Friday, September 14: Evidence of the fire that swept Yellowstone more than a dozen years ago is still starkly visible. Something in excess of 800,000 acres of the 2.2 million-acre park were torched, but nature is nothing if not tenacious. She is reasserting herself forcefully everywhere. Evergreens sprout amidst dead stumps. The deer and the antelope roam – or at least the buffalo do. Hillsides, once burnt-black, are dressed in the pale green of adolescent trees.

We see a good deal of this from rapidly moving vehicles, for by now we are in full tourist mode, with three-minute stops to grab the latest photo-op, a cooler full of beverages and blaring music. The penultimate moment comes when Bob, rather than to go so far as to have the van stop, leans out the window at 53 mph to photograph a distant beast of the field.

Moving to the heart of Yellowstone, the landscape becomes more surreal than a Bosch triptych. Up to this point my sole knowledge of Yellowstone has been gleaned from photos of Old Faithful spewing. This turns out to be the park’s least salient feature.

A mad profusion of boiling waterfalls, roiling mudpits, soaring geysers, steaming potholes and randomly erupting sulfurous earthen cauldrons crowd the landscape. It is disconcerting to consider just how little insulation lies between the surface on which we tread and nature’s furious boiler room below. They say Yellowstone has 10,000 of these geothermal land mines but what they don’t say is that the ten thousandth and first could materialize underfoot without notice.

 

Outfitter's Advice: Choosing Water Filters

Most backpackers begin looking at water filters because of the weight savings in water. Sadly, even the most pristine lakes, rivers and streams are full of protozoan parasites that will make you very sick. Water filter systems make the water drinkable and delicious. They’re a few differences to consider: Type, Weight, Size, and Pump rate per minute. Micro-filters remove Giardia, Cryptosporidium and all bacteria. (Anything larger than 0.2 microns.) he most common types of micro-filters are Ceramic and Fiber.

Ceramic filters are easiest to field service, Fiber filters pump faster and are usually lighter weight. We hear concerns about viral contamination of water. Micro-filters remove most but not all viruses. Recently the EPA recalled all Purifiers (micro-filters with viral protection). There have always been chemical alternatives to a water pump purifiers (iodine tablets and the new SweetWater drops.) If you’re a hiker in North America viral contamination is extremely rare, use your Micro-filter. 

If you are heading to a third world country, where water supplies and sewers are one and the same. We suggest that you use a micro-filter and chemical purifiers. 

One further note: the iodine tablets by themselves are extremely effective, but are mainly used as a back up for filters.

    Iodine tends to add a funky smell and taste to the water, and should not be used long term or with young children.

If you need an excuse to purchase a filter, here’s three: 1) It is the lightest and safest method to source water when hiking. 2) Safety when traveling to third world countries. 3) Must-Have for your hurricane kit.

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