Sip at your own risk

Regarding “Going Below the Surface” [July 26]: I have traveled more than 10,000 miles in Yellowstone without treating a drop of water. Never had a problem.

Nathan Varley

Gardiner, Mont.

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I just returned from Guitar Lake and Mt. Whitney, and this topic was a major discussion among our group. Ahhh, to go back to the days when you were able to drink water in the Sierra right out of a creek or lake without even thinking of filtration.

Howard Kern

Westlake Village

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Now it is my fault if I get giardia? I have been backpacking for 35 years and contracted it once from a stream because I did not wait long enough for the purifying pill to work. Giardia does not manifest itself until long after the backpacking trip is over; complaints of being sick on a backpacking trip are not giardia.

Jim Folks

Santa Barbara

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I’ve backpacked in the High Sierra for more than 35 years, have always drunk the water and have never been sick. No tablets or filters; that stuff is for germ-phobes. If I suspect any contamination, I boil the water for 15 minutes. I didn’t know that lake water was better than river water because of sunlight.

Terry Blomquist

Costa Mesa

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I first went into the backcountry in 1970 at Big Sur, diving into the deep pools in the river and drinking the water. When we hiked the length of Tuolumne canyon last summer, we carried the newest filters. The water was wonderful, but I’d prefer to enjoy the old days.

Kirk Knight

Alameda

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It is great to see a mainstream article exposing “the giardia myth,” but I was surprised you didn’t reference Bob Rockwell, who has a degree in biophysics and who has been saying the same thing for 20 years.

Rich Henke

Redondo Beach