silt free, so if you are a map geek like I am, you can come up with probable silt free water sources beyond those listed in the Field Guide with some map study.

Have a great hike! It is a classic.

Burnside (Eiprahs on HST)

Re: Water Filter/treatment for Timberline?

Posted: August 1st, 2019, 9:29 am
by BurnsideBob
Ooops! Didn't actually answer your question about water filtration technique.

Since silt free water is readily obtainable, Aqua-Mira or similar chemical treatment can be used, so go with what you like.

My wife and I have discussed doing the TT later this summer, and we would go with our current filtration method of choice, a Platypus gravity system, which does not like glacial silt.

Burnside

Re: Water Filter/treatment for Timberline?

Posted: August 1st, 2019, 10:02 am
by teachpdx
I roll with a Sawyer Squeeze (or Grayl) and a SteriPen on the Timberline Trail, and fill up at smaller streams rather than the big, silty ones.

Most water is clear enough to simply bottle up and zap with the light... if the water source has some particulate matter in it, then I use the Squeeze or Grayl. I've never gone through more than 2-3L of water between clear sources.

Re: Water Filter/treatment for Timberline?

Posted: August 1st, 2019, 5:16 pm
by calipidder
Awesome, thanks for the help!

And BurnsideBob, thanks for the welcome from HST! I remember you. It's been a while since I've both been on that site and hiked in the Sierra. Moved to Bend in 2016 and pretty much the only thing I miss about my time in California is the Sierra. Luckily we have plenty of amazing places to explore here so I don't miss them too much. :)

Re: Water Filter/treatment for Timberline?

Posted: August 14th, 2019, 5:16 am
by retired jerry
I often drink that crystal clear water without treatment. I've never had a problem. But that may be unwise.

I use Sawyer Squeeze most of the time. It's so easy there's not a good reason to not use it.

I've never used those chemicals. For one thing you have to let the water sit for hours for it to kill those bugs. That means I'd have to carry extra water.

Steripen works pretty good if you have good batteries.

Re: Water Filter/treatment for Timberline?

Posted: August 14th, 2019, 1:56 pm
by leiavoia
I got around the mountain just fine with my Platypus gravity system.

The one stream that was a bit iffy was the one next to Cairn Basin. I had to let it settle for a few hours in the bag before filtering.

The nice thing about gravity systems is that they are easy to backflush silt out and keep it going. I killed my MSR pump filter trying to get water out of a St Helens blast zone stream.

Re: Water Filter/treatment for Timberline?

Posted: August 14th, 2019, 2:42 pm
by retired jerry
If you go west from Cairn Basin about 1/4 mile to the first big stream, Glisan Creek, just before the main stream is a small stream that's clear, best for drinking water. I think that stream actually comes from Glisan Creek further up, but it gets filtered by gravel.

Re: Water Filter/treatment for Timberline?

Posted: August 20th, 2019, 4:15 pm
by buckwheat
I did the Timberline about 2 years ago, and I used a Sawyer Squeeze attached to a Smart Water bottle. I never had any problems with it clogging up, nor having to go more than a couple miles without a watersource. My memory of the longest section was the climb up from Ramona Falls area to the Cairn Basin area, and that was probably only 5-6 miles. I did the hike in August, and there was enough clear snow melt creeks, that I didn't have any muddy ponds I had to hydrate from.

Aquamira would be fine too I'm sure.