Got Water?

Except for the section of trail along the Gila River, most of the Continental Divide Trail in New Mexico is very dry and requires carrying lots of water - up to six liters between water sources. Some water sources are over twenty miles apart and are no more than a muddy puddle or an algae filled livestock trough. Below are some examples. The Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) hosts a crowd sourced water report for dry sections of the trail. You can view the report here: CDT Water Report. Hikers send updates via email that are posted to the report to make hikers aware of changing conditions.

I have a water filter and also carry some fruit punch powder to flavor the water. Sometimes, even after filtering, the water has a less than pleasant taste. I'm hoping that the significant rain and snow we received this winter will make water more abundant and improve the overall quality.