Tried the official PCT water report vs just asking locals on trail 300 miles apart

I followed the PCT water report religiously for the first 200 miles from Campo. Carried extra weight because it said a creek was dry, then walked past it gushing. The last 100 miles I just asked hikers coming south and used a few trail angel texts. Got it right every time and carried half the water weight. The official sources are useful but they update slow and miss storms. Anyone else find the crowdsourced intel more reliable than the published guide?

2 comments

2 Comments

claire_ramirez2221d agoMost Upvoted

Huh, I was the opposite for a while. I thought the official water report was gospel and any hiker intel was just guesswork. Then I hit a stretch in the Sierra where the report said a stream was reliable but it was completely dry from an unexpected dry spell. A southbounder told me about a spring two miles off trail that was running strong, saved my hike. That changed my mind completely. Now I trust the trail rumor mill way more than the official updates.

faith_lopez4821d ago

Gotta jump in here @claire_ramirez22 because that Sierra dry spell hit me too but in a different way. I was all in on the rumor mill until I trusted a flip flopper about a creek that was supposedly flowing near Muir Pass. They swore it was reliable but it was just a trickle of mud when I got there. Official report had a different creek listed as questionable but it was actually running strong half a mile off trail. So now I kinda blend both. I check the official stuff for a baseline then ask the southbounders for the real truth on the day to day. Still made me realize the trail rumor mill isn't always spot on either.