Any of you drink out of a mountain stream?

Pappy said:
Always, when I was a kid. Our house was fed by spring water. But, before I drank from a stream, I always made sure the cows were downstream. :rolleyes:
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Many years ago, our place in Vt. had a spring that we used as our water source. I had friends that came up from NY and just loved that water. That is, until I happened to mention that we had a couple of trout in there that kept the bug population in check. 😲 From that day forward, all I ever heard was... this water tastes fishy. :ROFLMAO:
 
squatting dog said:
Many years ago, our place in Vt. had a spring that we used as our water source. I had friends that came up from NY and just loved that water. That is, until I happened to mention that we had a couple of trout in there that kept the bug population in check. 😲 From that day forward, all I ever heard was... this water tastes fishy. :ROFLMAO:
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Once a year, when the spring house ran out of water, my grandfather would go in and clean it out. If anyone saw what came out of the bottom of the house, they would never drink it again. We did see it, but it never seemed to bother us in any way. Always tasted great.
 
Pappy said:
Once a year, when the spring house ran out of water, my grandfather would go in and clean it out. If anyone saw what came out of the bottom of the house, they would never drink it again. We did see it, but it never seemed to bother us in any way. Always tasted great.
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Yeah, we had a spring house when I was a kid.
One night Dad said the water tasted funny.
Him and I trudged up the hill
Opened the well house door to the reservoir
Dad said 'shine the light'
So
I shined the light
Right into his eyes
Interesting what eyes look like when a flashlight is shined directly into 'em
...and the expression changes on a Dad's face when that happens

Anyway, after he was able to see again, he discovered where wunna our cats had gone

That night, other than discovering flashlight etiquette, I learned cats can float
…….dead ones, anyway
 
Gary O' said:
Yeah, we had a spring house when I was a kid.
One night Dad said the water tasted funny.
Him and I trudged up the hill
Opened the well house door to the reservoir
Dad said 'shine the light'
So
I shined the light
Right into his eyes
Interesting what eyes look like when a flashlight is shined directly into 'em
...and the expression changes on a Dad's face when that happens

Anyway, after he was able to see again, he discovered where wunna our cats had gone

That night, other than discovering flashlight etiquette, I learned cats can float
…….dead ones, anyway
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We had mostly frogs and lizards, and an occasional snake. A cat, no and I’d have to think real hard about drinking that water again. However, when it’s your only source of drinking water, I guess you put it out your mind real quick. We always ran out in the hot summers, and had to haul water in from an artisan well up the road.
 
Pappy said:
We had mostly frogs and lizards, and an occasional snake. A cat, no and I’d have to think real hard about drinking that water again. However, when it’s your only source of drinking water, I guess you put it out your mind real quick. We always ran out in the hot summers, and had to haul water in from an artisan well up the road.
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Yeah, Gramma's place was up the hill. Good well.
Seems we hauled water from there for a bit until the reservoir was drained/cleaned
 
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As a decades old Sierra Nevada backpacking enthusiast, I usually drink from natural water sources where one needs to be selective as to what and where. Often crystal clear cold water from melting snows that last all summer flowing down from high peaks. This is a downsized for web version of a 12000 by 5900 pixel full image created from 26 individual photos 4 frames focus stack and stitch blended. Ten miles into a wilderness in mid June peak snow melt through a glaciated granite bedrock canyon I camped within this image over 2 nights totally alone.
 
Ruth n Jersey said:
I drank from many streams and wells growing up also drank from our hose almost daily while we played outside. These days I sometimes think twice about drinking our tap water.
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I agree.

Our drinking water comes from a lake 19 miles away using a system that was installed in 1893. The water is filtered and chlorinated but a lot has changed since 1893. Just one example of our aging and outdated infrastructure.1635804412420.jpeg
 
Before all the large industries began moving in, we had mountain streams in the upper part of my town where the water was pure and delicious. Today, no way could you touch that water with a 10 foot pole. Sad.
 
Gaer said:
Have you ever drank out of a wild mountain stream? Would you?
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Many many times. In college I worked for the Forest Service in Wyoming and stream water was our only source, so I did it for about 3 months every summer for 5 years. And I did it many other times and places as a kid, did not know better I guess. Never seemed to hurt me.

A few years later the FS found out about giardia and stopped it, but that was after me.

Today I would be more careful, though I have drunk from mountain streams in the past year. I probably caught all the diseases years ago and am now immune, or maybe not...
 
Mr. Ed said:
How about an animal print?
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From True Grit:

Mattie: [drinking water from river near camp] That tastes like iron!
La Boeuf: You're lucky to be where water's so handy. I've seen the time I've drank out of a filthy hoofprint and I was glad to get it.
Rooster: If ever I meet one of you Texas wadis who ain't drunk from a hoofprint, I think I'll… I'll shake their hand, or buy them a Daniel Webster cigar! [he looks over La Boeuf's horse] How long you boys down there been mounted on sheep?

 
I grew up drinking out of the same creek I was fishing in....
Our house and my grandparents both were fed water from a spring fed cistern.
Our current home has a 60 foot deep hand dug well, and the spring comes out about 200 yards away in the woods...
At least I think.... the water tastes the same...
 

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