after the flood

That August 20th flood was way more destructive than the one earlier in the month.  When we got back down there, a week later, I wanted to check out Millcreek Canyon, from whence the waters came.  We went for a MTB at Moab Brand Trails on Friday, but on Saturday Milton and I went to Millcreek while H did a road ride.

Flotsam piled up on the dam

Our neighbor Amelia said that the bulk of the floodwaters had come from the left hand fork of the canyon, that the big dead tree on the top of the falls had been washed a hundred yards downstream and that the force of the water coming over the falls had dug out the plunge pool enough that it was now deep enough to actually, safely jump off the falls.

Swimming

First things first, though: we walked up to the rim trail above the canyon, walked out along the jeep road and then descended into the canyon, making our way up through the spot that gets flooded by the beavers (I wonder what happened to the beavers in the flood - yikes) and finding our way across the creek.  There was a more normal amount of water this time and it was running beautifully clear.

Strike a pose

I suppose that there may have been a bit more damage from the last time we were up there but it wasn't super-noticeable if there was - certainly not like left hand.  We had the place to ourselves until we got down to the cowboy hot tubs, where an older gentleman trail runner was gingerly soaking himself in the chilly water.  When I apologized for startling him, he laughed and said that we were far less startling than the water temperature.

Below the confluence: flattened

We (I) had intended to go up left hand fork when we got to the confluence to check out the damage there.  When we got there, however, there were lots of other people making their way up towards the waterfall and, honestly, I just didn't want to deal with people.  The floodwaters had completely flattened the trees there, however; where there used to be a green, shady tunnel from the confluence to the waterfall was wide open, the trees laid right out.

Close up of the dam pile-up

As we walked out, all the willows were bent right over and the trail had been flattened out too.  There was a huge stack of tree trunks, stumps and branches fetched up on top the dam, proving just how high the water had been to strand all that stuff up there.  The creek was flowing normally now, though, like nothing had ever happened.  A mile or so further downstream, where the damage really kicked into gear in town, it was clear that what had happened was epic.

A town deer palate-cleanser