The Desert Makes No Promises

Searching for water in Dirty Devil country

Scarcity of water could be the primary defining characteristic of a desert. I plan a lot of backpacking trips in the desert, and the walking lines I draw are always shaped by the presence or absence of water. Often, I rely on the reports of those who have come before me, guidebook authors, and even bloggers and YouTubers. I take as much information as I…