My uncle told me to skip the switchbacks on the Bright Angel Trail and I learned the hard way

He said the direct route down the canyon from the South Rim would save me an hour, but my knees were shot by the time I hit Indian Garden. That extra 1,200 feet of descent on a straight shot wrecked me for the next two days. Anyone else have a piece of bad trail advice they wish they hadn't followed?

3 comments

3 Comments

andrewh432mo ago

My buddy said to skip the water filter in Yosemite.

andrewh432mo ago

That advice is playing with fire. I filled up from the Merced River last fall without filtering, got giardia, and was sick for three weeks. The park service signs aren't there for fun. Even clear, fast moving water above 8,000 feet can have beaver fever. I pack the filter every time now.

abby3081mo ago

Yeah the "my buddy said" advice is usually how people end up sick haha. @andrewh43 I totally get it, I had a similar scare up in the Desolation Wilderness a couple years ago. My buddy swore up and down that the water from Lake Aloha was fine without filtering because it was so clear and cold. I was stupid and listened, ended up with a nasty stomach bug for a week. Now I never skip the filter either, I use a Sawyer Squeeze and it's honestly not that heavy to carry. The extra few ounces is worth not spending three weeks glued to a toilet.