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Topic: Why you should never camp in a wash . . . (Read 205 times) previous topic - next topic
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Why you should never camp in a wash . . .
Johnson Canyon, Utah on July 16, 2018:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORJtxkuD62E
Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264
Re: Why you should never camp in a wash . . .
Reply #1 –
In a strange way, that video was beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing it - I have never seen anything quite like that before.

Last year a group of us were camping north of Afton, Virginia and were told our spaces were at the back of the lot near the bottom of a mild hill. Not the ideal location but we were only there for the night and the sky was blue and sunny. Wow, how quickly things changed.

One guy in our group wanted to set up a huge military cargo parachute to use as a shady area so just as they began to unfurl the chute and start to hang it a front blew in within seconds. Seriously, the wind picked up to violent gusts and the rain was falling like there was no tomorrow. The chute began to balloon and jerked a few guys for a ride they will never forget. And remember we were at the base of a mild hill - there was literally an inch of rain water rolling down the hill. At the base where out tents were set up it was 2-3 inches deep.

The storm lasted around an hour and disappeared as fast as it arrived. Power was out throughout the area, telephone poles and power lines littered the road. We never found out just what blew through but after debriefing we all agreed that none of expected the event and thus none were adequately prepared.
Chet in Yorktown, Virginia
Re: Why you should never camp in a wash . . .
Reply #2 –
Last visit to Zion my DW and I walked up to the Narrows along the trail. Where the trail ends at the Narrows, we stopped not really being prepared for the walk plus there were hundreds of fellow visitors.

Recently I found a YouTube video of the same spot we were at. The videographer hesitated as his friends crossed over just before an upstream flash flood made it to the crossing. Many people experience this yearly. The Narrows is not where you want to be during a flash flood.

Keeping an eye on the upstream weather reports can prevent some very tragic events. Certainly not a safe place to trek during a rain storm.

Kent

2015 27' RB "MissB.Haven"
Re: Why you should never camp in a wash . . .
Reply #3 –
I grew up in southern Arizona. I moved there from the east as a boy.
When I saw my fist one of these signs, I thought to myself, that doesn't belong here in the desert.
It didn't take me long to understand why. It can be a scary place to be when the water is moving and moving fast it does.
Jota
96 23.5 FL
Re: Why you should never camp in a wash . . .
Reply #4 –
Going to be lots of good firewood deposited somewhere
Discuss anything with anyone and disagree agreeably. Always be polite and respectful.
Re: Why you should never camp in a wash . . .
Reply #5 –
Videos of the flash flood coming right at you in the wash don't seem to be to be a particularly bright idea either.   :o
Joel & Terry Wiley
dog Zeke
2013  31 IB   Orwan   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE
Re: Why you should never camp in a wash . . .
Reply #6 –
The river sticks.

I'm not sure I would have turned my back on that to shoot downstream.

I am sure I would not have gotten in front of it to do a bit of self-promotion.

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