Is backcountry water safe to drink?
As a general rule, where there’s no human polution, yes, it is. The human factor is usually easy to discern: where roads end and there’s no more villages or houses uphill. Cattle (sheep, cows and occasionally horses) usually graze in the high mountain meadows in summer. Water sources that go through areas with cattle may need treatment. In general, water from springs is ok to drink as it is water from clear running streams.
