Camping/fishing Castle Area

[PeteZahut]

We will be camping and fishing in the Castle area next week and was wondering if there was a spot to get potable water for the trailer in the area. I would love to get water somewhere down there instead of hauling it from Calgary. Suggestions welcome.

[trailhead]

That's a unique question, and it is a bit of a conundrum. But you could try the store in Beaver Mines, or at the ski hill. I know they are both open, maybe call them or email?

[jgib01]

We just recently were at the lake campground, and that is a challenge for sure.  We threw a little water in the trailer at the previous stop at the Oldman Dam, and had a 5 gallon bottle with us to use for drinking and cooking.  They don't test the well water at the campsites there, hence the "not for drinking" signs you find on all the wells.  Interesting to note, the well water directly across the lake is used by the caretaker at the Scout camp in his home (untreated as far as I know), and he hasn't expired yet.  I think in a pinch and to be safe, if you boiled it, it would be fine.  As mentioned above, the store and the ski hill are likely the only places close with potable water... though, where do you suppose they get their water from??  Only difference is that it would be tested.  There are several places in Pincher area to get water too.  The Dam is a few clicks out of the way, but it is an interesting stop if you haven't been before (from a sheer engineering perspective).

[PeteZahut]

We always bring different water for drinking but use the trailer water for washing dishes and brushing our teeth. I prefer clean/good water for that. I will keep investigating. 

Chris

[PeteZahut]

Looks like the Lundbreck fire hall has a spot to get water. Anyone know if that is true? The sanidumps website says so anyways. I would be coming down 22 so it would require a slight detour but may be worth it.

[TerryH]

There’s water available at the Bellevue campground on Hwy 3 right across from The Crowsnest Angler.

Potable water is also available on main street Blairmore (west end) just across the street from Integra Tire.

[angler]

You might even try at the weigh scale / boat inspection station just east of the turn to 507.

[PeteZahut]

Thank you all for the recommendations.

[jgib01]

19 hours ago, PeteZahut said:

Looks like the Lundbreck fire hall has a spot to get water. Anyone know if that is true? The sanidumps website says so anyways. I would be coming down 22 so it would require a slight detour but may be worth it.

Ah, if you are coming down the 22, definitely quicker to zip back toward The Pass or to Lundbreck, rather than to the Pincher area.  Not sure about the fire hall, as I've never stopped there... Google maps shows a sani dump there, so looks pretty promising.  But if you stop and buy a lot of beer at the Oldman River Brewing Company, I'm sure they would give you some water... then everybody's happy!   Have fun on the Castle!

Edit:  I'll try to remember to zip past there when I am heading west (tomorrow or Sat likely), to see if it still looks like a go.

[DonAndersen]

Anybody miss the good Old Days when all campground water was OK to drink.

No testing was a Ralphie save some bucks idea.

 

Don

 

[jgib01]

I could be wrong, but think given the litigious age we live in, there's very little likelihood that we will ever see broad testing of campground wells again.

[TerryH]

3 hours ago, DonAndersen said:

Anybody miss the good Old Days when all campground water was OK to drink.

No testing was a Ralphie save some bucks idea.

 

Don

 

Hey Don in the good old days I used to carry a tin cup on the outside of my pack so I could drink from the creeks - no carrying fancy water bottles back then. Of course that was before they invented beaver fever and giardia too.

[zander]

I use the dump at the fire hall in lundbreck all the time after fishing the crow. There is water there and I want to say potable....... but not sure.................. and grab a few beers at the oldman brewing also!!!

[professori]

On 7/25/2018 at 3:43 PM, PeteZahut said:

We always bring different water for drinking but use the trailer water for washing dishes and brushing our teeth. 

Chris

I will never understand this.  You are travelling with a food grade holding tank, feeding food grade piping to your faucets.  Use a foo grade hose (the white one with the blue stripe) to fill the tank and you have completed the system.  I have used my on board water from three trailers over the past 17 years for drinking with no adverse effects.  Every spring, mid summer, and fall (when I winterize) i run one or two bottles of the cheapest vodka I can find through my (empty system) then fill and drain the system once, fill it again and we are ready to go-disinfected and winterized if it's that time of year, with no nasty antifreeze taste.  

[TerryH]

2 hours ago, professori said:

I will never understand this.  You are travelling with a food grade holding tank, feeding food grade piping to your faucets.  Use a foo grade hose (the white one with the blue stripe) to fill the tank and you have completed the system.  I have used my on board water from three trailers over the past 17 years for drinking with no adverse effects.  Every spring, mid summer, and fall (when I winterize) i run one or two bottles of the cheapest vodka I can find through my (empty system) then fill and drain the system once, fill it again and we are ready to go-disinfected and winterized if it's that time of year, with no nasty antifreeze taste.  

Agreed, disinfecting water system is a good idea. I do it at the start of every season. However, I suggest drinking the vodka and using a bleach solution for the disinfection.

[professori]

Actually the vodka does as good job as bleach, with no creepy aftertaste in the water.

[PeteZahut]

On 04/08/2018 at 7:48 AM, professori said:

I will never understand this.  You are travelling with a food grade holding tank, feeding food grade piping to your faucets.  Use a foo grade hose (the white one with the blue stripe) to fill the tank and you have completed the system.  I have used my on board water from three trailers over the past 17 years for drinking with no adverse effects.  Every spring, mid summer, and fall (when I winterize) i run one or two bottles of the cheapest vodka I can find through my (empty system) then fill and drain the system once, fill it again and we are ready to go-disinfected and winterized if it's that time of year, with no nasty antifreeze taste.  

I'll explain it. I never said anything about adverse effects. It's a matter of preference. I do everything you said but we don't care for the taste of the water from the taps, be it from home or from filling stations. We bring the large bottles of water and put a hand pump in it.

[trailhead]

Thank god we don't live in Africa. We would have to walk five miles to get muddy water out of a rusty pipe. Taste would not be an issue. Africa, Africa I'm North American, Ha! Ha! Ha!