I always planned my trips around water sources until a ranger in the Sierras gave me a different tip

For years, I'd plot my routes by stringing together lakes and streams, thinking that was the only safe way. On a trip near Mammoth Lakes last fall, a park ranger told me to look for 'dry camps' near ridges instead. He said the views are better, the bugs are fewer, and you can carry just enough water for the evening and morning. I tried it on a three-day loop, carrying two liters to a high spot between two known creeks. Waking up to that sunrise with no one around was worth the extra weight for a few hours. Has anyone else switched to planning around campsites instead of just water?

3 comments

3 Comments

jones.blake16d ago

My buddy Mark did a section of the PCT in Oregon last summer. He camped on this dry, rocky bluff a mile from the nearest stream just to catch the sunset. Said he rationed a single liter for dinner and breakfast, and watching the stars come out with total quiet was better than any creek-side spot.

the_julia15d ago

That dry camp silence makes you notice every little sound later.

wright.jesse11d ago

Honestly, "total quiet" is exactly right. My buddy Dave tried something similar on a ridge in the Sierras and said the only thing he heard all night was his own heartbeat.