Lots of people use just a tarp and/or bivy. I'm not worried too much about cutting weight until it's time to replace current gear. Would seriously consider it if I could get away from work/fam for a several day trek instead of just a night or two. I've thought about a test run with just the tent fly sometime to see how I like it, but haven't done it yet.
Disclaimer: I don't think I qualify as granola crowd, so can't speak for them.
Bivy is what i'm seriously considering switching to. My tent is pretty great, but I know I can save a ton of space with a good bivy. There is an option to just run the rain fly with my footprint, but really the packability of the poles etc is what is more of a concern. I don't think floorless shelters make a ton of sense if you are gonna be sleeping on the ground. Inclimate weather would be one reason, warmth would be another. Unless you are packing an ultralight cot or something, which seems like it would defeat the purpose.
Oh yeah, drinking water is scarce out there. That was my first question as well. I guess if you were really desperate you could try drinking the Colorado but that's sure to plug a filter quick.
How high up into the La Sals does the trail go?
You can filter out of the Colorado, just need a silt capable filter. Even then we used a shirt to strain prior to the filter intake. Seemed to work pretty well. I think we topped out at like 8000 some odd feet in the La Sals, so we weren't getting above treeline or anything. It was wild to have been in the bottom of a canyon surrounded by desert and red rocks on Sunday morning and then be in an aspen grove later that afternoon.
Asava what is a trail angel?
A trail angel is just someone you meet along the way who gives you water or food, or someone who places stashes of water along the trail for whoever needs it. We ran into both while out there. If you've got trails that people frequently travel, it's a really awesome idea to just drop off gallons of water a spots around the way. It's an amazing feeling when you are out there and you come across something like that.