Honestly, I used to think planning a 3-day trip in the Sierras was fine with just a basic map until a ranger in Bishop told me 'your route crosses three unmarked seasonal streams that'll be waist-high by July', which made me finally start checking USGS water flow charts for every single trip.

What's the best resource you all use for checking water crossings on a planned route?

3 comments

3 Comments

Man, that's a wake-up call, isn't it? I was totally in the same boat, thinking if a trail was on the map it was basically a given. What changed for me was a similar scare with a creek that looked tiny on paper. Now I cross-check like crazy. I always start with the USGS water data site for real-time stream levels, because that ranger is right, those charts are key. But I also look up recent trip reports on hiking forums for that exact area, since someone might have posted about the crossing just a few days ago. It takes a few extra minutes but it's stopped me from walking up to some seriously dangerous water more than once.

elliotadams7d ago

Cross-checking is the only way to go.

sean_johnson166d ago

Check the weather upstream too, like @elliotadams probably does.