Water filter for Utah canyon country (Grand Gulch, Cedar Mesa)?

So from another thread (thanks Billy!) the Katadyn Vario was recommended – bulky, but sounds like it might be the best option?

"According to the ranger I spoke with, the springs are actually bubbling up from the ground in this area – not flowing….which I'm thinking means murky/sediment water. (there may be small sections of flowing streams, but largely I'll have to rely on the springs)"

First, the person you talked to might be a ranger… or they might just be a volunteer who has spend very little time in Grand Gulch… if any.

What they call "springs" are really just "seeps"… there are very few of them, sometimes they dry up, some are hard to find, and they are often just mud holes.

While flowing water does happen it is not to be counted on… though you are more likely to find flowing water in mid April, it is possible there will be no flowing water in this drought year… sometimes, if barely flowing over a slick rock section, it can appear clear.. but often it can be muddy brown.

Most of you water will likely come from pools that have not dried up from the last rains. As I stated in your other thread, these can have hard to see flora growing in them that can clog your filter even if it looks clear… or there can be so many of them that the water looks green… or, later, after more drying and warm weather, the water in these pools can be brown, murky and stink.

Sometimes it will help to look a little ways up side canyons for water as the bottom of GG proper is often filled with sand.

Billy

Very possible – Whomever I talked to when I made the permit reservation 2 weeks ago actually said she had just been in the canyon that weekend, and water was flowing everywhere (she said it was from snow melt at the higher elevations) – but then when I called yesterday the person I talked to was in Monicello, and didn't sound very familiar with the canyon at all or the area, she just gave me the water report that Kane had called in that morning.

I think I'll plan on the worst case and get the Vario, and hey! If water is flowing I'll be pleasantly surprised (and still prepared :) )

"According to the ranger I spoke with, the springs are actually bubbling up from the ground in this area – not flowing….which I'm thinking means murky/sediment water. (there may be small sections of flowing streams, but largely I'll have to rely on the springs)"

Those springs will most likely be quite clear. Groundwater in the Colorado Plateau generally flows down through sand and perculates out when it hits a rock layer. I'd probably drink from most of them with no treatment whatsoever. It's the standing rainwater pools which can get a bit funky.

"Those springs will most likely be quite clear. Groundwater in the Colorado Plateau generally flows down through sand and perculates out when it hits a rock layer. I'd probably drink from most of them with no treatment whatsoever. It's the standing rainwater pools which can get a bit funky"

Last year at about this time those springs certainly were not clear and were rather muddy.
Besides, most of the water she will be drinking will not come from the 'spring/seeps'; it will probably come from pools… some muddy, some clear, some green with algae, some brown with stink…
Some pot holes were murky and putrid smelling. I doubt anyone would want to drink that water without passing it through a charcoal filter.
Even if the stream is running it can be muddy. It depends on how fast it is running… how long since the last rain (which washes mud into it).
Basically it is hard to predict what you are going to get in Gran Gulch… best to go prepared for the worst… especially when it comes to water purification…. gots to have water to drink.

Erica,
if you get the Katadyne Vario filer make sure you know how to use it before you go.
There is a way to twist it so you can bypass the ceramic filer disk. You don't want to do that as you could clog the paper filter. No way to clean the paper filter. It the paper filter gets clogged your filer is worthless. The whole idea in questionable water is to use the ceramic filter disk to protect the paper filter. The ceramic filter can be cleaned and it is not hard to do so; the paper filter cant' be cleaned.

Also, one more word on those 'springs'… which I call seeps. In Grand Gulch they pretty much look just like the pools of water left from the last rain… mostly they will not necessarily look like water hitting a rock layer and seeping out horizontally… often they are just holes in the sand or mud that have water in them… they just don't dry up as quickly as the left over rain pools…
Billy

Erica,

Regarding the question of if water in GG should be treated at all or not/whether it would be safe to drink:
Just think about it. GG is a very popular place. Thousands of people go through there every year. They all poop and pee in the bottom of the canyon. There is not a lot of rain/water to flush that canyon clean. Not everyone is considerate enough to hike up to higher ground away from the bottom of the canyon where the stream runs when there is water. And not every camp is even in a location where that is possible. Think about it.
As well, not everyone follows the rule of not bathing or doing laundry in the pools. There are a lot of old time Utah natives who hike in GG too… people who may not be versed in proper canyon behavior… or even care.

Some of the advice you are getting from other posters is for the Colorado Plateau in general. What I am telling you is for GG specifically. Things can vary quite a bit from one canyon to the next so general advice might not be so good for any particular canyon.

Billy

Thanks, Billy. I actually had thought about all of that (backpacking in other areas around Moab – especially in Canyonlands, I've seen exactly what you're talking about. I'm (sadly) anticipating that in the canyon, hikers aren't going to be particularly responsible about where they go to the bathroom, and packing out TP etc….. it sure is unfortunate to have to prepare for that when going into the 'wilderness'…but in my experience, I know better than to assume the best when it comes to that!

I have the Vario coming overnight, tomorrow I'll be sure to test it out here at home and become familiar with it's workings before heading out. I'm bringing Aquamira as an emergency backup (and debating throwing the sawyer in as a backup as well) – I hiked with a friend who used one of these and it broke on his 2nd day…definitely want to be prepared with some sort of treatment in case that happens.

Thanks!

Under those conditions filters are probably about your worst choice.
Reason is, if the water does have suspecned stuff in it, there will be a lot more there than you think, and the 0.2 micron holes in any filter will block up real fast.

About your best bet under those conditions would be a stack of coffee filters to get as much suspended matter out as possible, followed by a Steripen. Coffee filters (one at a time) are fine enough that the water which comes through is fairly clear: clear enough for the UV to work. I suggest you take a good ziplock bag to carry the used filters out with you.

Cheers

David – Your experience is promising! I'll hope for some decent clear water (which I'll still filter to be safe) – but non-stinky/murky water would be awesome!

Erica,

" (and debating throwing the sawyer in as a backup as well) – I hiked with a friend who used one of these and it broke on his 2nd day…definitely want to be prepared with some sort of treatment in case that happens."

I own a Sawyer, the Vario, Steripen, and iodine tablets.
Personally, for GG, I would take the Vario and the iodine tablets as backup.
(that was my choice last spring for Grand Gulch when I did a 6 day trip)
I would not take my Sawyer. I have never tried it in the canyons, but last summer it clogged up in clear mountain water after just two days. I did backflush it, but that did not seem to restore full flow. A lot of other people here on BPL have reported similar frustrations with the Sawyer…. My guess is the Sawyer would be a nightmare in truly dirty water like you can find in the canyons…

on the Vario… I think it comes with a small scrub pad for cleaning the ceramic filter disk and it works. While out last time I thought a small stiff bristle brush might be handy too. A couple of times I just used my knife to scrape the ceramic disk and that seemed to work really well… but the scrub pad is probably sufficient.

Billy

What Billy says.

I was in GG once around Memorial Day. At that point I remember one rainwater pool and some seeps near Sheiks. If the pool has not been disturbed for a while it will be somewhat clear, but warm, with organic material and generally require treatment.

Unfortunately, there are cattle in Cedar Mesa above you and upper Kane Gulch had some fresh cow pies when I was there (please write your elected representatives to make Cedar Mesa into a Monument or a park). That is to say, the scarce water that there is has to be treated. I would seriously consider going into GG earlier in the year, April or so when chances of finding water are better. This has been a dry year, so probably little water even now. Ask rangers whether and where there's water before going in.

Another thing to consider is that water from seeps may be alkaline, some drinkable, some not.

Recently I have been using MSR water treatment tablets in desert. Seem to work fine. A partner and I are section hiking Hayduke and water has been the central issue for us. A good clean flowing spring is an extreme rarity. More often you are lucky to find a small puddle that has to be dug with your hands to get a half a liter of salty water.

Go when water is plentiful and deal with the cold. The canyon gives protection from wind, it's an easy hike, just take extra protection.

BTW, GG is an awesome hike, please don't be discouraged.

"Most of you water will likely come from pools that have not dried up from the last rains. As I stated in your other thread, these can have hard to see flora growing in them that can clog your filter even if it looks clear… or there can be so many of them that the water looks green… or, later, after more drying and warm weather, the water in these pools can be brown, murky and stink."

"(please write your elected representatives to make Cedar Mesa into a Monument or a park)"

Brilliant Anton. Yes! I have wondered for quite a while why this is not a national park or monument – and to be honest, it hadn't occurred to me to contact my representative. I definitely will.

"Yes! I have wondered for quite a while why this is not a national park or monument – and to be honest, it hadn't occurred to me to contact my representative. I definitely will."

This may sound like heresy, but I personally would rather deal with the cow pies than the hordes of people that national parks attract. Think about it.

If you want to support protections for Utah wilderness check out Southern Utah Wilderness Association… SUWA and support them… volunteer, donate, etc:

http://suwa.org/

I expected that a Park suggestion may be controversial. However, a Monument (I think) still allows for cattle grazing (example: Escalante) and livestock is very destructive to desert environment. No matter how many fences, the cows will escape and foul a canyon. Then, of course somebody has to gather cows, chase strays, remove carcasses of the dead ones, etc. I think recently in Escalante there was a dead cow in one of the non-technical slots and it could not be removed. So, the owner eventually decided to burn it (!) leaving a huge mess.

Perhaps a wilderness area? The coolest thing about Cedar Mesa is that it is so remote and nobody knows it's there. Bridges are somewhat on the regular travelers map, but other wonders nearby are completely unknown.

Personally, Cedar Mesa is my favorite area, probably even ahead of Escalante…

I absolutely agree on supporting SUWA.

One other spot that deserves protection is the Butler Wash area (that's where Hayduke lowered his Jeep :) The Grand Gulch is at least a BLM special management area. As far as I know, there's nothing at all about the Butler Wash canyons which contain amazing ruins.

Erica,

All that said about filters in Utah being less that ideal, my partner does carry a filter. So, when we arrive at a water source where water looks essentially undrinkable and nasty, I am usually somewhat envious of his ability to turn "soup" into more or less clean looking water. I know that water treatment tablets work just as well or better, but mentally it's much easier to drink water that looks clean. Of course, filter is a huge hassle: it leaks, it needs to be flushed, it takes time to pump water, it's heavy, etc.

This may not be practical for this trip since you'll need to collect water as you come across it, but just wondering out loud if you could use some powdered alum to get the solids to settle out of your collected water. You could then decant the "clean" water off the top into another container to be filtered/treated.

Don't some folks use a similar method on other SW canyon trips when dealing with reliably turbid water?

Settling overnight, even without alum, has almost always been effective for me. Much better than having to backflush/clean a filter daily. Of course, if your itinerary obliges a dry camp and midday water tank up you're up against the wall. There was also that one time in Moody Creek when letting the chocolate milk water sit overnight did nothing at all to clear it up. That stuff tasted fine, but it did look weird.

My backpacking chore as a kid was always pumping water, the effort of which left an enduring scar. As an adult I've never owned one, and see no reason to.

Utah´s canyon country sees a LOT of use. (And a lot of users´ poop.) So I use only wáter purifiers like a Steripen Adventurer and Katadyn chlorine dioxide tablets.

I suppose filters would work 99% of the time but they ain´t my first choice.

I´m going to Coyote Gulch in Grand Escalante in June and will carry my above wáter purification gear, not a filter.

I got the Katadyn Vario – it's definitely bulky and adds some decent ounces, but I'm glad it was recommended and that I went for it. I think the peace of mind is going to be worth it. I suppose having a 'real' filter in my backpacking supply ammunition isn't a bad thing either.

I'm bringing aquamira tablets as an emergency backup, and bringing the spare parts and supplies that came with it.

We'll see how it goes…it'll be my first trip ever with an actual filter (I usually just use my steripen or aquaria drops in the past).

Thanks again for the advice!
Erica

Erica… RE your new Vario…

yea, it's a real clunker compared to what we are used to… but when I'm in the canyon with that nasty water I really love it…

like all filters, make sure it doesn't freeze at night…

and if the water is really suspect do both… filter and treat with you aquamira…

billy

Reading between the lines in this thread, and reading the actual lines of Aquamira's product info, sounds like cloudy/muddy/skanky water does not impact it's effectiveness? Thus, a good choice for desert water, if you can tolerate the skank factor?

"Thus, a good choice for desert water, if you can tolerate the skank factor?"

John,

To say 'desert water' covers a lot of ground. Just exactly what do you mean by 'desert water"? Are you talking Sonoran Desert? Low Desert, high desert, canyon country desert and if so which canyon?
Lots of different types of water situations out there in the Southwest.

But this particular thread was a discussion a particular canyon on a particular mesa: Grand Gulch on Cedar Mesa.

In any case 'desert water' could be anything from muddy/turbid flood water after a rain, to pools of water that have been sitting in the heat for a couple of weeks growing algae that floats and will not settle out. Some of the water may have toxic chemicals from agriculture and some may be radio active from the natural rock formations or mine tailings. Some may be fresh, cool and clear. Some may stink so bad you can't get your mouth or nose close to it.

If you want to be prepared for all (most?) types of water in the southwest you might put together a kit that includes a container to settle water overnight, some alum to assist with the settling, coffee filters to filter out very fine stuff that will not settle, the Katadyn Vario filer with a cleanable ceramic pre-filter (for when floating algae will not settle out) with an activated charcoal stage (for removing the stink that will not allow you to drink the water)and, finally, some chemical treatment or UV treatment to treat filtered or settled water for giardia, viruses, etc. In some instances you could need most of all of the above to make good tasting, healthy water.

There is no one solution to dealing with all water situations in the southwest. And, unfortunately, you may not know what the water will be like before you start your hike… unless you have a lot of experienced in a particular area. Even calling for information is problematic as things can change in just a day or two and most information will be older than that.

My advice: since water is such an important item in the desert… if you aren't sure of what the water will be like… take them all.

Billy

Erica: I've hiked in GC twice, and its a wonderful place to go. I have a map of water sources, which varies by season. I'll send it to you if I know your route is one of the routes I took. My email address is on my blog (backpackingtechnology.com. Your water sources fall into these categories:

springs: clean and beautiful, but every hiker and their dog has tromped through the water.

pour overs: mud hole mini lakes under natural waterfalls, mud bottoms, muddy but not horrible water.

rock pockets: clean water in rock pockets, the water from recent rains and stream flow. These can be from a gallon to swimming pool size, and are a treasure compared to slime basins.

slime basin: water with slime on the surface, muddy, sedimenty, will clog a filter fast, but sometimes you have to drink it.

flowing stream: pretty darn rare.

We used every type of filter there is, and some totally failed, some didn't.

Katadyn type: Ok until you hit pour over water or slime basins, works better with an MSR Siltstopper prefilter. http://backpackingtechnology.com/food-and-cooking/msr-siltstopper-prefilter/

Steripen: we couldn't see the light in bright daylight, and batteries went dead. The effectiveness is lowered in highly turbid water.

Sawyers: worked ok, but be prepared to backflush a lot, slow to pump and we were afraid to use it in slime basin water.

Aqua Mira: this always worked, and nobody got sick from the slime basin water we had to drink. We ended up using Aqua Mira exclusively by the end of the trip.

coffee filter prefilter: better than a bandana, not as good as the MSR siltstopper.

MSR hyperflow: immediately clogged