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Note 44.414 MOUNT-L 414 of 517 CUPIDO::STRITAR "Andrej Stritar,IJS,(61)-371-321" 73 lines 27-JUN-1994 13:34
CUPIDO::STRITAR "Andrej Stritar,IJS,(61)-371-321" 73 lines 27-JUN-1994 13:34
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Subj: Water woes
Date: 22-Jun-1994

Hi all,

I just got back from a week of doing narrows in southern Utah
(a truly wonderful thing to do). By the way, does anyone know of
any other region in the world where there are comparable narrows (I.e.
the kind that have a pleasant stream in them and are fun to walk
down - maybe a repel here and there)? In Oregon, just east of
Multnomah Falls, is Oneonta Gorge. It's a delightful narrows, but
only 1/2 mile long and the water is frigid. In Utah, of course,
they can be many miles long.
Anyways, on to the water questions. One of the big concerns
in the arid country out there is the water. We usually consumed
about 4 liters a day while hiking, and we would refill at the
springs along the way, filtering everything through our First Need
Microfilter handheld pump, which claims that it removes Giardia.
Question 1: the only spring we encountered on the first
day of doing the Right Branch of the North Fork hike in Zion had
barely any flow and the water was brackish. There were water
striders and tadpoles in the potholes the water flowed through
(which I took as a positive sign). Should we have been concerned
about the brackish look of the water (we were, but we filled up
anyway)?
Question 2: There is a small waterfall in the delightful
Fortymile Gulch (entered via Sooner Wash) in the Escalante Drainage.
The stream is small and constricts right before the water goes
over the edge of the falls which, being unnamed, we dubbed Leech
Falls. The flow is quite weak in most other places. I
kept the filter's input hose in the water while my brother pumped
(partway through we both drank from the filtered water). At the
end of three liters, I withdrew my hand from the water and on the
top of my thumb two worms were attached and waving around. I have
never seen anything like them before. WHAT IN THE HECK WERE THEY,
and should I/we be concerned? Lengthy, detailed description
follows:
At first glance, the water in the area where the stream
narrows prior to going over the falls appears to resemble a bed
of brown kelp (not motionless). Closer examination reveals that
the "kelp bed" is actually entirely composed of these "worms" and
that the perceived motion is due to the fact that these worms
are fighting their way upstream. The worms are small, the largest
being around 1.5 cm in length, and stand vertically in the water.
The smallest I could barely discern in the water, less than a
milimeter. They are black in color but the bottom has a milky
gelatinous substance which allows them to stick to the rock the
water flows over. The top tenth of the worm narrows and is
blacker than the rest. At the very tip, there seems to be a three
pronged gripping mechanism (which reminds me very much of an animal
preparing to grab hold and hang on). Upon removal from the water,
they shrivel up and remind me of a gooseneck barnacle (without the
top part of the barnacle).
The method of locomotion is interesting, reminding me
most nearly of the inch worm. The worm, being attached by its
gelatinous end, reaches with its head (opposite end) upstream
until it is able to grasp the rock. It then quickly draws its
tail to where its head is. The effort proves great and the
instant the tail lands, the head releases and goes whipping
downstream stopped by the tails attachment. This process is
then repeated. Occasionally, there is a slip up and head, tail,
and all get carried downstream which is how I got blessed with
two.
Sorry to have taken so much space, but since I've
never encountered anything like this, and since I've not found any
descriptions in books, I am very anxious to find out about it.

Thanks much,
a paranoid drinker.
PS. My bro' has had Giardia (Gov. Camp, Mt. Hood, Oregon), and
it's not a fun thing.
PPS. Yes, I got rid of the worms on my thumb, post haste, by
shaking them off.

***pico
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