Lost a whole afternoon trying to find a water source near Table Mountain

I was scouting a new loop up near Table Mountain in Colorado last weekend and the map showed a creek crossing about 6 miles in. Problem was when I got there the creek was totally dry... must have been seasonal runoff. I ended up bushwhacking for almost 3 hours following old game trails looking for another source before I gave up and turned back. Has anyone else dealt with map water sources being way off in early summer?

2 comments

2 Comments

mila_mitchell9d ago

Wait, you mean you hiked 6 miles before you even checked if the creek was running? That's wild to me. I always pull up satellite imagery or recent trip reports on CalTopo before I head out, especially for early season stuff in Colorado. Those map creeks are straight up lies half the time, they show water from like the 1950s or something. You got lucky you even found game trails, most of those just dead end at a cliff or a thick patch of scrub oak. Honestly, three hours of bushwhacking in the Rockies sounds like a nightmare I'd rather skip. I'd recommend carrying extra water capacity next time or at least a filter bottle so you can scoop up anything along the way.

james6729d ago

Grabbed a filter bottle myself after a similar mistake up in the Sierras last year, made a world of difference when I hit a surprise dry stretch. Those map creeks fooled me too, so now I just plan to pull from any questionable trickle or puddle instead of trusting what the topo shows. Packing an extra liter and a sawyer squeeze saved my butt more than once, cheap insurance for early season when you never know what you'll find.